We had the Excursion parked untill we can get the thing up to have the radiator flushed and new thermostat put in. But we had to drive it today. Had no choice. Well, To our surprise the truck wont go into park. You can shift it untill the needle goes into the "P" like always but the truck will roll and go "click, click, click" as it rolls. It wont start either (guessing due to neutral safety switch). I got under the truck, everything seems tight, I tried to put it in park from the lever on the side of the transmission but it will not move any further. Could the whole neutral safety switch be bad and not fully putting the transmission in park? I can pull it down to neutral to start it and it goes into all gears and moves just fine.

 

Look under your steering wheel column you might find a couple of torx screws loose.

 

Stop Sweating, common problem with ford. This is just an adjustment under your dash by steering column.

1) use emergency brake
2) Drop access panel for fuse box
3) look up there while someone moves shifter lever
4) you will see the cable moving
5) adjust cable so shifter is in neutral or any other than park and tighten 2 torx screws

 

Yep, except if it's gotten this loose, at least one of those two torx screws is probably sitting on the floor mat.

 

Found the torx head screws. They were loose. I put the truck in neutral and tightend them. That did'nt do anything. I pulled it down to 1, put tension on the cable and retightend. It now will hold the truck in park but still wont start in park. I wonder if the neutral safety switch is bad or did I not do the proper adjustment?

 

I would keep adjusting it.

 

When I say I adjusted it I had the truck in 1st, and pulled on the bracket that the torx screws hold. I pulled it towards the passenger side. Maybe I should have pulled it the other way? Any other adjustments I should make?

 

Well, oddest thing. I made all those adjustments. The screws were lose so I tightend them all up and it did nothing. I waited untill this morning and I was going to take the cable lose from the neutral safety switch on the trans and put the truck in park and then try it. Well, after taking it in to have the cooling system flushed the tech left it in park and I was able to start it in park. I tested it three more times and it worked. Maybe it just needed to go thru the gears after the adjustment. The lever seems off a little but it works so i'm not going to complain.

 

I need to tighten my torx bolts, I've removed the fuse cover but
can't see them. You didn't remove anything except the fuse cover?

I've seen a picture from underneath, but it was so zoomed in I
could identify where it was.

 

Stick your head in there and have someone else move lever for you...
Make sure your e brake is on.

 

ok, will let my wife "help" that'll make her feel better

 

You may have to remove that panel the is above the brake pedal. If you hold a flashlight up there and then reach up and move the lever with your other hand you'll see it. I had a hard time seeing them untill I did that.

 

Bonding is good.

 

I have been having trouble placing my column shifter into park as well as having intermittent start problems, requiring me to place the shifter into neutral. I noticed that the shifter appeared a little "sloppy".

After reading links to this forum, a common problem with the Excursions is that the steering column torx screws will loosen. These torx screws are located under the dash, heads facing the firewall in front of the brake pedal.

I found both torx screws #27 to be loose. I tightened them, problem cured. Thanks

 

Happens a lot Glad this was here for you