Transmission Won’t Go Into gear with Hood Open

[Ernest T]

You learn something every day. I was sitting in the Bronco waiting for Mrs. T to come out of a store when I thought I heard a strange sound from the engine. I shifted between park and drive and it sounded like it was only making the noise in drive.

I opened the hood and listened to the engine at idle in park and it sounded ok. When Mrs T finally came out I had her sit in the drivers seat and told her to start the engine and put it in drive. The shift knob wouldn’t turn and there was a message on the instrument panel saying the hood was open.

Lots of linked systems in this vehicle. There must be a way to override that safety to troubleshoot certain issues.

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[Frenchy906]

Let’s just call that… “idiot proofing” because, in my 40 years of existence, I’ve seen a lot of stupid.

I am imagining a hood open, someone looking under the hood, someone else putting it in drive, and running someone over because they can’t see them.

 

[Ernest T]

Yeah, I get why it works that way. I also think it went from neutral to park when I pulled the hood release with the engine running. Lots of interconnections.

 

[jkernitzki]

The lack of automotive Darwinism over the last four or five decades is a big part of what's wrong with the world today. We keep protecting stupid.

Idiocracy wasn't supposed to be a documentary, and 1984 wasn't intended as an instruction manual.

 

[thomasm23]

You learn something every day. I was sitting in the Bronco waiting for Mrs. T to come out of a store when I thought I heard a strange sound from the engine. I shifted between park and drive and it sounded like it was only making the noise in drive.

I opened the hood and listened to the engine at idle in park and it sounded ok. When Mrs T finally came out I had her sit in the drivers seat and told her to start the engine and put it in drive. The shift knob wouldn’t turn and there was a message on the instrument panel saying the hood was open.

Lots of linked systems in this vehicle. There must be a way to override that safety to troubleshoot certain issues.

This is not true. Your vehicle and mine will shift out of park and into any gear when the hood is open.

You can not shift out of park unless you hold down the brake pedal while turning the shift knob.

 

[incavulator]

This is not true. Your vehicle and mine will shift out of park and into any gear when the hood is open.

You can not shift out of park unless you hold down the brake pedal while turning the shift knob.

True with my 21 as well. Maybe something new for 25?

 

[Unicorn]

True with my 21 as well. Maybe something new for 25?

If I remember, I'll try it out tomorrow on my '25.

 

[TheX]

Let’s just call that… “idiot proofing” because, in my 40 years of existence, I’ve seen a lot of stupid.

I am imagining a hood open, someone looking under the hood, someone else putting it in drive, and running someone over because they can’t see them.

Let's not forget removing a driveshaft on a slanted driveway...chock the wheels people.

 

[Ernest T]

This is not true. Your vehicle and mine will shift out of park and into any gear when the hood is open.

You can not shift out of park unless you hold down the brake pedal while turning the shift

This is not true. Your vehicle and mine will shift out of park and into any gear when the hood is open.

You can not shift out of park unless you hold down the brake pedal while turning the shift knob.

You are correct. I went out a tried it this morning and it worked as you describe. I guess she wasn’t pressing on the brake like she thought she was. I even asked to verify she was on the brake.

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