On the coldest stay so far in JAX, FL, (27-F), our 1995 E320 wagon started and shifted fine into Reverse and Drive.

After an 8-minute drive, while getting gasoline it was hard to move the shift lever from Drive to Neutral.

A little cajouling, and it went into Neutral, Reverse, and then Park.

After filling the gas, it went smoothly back from Park to Drive.

After the 8-minute drive home, going back into Park, was hard again.

The shift bushings are new with no slop.

I'm thinking the plastic neutral safety switch might be sticking.

Any ideas ?

BTW: once in Drive, the tranny shifts smoothly through the gears.

Thanks,
:-) neil

Ugh, just checked, and now the shift lever moves smoothly, but it now stays in low drive!.

No Reverse or Park!

:-( neil

I installed new shifter bushings, but had to adjust the shifter connecting rod. It took a few adjustments, but eventually, the shifter clicked easily where it's supposed to go.

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2009 E320 Bluetec 117,000
1995 E300D 306,000 Sold
1996 Ford Taurus LX 130,000 Sold
1985 300TD Still 225,000 Sold
2016 Ford Fusion 24,900

Already has new shifter bushings, and it's properly adjusted.

Could a broken governor gear (it's plastic) do this ?

:-( neil

Help - stuck on road 722.3 no 3rd/4th gear

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

Any updates on this Neil? Did you do a visual inspection of the linkage and neutral safety switch?

There is a system that prevents the shifter from going to R and P when the car is in motion, I dont know exactly where and how it works but its there alright. Maybe its jammed or sticking.

In your model there are 2 cables on the shifter box too, one connects to the brake pedal and one goes to the ignition switch, its the park/brake interlock, meaning that it prevents the shifter from releasing from Park unless you press the pedal and the key is also not released unless the shifter goes to Park.

That maybe sticky, and you might also have coins in the shifter gate causing binding.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)