1996 ford f 250 wont shift in to gear and brakes lights dont work

Does the brake lights work? If not check the fuses,and maybe brake light switch at the brake pedal.It can shift if you turn the key on(only enough to un-lock the steering wheel) then shift it to neutral,then start the vehicle,just remember if you shift it back to park it will be stuck again..Dont try driving it if the brake lights do not work,very dangerous for you and other drivers.

The park in this model is locked out by a pin, that pin is pulled back by an electric solenoid that is powered by the you guessed it, the brake lights. You either have a defective brake light switch (located above the brake pedal) or the connector to the switch is defective due to a broken conductor inside the wires plastic out insulating cover. It is a fairly cheap repair, You can override the lock out by turning the ignition key cylinder half way to the run position and wiggling the shifter at the same time, it may take a few tries but you can get it out of part this way.

The ABS is your brake system and that is probably why it wound shift into gear, because your brakes don't work

You kind of answered your own Question. If the shifter is a floor shifter and not on the column I would check the linkage there. Do you have reverse lights? And after it starts does it go into gear or is it a dead stick? I would also check to see if the shift cable on the trans is moving with someone moving the shifter. It might be the cable or module on the brake pedal. Give more info after trying these and let me know.

CHECK IF THE BRAKE LIGHT COME ON WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL. IF DON'T. CHECK BRAKE LIGHT FUSE. COULD BE A BRAKE SWITCH. THERE IS A shift lock solenoid that receives a signal when the key is on and the brake pedal is depressed that allows you to move the shift lever to be taken out of park.

Check the fuse for the brake lights, it may have the system where you can only select if the brake pedal is depressed. First get someone to check if the brake lights work, if they dont, then check the fuse or connections to the pedal switch.
Hope this helps

Sounds like the neutral safety switch. Turn key until dash lights come on (dont start engine) and shift to neutral and then start engine.

You didn't mention your rear brake lights. If they don't work either then you probably have a bad light control module (LCM). This is a common problem with big Fords. You can buy a replacement part ($250) or have yours rebuilt (www.autoecu.com). The module is located under the dash to the right of the steering column and is fairly easy to replace.
Do the turn signals work? If not it may be the turn signal switch. The aftermarket parts are cheaper than a Ford factory part; check the guarantee before deciding.
Worse case scenario? You need both parts.

check to see if your brake lights are working.there is a safety system that wont allow you to shift from park unless you push the brake pedal........most of these systems utilize the brake light switch for this........if your brake lights dont work it is most likely a blown fuse.
hope this helps....

t's called the shift interlock feature. It's triggered by the brake switch so make sure the brake lights are coming on when this happens.
If the brake lights are working, then you'll have to get to the
solenoid in the console. Disassemble as much as you have to to access
the solenoid near the shifting mechanism. Us a 12v testlight to test
for power arriving at the solenoid when the brake is applied. If
power is arriving and the solenoid is not triggering, the solenoid is
bad.