Shift interlock solenoid

Need some advice. My 1999 3.4 auto has an issue where sometimes the key will not turn off when in park. However if the battery is unplugged, it will turn all the way off.

Previous posts I’ve read mention the shifter bushings. The bolts running through my floorboard are extremely rusty (16 years up north). 2 options i see:

1. either Cut the welded nuts on the bottom side of the floorboard and use new through-bolts, or drill and tap new holes. (In order to do shifter bushings)

Option 2 would be to manipulate the shifter (and not do shifter bushings) somehow without removing it. Notice how the solenoid is positioned in these photos. (Under the black rubber piece)

Park


Reverse


Park (but the shifter is not physically pushed all the way forward)


With this said, it seems that the shifter passes a certain point, or hits a switch to deactivate the solenoid that sometimes isn’t happening. I’ve tried looking for some physical switch but can’t find one. Any advice with going down this route? Thanks

 

When it won't turn in park, will it turn in neutral?

 

No I don’t think so. I don’t think it will turn off in neutral anyway though.

It also doesn’t seem like that solenoid is shot. In the third photo, it’s in park, but I’m holding the shifter back a little, purposefully preventing the solenoid from activating. So I figure there may be some sort of switch that I could manipulate?

 

Make sure this linkage position hasn't moved underneath the truck.

Other than that, I know you can either replace the shifter bushing on the pivot bolt at the bottom of the shifter, or some people will just shim it with washers so it's tight again. That will get rid of shifter wobble that may be causing the issue

 

Ok, I’ll check that. What part do people shim? Just underneath the pivot bolts? Because there are 2 of them. On behind and a short one in front the the shifter

 

The bolt that goes side to side inside the cab, there's a plastic bushing over the bolt that gets squeezed in there. The washers go on the sides to make it fit snug

 

I think this one. Snagged a screenshot from a YouTube video

 

Nice, yeah I can try it out. Didn’t realize you could try to shim it without taking the shifter out. Just that one? Thought there was one in the front that you could also do

 

It's possible there's another one, but I'm thinking that's the one that gets loose. You'll have to take it apart and see