Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting HELP!!!

The safty button on my gear shifter wont push in... I can't get my car out of park. It is a 99 cont auto-trans zetec.

This morning I started my car and let it warm up. When I got in my car to goto work, my heater was turned on. I put the car in drive, I felt a light thump, and my heater shut off. All of this happend right when I put it in drive. I put it back in park and tried turning the knob on the heater. It wont turn back on. At this time I go inside to let my mom know, when I go back out to my car I start it back up. I push down on the break, and the button on my shifter will not go in. I've tried stomping on my break, turning my wheels... everything. I looked under my hood and I dont see any belts broke or out of the ordinary.

Please help me, my car wont go in drive!

check to see if your brake lights work. there is an interlock soleniod that releases the gearshift with the brake depressed. there is also a notch cut out on the passenger side of the console at the carpet level. if you stick a long, narrow screwdriver into that slot, you can move a lever that's attached to the interlock and take it out of gear. if you have trouble hitting it, pull the bezel up from around the gearshift so you can see what you're doing.