Originally Posted by
DadsXF
Update - I took it for a ride this evening and everything behaved well, except for needing to use the tool to bypass the locked out shifting lever. Crazy.
I read in a post HERE
post658948 that there is a manual adjustment to the interlock. Is this my next step? I've read a lot of people have this problem and it is cured with a repaired RCM (seems common, but I just had that done) also read a lot of people who had this problem ended up replacing the entire shift assembly (which seems crazy - it's an 05, with under 34k on the clock.)
I get it, they're finicky. I'm calling this domestic exotic. Merc repair bills dressed up in a Chrysler suit. ?? Frustrated here.
From the ServiceManual
Brake Transmission Shift Interlock
BTSI is a safety feature that enables the shift selector lever to stay locked in the Park position when the brake pedal
is not depressed (ignition on) or when there is no current present in the Shift Lever Assembly. If the Shift Lever
Assembly selector lever cannot be shifted from the Park position due to a mechanical or electrical failure, the selector
lever can be released from the Park position using the shift lock override procedure. To do this, insert a long
screwdriver into the notch just below the “-D+” symbol on the Shift Lever Assembly and depress the lock button
while moving the selector lever out of the Park position at the same time. This will allow the shift lever to be manually
moved out of the Park position in order to move the vehicle.
Could the brake switch on the brake pedal be faulty and failing to power the solenoid on the gear changer?
Or is there something wrong in the electrical circuit, faulty solenoid, wiring etc.?
Replacing the gear changer is required if the solenoid is faulty as it is not repairable according to the Service Manual, but they say that about lots of things which can be fixed.