How big of a problem is this?

[Greg12]

I got in my car today and I shifted into gear and the gears are all wrong.

Park is Park

The Space Between Park and R is Reverse

R is neutral

N is overdrive

(D) is drive (D)=Overdrive

D is 1st gear

1st gear cannot be shifted to.

Is my transmission dying? Sometimes it cannot shift into gear unless I rev it. The odd thing is they shift normally and do not make noise.

I have a 1984 Crown Victoria V8

[hech54]

Look for something in the engine compartment that has come loose or fallen off of the engine...a hose or pollution crap....something that could be hindering the linkage from moving completely in one direction or the other.

[Caple]

Or just leave the car and enter again. It helps with computers

[hudsonf]

Check to see if you have a broken motor mount.

[ZAPPER]

Check the linkage. While I ain't no expert, most of my cars have had the same thing happen to them when they get older. It has never caused any problems but I am not going to tell you that it is not a problem. Most likely things have worn to a point of sloppieness or slight maladjustment. The proper thing to do would be to take it to a repair shop and have it fixed. Barring that, get a Chiltons or Motors or service manual of your choice and tear into it yourself. Cars are about the only other thing besides computers that are so diverse. Each model and make is just different enough to not have a one size fits all cure. I have also heard that if things are not quite lined up with the linkage that it can lead to early tranny problems. I can tell you that trannys have been the weakest link in every car and truck that I have owned and it often cost more to repair or replace a tranny than an engine.

I know that this is a great site with lots of knowledgable folks, and someone here may know what the exact fix will be, but there is a big difference between crashing your PC and crashing your LTD. Take it to a few shops to get prices and best guesses and go from there.

Again for what it is worth it may be a small adjustment in the linkage at the side of your tranny, but if it has any extra linkage going to the engine you can be opening a whole new can of worms. C-6 AOD?

[jackal70058]

It's proably nothing serious. I have the 1989 Ford Crown Victoria 5.0L V8 sedan and the transmission is acting in the same way. When you shif the gears the indicator is actually between two positions but it still functions correctly. I can stll shift into all the different gears, though I don't have one I can't get to. I hear this problem has to do with the linkage and it can be adjusted in some way. I haven't bother with that yet I have a few other things I have to do but I'll look in the books and see if there are anything I could say. The 1989 models are different though from the 1984 and those have a different book but it can suggest what you are looking at and they you get more information from there.

[smearbrick1]

This problem usually doesn't have anything to do with the transmission (still shifts fine, I assume). This has to do with the gear selector in the console. Sometimes things get worn (these are usually plastic parts) and do not line up correctly. This can occur from normal use. I wouldn't really stress about it. Like I said, I had nothing to do with the transmission and nothing to do with the shift linkage between the shifter and the transmission.

[hudsonf]

Sometimes it cannot shift into gear unless I rev it.

I still say it's a broken motor mount. A broken mount will allow the engine to shift out of place and will cause the linkage to be misaligned. By revving the engine,the engine is probably moving back into place just enough to allow you to shift..

[smearbrick1]

Sometimes it cannot shift into gear unless I rev it.

I still say it's a broken motor mount. A broken mount will allow the engine to shift out of place and will cause the linkage to be misaligned. By revving the engine,the engine is probably moving back into place just enough to allow you to shift..

... or your shift linkage bushings are shot.

[hudsonf]

Greg12; When you get your car fixed let us know what the problem was.

[lordsmurf]

This happened on a lawnmower I used to have.
Pretty much exactly like this too:

Park is Park
The Space Between Park and R is Reverse
R is neutral
N is 3rd gear
...etc...
1st gear cannot be shifted to.

[Doramius]

I had a problem similar to this, but after I got some new glue for the back of the panel, it worked fine. :P Actually, it sounds like a minor adjustment. Happens to cars all the time. Everyone above me seems to have a good idea of how to approach it. Cars where this happens most often are automatics with the shift on the floor between the drive & passenger seat. The dash shift systems do it too, but not as often as the floor shifting systems. Not exactly sure why one happens over the other, but that's where the trend falls.

[zzyzzx]

I agree with Zapper. I would also add that if you live someplace where it gets real cold and stays that way for days that you can have even weirder things like thta happen if ice gets in the linkage.

[ZAPPER]

I agree with Zapper. I would also add that if you live someplace where it gets real cold and stays that way for days that you can have even weirder things like thta happen if ice gets in the linkage.

Watch out you are under suspision now!

Anyhow I still say check the linkage at the tranny. I haven't been under a car in a while but I think that you will find that the Ford has a cable that runs from the column to the tranny. What I have tended to find is that the clips or anchors that are used can bend or wear and cause little problems. As I recall these clips are really made to go on one time, and taking them off and putting then back on doesn't always work too well. (OK I admit I can be a brute and force things that shouldnt be forced)