Disconnect negative cable on 12v for 30 minutes. Reconnect, and it should shift to Park. Ignore drivetrain error, should disappear in a bit after.

 

thanks, disconnected will see how it looks and I will report back. I appreciate the help. Dealer service offered me no help at all.

 

Check out the rotary shifter threads, you might be able to get the truck moving quicker.

 

Still stuck in my driveway. Having it towed to the dealer I guess.

 

https://www.lightningowners.com/threads/shifter-backorder.6712/?post_id=67602#post-67602

 

The shifter in my 2023 just bit the dust over the past few days. It was replaced about a year ago for the same issue, getting stuck in gear with the flashing Amber light on the shifter. These motor driven shifters are junk. I've got a rotary shifter coming this week as well as a 3D printed shifter mount/cubby. The big problem for me is the incredibly vague "Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power" error. The truck is running just fine (not on reduced power so I don't think it is a battery issue) but I'm leaving on a camping trip pulling a trailer in 5 days. A bad shifter can throw this error, but so can other things like bad cooling valves. It sucks that you have to have Forscan to see the actual error code. If I knew it was just a shifter issue, I would just wait it out until I got back from my trip. But because the message is so vague, even if I swap out the shifter this week, I'm going to have to make the 2 hour round trip to my dealer so they can read the code to make sure it's not something serious that could cause me to break down in the middle of nowhere while pulling a trailer. With the crazy amount of recalls and crap like the shifter dying twice in less than 18 months of ownership, I'm starting to think Ford's quality kind of sucks. And this is coming from someone who has had plenty of Ford vehicles over the past 35 years, but none recently.

 

"Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power" error.

It's the equivalent of the check engine light. It's for the same people that don't understand how an engine fault will also trigger TCS and abs faults in an ice vehicle.

 

Mine failed under warranty and was replaced. The replacement jammed too. I locked the doors and walked away for about 30 minutes and when I came back, I heard the shifter servo move a little and it popped into place and has worked ever since.

The shifter of F-150 lightning is very failure prone. Many owners are retrofitting theirs with rotary shifters.

 

"The shifter of F-150 lightning is very failure prone."

The same shifter is also used in ICE F150s for the past few years and ICE owners have the same thing happening to them. You would think Ford would have done a better job engineering these things considering how many trucks they produce.

 

I just made my shifter bin mod. This one’s has a cup holder big enough to accommodate a Nalgene/Thermoflask 32oz.

*photo is not mine. Its from one of the prints i made for another Lightning owner. I only have a video clip which I can’t seem to attach.

 

Just got done at the dealership. Shifter is bad...again. No other faults so the truck is OK to take on my trip. Shifter is back-ordered although the service advisor said that they expected the warehouse to get some very soon. So now it is a waiting game. I don't think I'm going to install the rotary knob until the replacement shifter is installed under warranty. That way, I don't have to install the rotary knob, uninstall it before taking the truck to dealership for the new shifter, and then reinstall the rotary shifter. I have an XLT which means there is more trim that needs to be removed than the trucks with the big screen. Every time you remove and reinstall plastic trim, you risk breaking it and/or its connectors, or have it start squeaking during driving. I want one-and-done.

 

I have the service light as well, and I've seen the same "reduced power" message in my Fordpass app already. My shifter continues to function, but it won't fold down. You can hear the motor in it trying to move it, but it just can't. I've got an appointment on the books in early August, but I'm gonna see if they'll just put the part on order now.

 

I watched a guy on YouTube. That changed his to the dial, and it only took him a few minutes.

 

Probably not an option for me since I'm leasing.

 

Saw this video maybe it helps: he takes off a trim on the drivers side of the center console and fiddles with a connector for the shifter a few times until it goes into pakr.

Is this just affecting the higher trim levels, XLT, Flash,Lariat, Platinum with ones that have a servo/motor to fold it down into the space in front of the lever or does it include my 2023 Pro trim?

I did see it move itself into park one time when I opened the door while in drive so I suppose I have something to look forward to (not).

 

PS: Just a temporary fix to avoid a tow in the video, still need to get a new shifter he says.

 

It's usually am bad sensor on the shifter open-close mechanism.

First step is close it, then reopen it, then turn it off for a few minutes. If it doesn't work, wash-rinse-repeat.

 

Various things can go wrong with ford f-150 shifters apparently a problem for many years and many variations.

For example, I saw a video involving replacing the brake light switch which apparently also acts like a sensor indicating the brake pedal has been pushed, as one solution when you can't get the shifter out of park in an older F-150.

In another one, the interlock on a solenoid that prevent the shifter from moving gets stuck and lubing it up fixes the problem:

Anyway, Ford replaces the whole shifter if still under warranty.

I think if this problem happens to me, I would go with the rotary replacement as in this video:

 

Just an update. My lightning was picked up by a flatbed from my driveway last month text message from my service guy today says still on backorder no ETA luckily for me they gave me a new F-150 loaner I am a little annoyed paying for gas.

 

Update - Day 47 that my truck has been sitting at the dealer. Update has not changed. "Part is on back order with no ETA". Just made 2nd payment on a truck I haven't seen since July. At least Ford threw me a loaner ICE F150.

 

If it were me, I'd buy a rotary shifter, get the truck and replace the shifter and not wait for the back ordered part, it's been too long!

 

Day 55 - No change

 

Day 62 - no change. I did call the dealer on Day 59 and asked if there was any update on my shifter. I was told no, still on back order with no ETA. They were going to reach out and "see if there was something else that could be done" I have 2600 miles logged on the loaner at this point.

Are there others out there running into the same issue?? just wondering. I mean over 2 months at this point and I am still making that payment and now paying for the gas. 🍻

 

So this literally just happened to me, and I’m stuck at work. I’ve got the negative terminal on the 12V disconnected for now. I’ll walk back out to it in a while and connect it again to see if that gets the shifter to move. If so, straight to the dealership. If not, guess I’ll call for a tow.

 

Mine would reset for a while after about 20 mins. I never got any of the other tricks to work. Good luck to you.