I never have even thought about this issue and notice that today when i was playing around with the car and the J-Gate that when I did not have my foot on the brake or the EPB engaged and tried to shift out of park, I would get the beeps telling me it was a non-no, but it would still allow me to shift to reverse or any other place. This may/probably has been going on for some time, as I know how to drive correctly and always have my foot on the brake when I shift out of park anyway. It was by pure accident I found this.

Probably 15 months ago, I had a bolt come off where the shifter cable attaches to the side of the transmission and the other one was loose. I found the bolt under tha car where it happen, retrieved, took off the plate around the shifter- used a screw driver to move the transmission into a drive mode and took it to a guy down the street with a lift and had it fixed in about 7-10 minutes. There is a possibility when I had stopped and the bolt came off that when trying to shift into park or an gear I could have snapped whatever keeps the transmission locked if no foot on the brake scenario.

Thoughts by anyone and other than the supposed safety feature for some (and yes it is probably worthwhile) is there any downside to this gong on. My shifter is very smooth and no sticking or any binding or anything. Shifts just like new. Never been stuck except when the bolt came loose. With the beeping going on it is clear tha the car knows what I am doing, but it just can't stop me from doing it.

I appreciate any ideas, thoughts or even telling me not to worry about and consider it a nothing burger.

Thanks

Tom in Dallas/Plano
2005 S-type 3.0 , 111,500

Tom in Dallas, don't worry 'bout it. I am not , but what do I know.

Seriously your fine.

Rick in S.C.

Rick: We can always count on you for your common sense approach. I think what happened now is my incident when I dropped a bolt and the other one was loose on the shifter cable to the transmission and I may have well done what sconnley had written about, but by accident and never paid any attention to it. (S-Type stuck in park?
I found a semi-perminate fix to a common problem with the S-Type not being able to shift out of "Park". Mine started slowly and it seemed impossible to find a pattern to why it happened. I took my center console off that surrounds the gear shifter. After removing it, I found the small release switch/solenoid located just under and behind the shifter mechanism.

If you look closely with a flashlight, as you pull on the shifter as though you were going to put it into reverse, you will find a small "solenoid-looking" piece with a tiny black metal piece sticking out the side of it. This tiny metal piece is what moves in to let you shift and sticks out to stop the gear shifter from moving.

Once you find it, feel with your finger under the solenoid... you will feel a spring-loaded round button under there that pushes upward and slides the tiny metal piece out of the way. Once you feel the button move slightly upward.. hold it there and put your foot on the brake then try moving the shifter. It should release the tiny metal piece from blocking the shifter from moving.

Once you know you've got the correct part, if you wish, you can remove the entire solenoid or release mechanism by locating the small screws that hold the solenoid in place. I believe there where 3 screws to remove the small unit. It will become loose and you can move it to the side out of the way.

Once this shifter release is removed you must be aware that the shifter will move in and out of gear without putting your foot on the brake. Again, ONCE YOU REMOVE THIS RELEASE MECHANISM THE SHIFTER WILL MOVE IN AND OUT OF GEAR WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE.)


However, thanks again Rick and take care

Tom

I recall sconnleys thread. He had a preface lift S Type and his problem was related to parking on an incline and setting the parking brake AIR.

I believe your problem was just the loose and missing 8mm bolts from the shift cable. I hope you put some anti vibe or locktite on the threads when you repaired. You did not have any issue prior to this incident, correct?

Zip-Zero then, before and since. I am just wondering that when it happen that I might have tried to force the gear shift (not knowing what was going on) and by accident accomplished what the above post was suggesting to do manually. Either way it apparently is not an issue of concern. When I have run the SDD on the car I have never seen any error related to the shift solenoid and anything related.

Thanks Rick


Tom