2000 Disco would not start upon turning the key yesterday. I looked down & realized it was in D, not P. Shifted to P, started up fine. Whew. Happened the other day too.

Don't these trucks have an interlock that won't let you remove the key unless it's in park as a reminder/safety feature? I must have gotten out and just not shifted into P.

Is this the shift interlock (which won't let you shift OUT of P without brake signal) or something else in the steering column?

(as much as I think this may be a good thing and not a problem, I can see my truck slow rolling out of my driveway into the main road soon enough... which would not be good)

Note: I did have the center console apart recently. Did I unplug something? (I thought if you unplug it you get Locked up in park).

Also I noticed in Nanocom documentation there's a setting for "shift interlock on/off".

Anyone know what's going on? I couldn't see anything amiss.

 

I have a '99 and while working on the center console I noticed that the shifter could just be pulled out of park. At the time I didn't mind it because it helped with disassembly/reassembly and I had my wheels chocked. I then had to turn the truck on for power and couldn't take my key out of the ignition. After some panic I researched that there is an interlock where you can't take the key out unless it's in Park. I disconnected the battery and left for lunch, when I got back I could take the key out (I guess I could have just pushed the shifter back in place).

You may have unplugged the connector to the actual shifter, but as you said, you think that would leave you locked in park. Its a quick check, do you see the lights on the shifter bezel? If not then it's unplugged!

 

Someone probably removed the shift solenoid and pin that prevents shifter from moving while in park.
How did you not notice it was not in park lol
your leaving your rig and not putting in park ? Could be a dangerous situation one day

 

Yes I agree its going to bite me in the butt.

Luckily I‘m a parking brake user. I think it is bc my other cars do it automatically (newer, push start, one an electric car that puts it in park when you turn off and open drivers door, the other a manual tranny that has no Park) so I’ve gotten out of the habit. Oh well.

 

Circling back on this. Read another thread on another board where a guy had the same issue -- key could be accidentally removed with truck in drive or any other gear when parked (ie you forget to shift to park, remove the key, walk away....). His rolled back 15 feet at a gas station. He figured out his was in TRANSIT mode. It's been bugging me and it also keeps happening to me so ...

Went out last night & tried this on mine per Rave "To exit this mode, switch on the ignition and simultaneously hold down the heated rear window and the rear fog lamp switch for 2 seconds." -- and wow - it's now fixed. Also the interior lights operate properly now.

I guess something happened during the 20 year life of the truck. I wonder why it was in Transit mode? Could someone have set it to Transit mode to prevent battery drain or something? Anyone have any ideas?

FROM RAVE:

"Transit mode
To prevent excessive battery drain during transportation to overseas markets, the vehicle is placed in a transit mode at the end of line test.
The following functions are disabled when the vehicle is in transit mode: l Volumetric sensors. l Passive immobilisation. l Mobilisation of the vehicle by use of door lock. l Ignition key interlock. l Electric seat enable time-out with drivers door open.
To exit this mode, switch on the ignition and simultaneously hold down the heated rear window and the rear fog lamp switch for 2 seconds.
Transit mode can be entered using Testbook.

 

That's great info. Makes you wonder if the original dealer forgot to disable it when new.