lefonquey1 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Rough start to the week! I leave for work and I realize my battery is dead! Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but 2007 SEL FWD is parked just out of reach of my jumper cables and so I have to push it out of the driveway to reach. The problem is that I can't figure out how to release the shifter from park! I see in the manual that I have to remove the little plastic top and then stick a screwdriver down into shift release thing. I tried this for 15 minutes to no avail. Instead of risking damage, I thought I would stop and do a little research. Do anyone have any tricks to releasing the shifter while the car won't start? thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal3thousand Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Rough start to the week! I leave for work and I realize my battery is dead! Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but 2007 SEL FWD is parked just out of reach of my jumper cables and so I have to push it out of the driveway to reach. The problem is that I can't figure out how to release the shifter from park! I see in the manual that I have to remove the little plastic top and then stick a screwdriver down into shift release thing. I tried this for 15 minutes to no avail. Instead of risking damage, I thought I would stop and do a little research. Do anyone have any tricks to releasing the shifter while the car won't start? thank you in advance! If you got the plastic thing off and the screwdriver in there, did you also put a foot on the brake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 If you got the plastic thing off and the screwdriver in there, did you also put a foot on the brake? Not required. This procedure is used when the brake shift interlock fails and stepping on the brake doesn't work when starting normally. Two suggestions: 1 - go buy a stand alone jump starter. You can jump any vehicle without another one and the vehicle can be in any position. You can also take it with you if you're having or suspect battery problems. And some have other features like lights, etc. Very handy. 2 - You should have removed the key from the ignition and set the parking brake before releasing the shift lever. It looks like you just press down with the screwdriver to release it. If it wouldn't move then I suspect there was pressure on the parking pawl - rocking the vehicle slightly should help in that case. You do set the parking brake each time you park, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefonquey1 Posted April 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 I was trying to avoid the cost of a stand alone jump starter, but if all else fails, that will be my solution. I think I tried with the key in the On position with the brake depressed and without the brake pedal depressed. I did set the parking brake before trying to shift. I did not try to rock the car because it doesn't appear to be on an incline. I didn't really mess around with it for too long, because I was afraid I would mess somthing up. So... When I get home from work, I should apply the parking brake, leave the ignition off and simple push the screwdriver in the hole to release the shifter. If it won't release, try to rock the car to ensure there is no pressure on the parking prawl? No, I never set the parking brake :-) In fact, I was happy to see that it still was in working condition because this is probably the first time I used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 I was trying to avoid the cost of a stand alone jump starter, but if all else fails, that will be my solution. I think I tried with the key in the On position with the brake depressed and without the brake pedal depressed. I did set the parking brake before trying to shift. I did not try to rock the car because it doesn't appear to be on an incline. I didn't really mess around with it for too long, because I was afraid I would mess somthing up. So... When I get home from work, I should apply the parking brake, leave the ignition off and simple push the screwdriver in the hole to release the shifter. If it won't release, try to rock the car to ensure there is no pressure on the parking prawl? No, I never set the parking brake :-) In fact, I was happy to see that it still was in working condition because this is probably the first time I used it. If it's on level ground then it's probably not necessary to rock it back and forth, but if it doesn't work give it a try anyway. The OM says to turn the key to OFF and remove it, set the parking brake, then press down with the screwdriver. You may or may not need to pull on the shifter at the same time. You can buy a jump starter or a plug-in battery charger with 50 amp start mode for less than $75. A wise investment if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefonquey1 Posted April 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Thank you for the replies. I got the shifter to move with the ignition off and my foot off the brake. My problem is that I needed a smaller screwdriver that would allow me to kind of keep it off to the right as I pushed it into the hole. I guess I was a little nervous this morning about scratching the trim or breaking something. I also got one of those portable jumper things that I can carry around in the trunk from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Thank you for the replies. I got the shifter to move with the ignition off and my foot off the brake. My problem is that I needed a smaller screwdriver that would allow me to kind of keep it off to the right as I pushed it into the hole. I guess I was a little nervous this morning about scratching the trim or breaking something. I also got one of those portable jumper things that I can carry around in the trunk from now on. Make sure you keep it charged and check it regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aj roof Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Need a little help. 2011 Edge limited keyless start. Plan to use as towed vech behind Marathon Coach. Reviewed OM for towing and it's pretty much straight forwatd. If you have a key! I started car, shifted to N and shut down engine. SHIFT TO P LIGHT CAME ON. Placed AMP Meter in series w/ battery AND FOUND A LITTLE OVER 4 a DRAW even though I thought every thing was off. It appears that the ACC Power system will stay entergized until gear shift is placed in park. With that draw I have to beleive the battery will be below start value in less than 8 hours. Dosn't work for me. Question, how do I get Gear shit to remain in N but turn off ACC Power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOEHIO Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Good question you have there. Maybe you could call you dealer's service dept, and ask them.. So, you live in Conyngham, I have friends that lived there years ago, now live in Morea, a little "patch", near Mahonoy City, just outside of Frackville, get to visit them a few times a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 You may want to do a search on this forum. I remember reading a while back about someone having just this problem while towing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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