Stuck in park!

[DitchCrawler]

Yesterday morning after about 1/2 hrs driving off road (light work over fields with a trailer) I stopped at a gate when i went to start off again, i couldn't get it out of park, switched the ignition off then on again and all was fine, immediately i thought i had forgotten something, as i had alot on my mind at the time (nearly lunch) and forgot about it, however this morning the same thing happened again this time it released the lever after a few fiddles.

Any ideas? Even ideas to try next time (i normally use my motorbike and this is the missus truck so I may be doing something really basic wrong, or i could be allergic to four wheels, of course)

Paul

[BUSHWHACKER]

Are both your stoplights working?

[dave.j.robbo]

Did you have your foot on the brake?

If so, as Vince has said, check for a loose connection on the brakelights..

[DitchCrawler]

Is the release solenoid(if thats how it works) powered through the lights?

I had a trailer attached so could the same problem occour if the trailer lighting plug was covered in mud and snow???

Paul

[BUSHWHACKER]

Possible I suppose.
On 2nd gens, if one of the stoplights have blown, it prevents the shift lever from moving out of park.
Try it again with the trailer un-plugged, or maybe one of the trailer lights have blown.

[Hawaii]

As a short term solution you could always press the little red button which should release the lever

hawaii

[legendgamesmaster]

stop lights and park

I've just driven for a couple of weeks with a brakelight down, no problems in or out of park.

is it just me?

oddly I also have an alam that never worked and after the recent MOT it does!!! I guess I have iffy electircs.... probably.

[TonyN]

I've just driven for a couple of weeks with a brakelight down, no problems in or out of park.

is it just me?

Me neither, never had a problem with any Surf that had a broken brake light.

[peter026]

Me neither, never had a problem with any Surf that had a broken brake light.

Ditto

[BUSHWHACKER]

Well it has happened before, ask Chillitt!

[NiftyNev]

Isn't it just the third generation that have issues with this? Blown bulbs do not affect the 1st and 2nd gen.

Nev

[kitesurf_phil]

A blown brake light fuse will stop you taking the shifter out of park, unless you push the little red button, because the solenoid that releases the shifter is energised from the brake light circuit, when you put your foot on the brake. I hired a trailer with iffy wiring and it blew two fuses in 30 miles - PITA. It is amazing how much diesel you save when adapting your driving style to avoid unnecessary braking.