Transmission stuck in drive

Hi,

The first thing we need to confirm is if the shift lever on the transmission is actually moving. Have a helper shift the transmission through the gears while you watch the linkage where it is attached to the transmission to confirm it is fully moving.

I attached a pic below and circled the area I have of possible concern. There are plastic grommets that can fail. Just check to make sure everything is still attached and moving properly.

Also, I need to better understand something. If you place the vehicle in park, does it lock the vehicle in place but still load the engine indicating it is in both park and drive? If in neutral, does it drive forward? If in reverse, does it fight itself as if it's trying to go in two different directions?

Let me know.

Joe

Hi,

What happens in park? Does the engine sound loaded like it's trying to move? When you say the column doesn't lock when in park, do you mean the shifter won't go fully into park?

If that is the case, check the linkage at the transmission to see if it is moving properly or if it seems like there could be excessive play in it.

Also, here is a link that explains how to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes. This vehicle has an OBD 1 system, so you don't need a scan tool. Hopefully, you will retrieve a code that may help.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/ford-lincoln-mercury-obd1-1995-and-earlier-diagnostic-trouble-code-definition-and-retrieval

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe