This sucks!

[Mr Mac]

So, as you know, my wife recently bought a 1999 Mustang convertible and loves it. So far this doesn't suck.

She calls me up and tells me she cannot get the car to go in park. I have her tell my daughter to look at the tail lights and tell me if the lights come on when my wife applies the brakes. No lights.

At this point it is clear to every one of us that the problem is either a faulty brake switch or a connection to the switch, yes? She looks under the dash, spots the switch and tells me the wires are pulled out of the switch and she cannot even push the wire back in to the plug to make contact with the post. That's bad enough.

What sucks is that she is in St Louis and I'm not!

 

[Tnfastbk]

any members in that area?

 

[OLE PONY]

Hopefully she gets it going quickly.

 

[MrMach71]

I hope she gets it going pronto too.

 

[71_badmach]

Hope this situation was fixed by now... why wouldn't it go to park? I assume the switch was keeping the brake pedal from being depressed?

 

[TheJ]

Darn safety features. Hope you or she gets it worked out.

 

[marks73]

Sent Machman_73 an e-mail in case he hasn't been on line here. Looks like he may be close ( like the member map). Hope it all works out.

Mark

 

[machman_73]

I got Marks email. I feel bad. If I was closer. I'd like to help. It's 150 mi's. I told Mark Hberg is located in St Louis. He was on the site at 7am this mourning. Lets hope for the best.

 

[TheJ]

I looked up the wiring schematic for your brake switch and I think if you were to bypass it you could get it into drive. This would be just enough to get it to a shop.

Here's the screenshot of the diagram.

You may need to zoom in to see the brake switch.

 

[FasTnNefariouS]

Maybe she could make a quick youtube video to show the problem. Someone could then guide her on landline or online on how to properly connect the wire to the switch. I hope everything works out.

 

[Mr Mac]

Wow, thanks one and all! The issue is the brake light switch which also prevents the car from coming out of park. From the pictures she sent and the description she gave it almost sounds as though the wires were pulled out at some point and a true wiring amateur attempted a repair which ash now failed. I will be there later today and I will go with the right tools and some replacement parts and I should have it going within 30 minutes!

I have to say that this type of reaction is why I love the people on this board so much! Pretty much you wouldn't know me from Adam but were willing to do what it took to help my better 9/10s out without hesitation. I like it so much because I am the same way! If anyone near me needed help I'd be there as soon as I could and would do it just to see the smile on the faces of those I helped!

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

 

[OLE PONY]

Hopefully she will be back on the road in no time. Hope the repair goes well with no surprises. The hard part for me would be trying to lay on my back and work under the dash

 

[71_badmach]

Hopefully she will be back on the road in no time. Hope the repair goes well with no surprises. The hard part for me would be trying to lay on my back and work under the dash

Yeah, I've had to resort to removing the seat whenever I try to do under dash work now! Terrible.

 

[marks73]

And here I've been standing on my head for nothing. Thanks!

 

[Mr Mac]

I got to the car today and took a look and sure enough one of the terminals had lost its wire. I tugged on the other one and it gave way too! Glad I brought enough spade connectors to fix them both! Car is at home under its own power today!

Both wires were loose!

 

[TheJ]

Did you solder the new terminals on, so this doesn't happen again?

 

[Mr Mac]

This was a parking lot fix but I did crimp them on with the correct crimper and made sure they were out of the way! Maybe when I get some free time...

 

[TheJ]

Yeah, that's what I would do personally. When I do electrical repair I like to do both, first I crimp the terminals on then add the solder. Parking lot fixes are fun and sometimes quite satisfying. Good work getting it drivable.

 

[71_badmach]

Still scratching my head on this one, so the electric fault for the break lights prevented the mechanical shift? I guess with electronic transmissions, anything is possible? Another strike against modern vehicles in my book