Im in NZ - got a Futura EL 1996 - I drove from Auckland to Wellington and back today - all systems work except when I turned it off at home - it wouldnt start. When I turn the key to start - it clicks and the normal lights on the dash come on but wouldnt start just like it is stuck in gear - and the safety lock stops the car from starting. Normally you just put it on "N" or "P" and it starts. This time it didnt, but I noticed something - that while it is in "P" position - the reverse white lights come on at the back. The lights are on all the time no matter which gear it is on - and so it just wouldnt start. Is this just the safety lock stuck on reverse or anything and if it is - how on earth do you fix that ?

juck up car and change the gear positon sence switch.it is on the side of trans about 50 bucks to buy.it is telling the car it is in reverse.and it willnot let car start.

Yeah - it wouldnt move at all now - Im suspicious that when I was doing a 100k on a straight after a truck yesterday - this piece of 2x4 fell off the truck went under my car - heard this knocking sound on the bottom but we still continued as it was high speed from Wellington to Auckland and could have knocked out sensor as you said. Im nothing with cars - is this something I can check/fix or replace myself ? See sometimes it would start when I put it on first gear - but then now it wouldnt start on any gear. If theres like basic steps to do would be cool. thanks for getting back to me appreciate it

might have knocked the linkage on the selector rod.

Thanks much
Guess I just juck it up and have a look for some broken wires or do I have to unscrew some box housing and check - hope I dont have to go to Ford but I can have a look myself and see if it had broken anything else. All else is good with the car - and funny - we didnt let this commodore pass us all the way and esp up the hill he disappeared from us in the back - but if you know of connection details of this sensor let me know - thanks

transducer / inhibitor switch ?

just juck up the car now - and sure enough - the gear position switch is all cracked up. I'll get a new one tomorrow. Other thing is - if anything is short circuited in this switch - would there be a fuse to check for it?
Thanks guys for all your replies

Have just replaced the inhibitor switch near trans - and the car still wouldnt start. First it tried to start then I heard something inside the dash or maybe in the engine - like a fuse blown. But now wouldnt start - the wiring from the inhibitor is all ok - and I have checked the fuses - they're all good. any ideas

Does anyone know how this switch works - or how it fits onto the trans metal piece - I put one in and is still not going - well the car started once but then it was stuck on 1 gear. Now just not going. Sad to think that Ford put this down there uncovered, exposed out with the rest of the underbody being hard metal - doesnt make sense. I've seen European cars where these switches are covered or inside the car