Shifting out of park

[Monte Alban]

I have a 99 Windstar with approx 60k miles. Last week, in my relatively flat driveway, I had trouble getting the car out of park. I jiggled the ingition, turned the wheel, and finally rocked the car a little, thinking it just got stuck like it does if you put it in park on a hill. I got it out, drove around the block, but it happened again in the driveway.
Now it's happening very often and the fix seems to be to push very hard on the brake, while shifting out of park. I used to be able to just touch the brake pad and shift. Is there a known reason for something like this?

Thanks,
Monte

[way2old]

Ford has a problem with the brake switch and the connector that hooks to it. Look here first. They both are easily replaced.

[wiswind]

The switch is called "Brake On / Off" (BOO) switch.
It is not very expensive. I had one of the wires break off....and I repaired it.....the temporary repair is shown in the picture "Brake On-Off Switch" in my pictures at http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

I later replaced the switch as it was starting to act as you described.

If you should become stranded....unable to shift out of Park, you can (with the engine OFF) shift into neutral.....and start the car.....and shift and out of the gears.....except Park.
DO NOT do this for any length of time......as you do not have any brake lights....as the switch serves that function as well.

I would guess, from what you describe, that you also have the problem that I had.....intermittent no brake lights.....which is very unsafe.

Switch is not hard to replace....
The wires go into a connector....that you pull off of the switch.....then remove the little retaining pin..(yellow...on the rigth side...just below the black body of the switch in the picture)..and remove the washer....and the pivot pin.....slide switch out....and install the new switch.

Verify that the wires are not about to fall off the switch....which would require a short extension of the wire....as shown in the temporary repair in the picture. If one or more falls off during your repair......don't feel bad.....it was about to break off anyhow.

[Monte Alban]

Thanks for the reply. One question though, from what angle is your picture? Under the car or from the engine compartment?

[wiswind]

The picture is taken in the passenger compartment.....driver's side...looking up under the dash. For the "BOO" switch picture......you can see the brake pedal at the bottom of the picture....
If you follow the shaft from the brake pedal....up.....you will find the switch as you see in the picture.