Hi. In the event of a flat battery or car won't start, is there a way to override the lockout solenoid on the gear selector ? This is a 2010 free lander 2. Many other cars have a way of overriding the lockout, like on a Jag for instance, by inserting a screwdriver into an interlock release hole.

If not, how would you get the car onto a tow truck or be able to move it if the gears are stuck in park ?

See below from Topix - note the last para, there's a release lever under the trim.

Quote:

Shift Interlock
The shift interlock solenoid is located on the LH side of the selector lever assembly. The solenoid operates two locking
levers which engage with the lever mechanism and lock it in the Park (P) and Neutral (N) positions. When the ignition is
off, the solenoid is de-energized, locking the selector lever in the Park (P) position. If the selector lever is in any position
other than Park (P), the remote handset cannot be removed from the start control module until the lever is moved to the
Park (P) position.
The shift interlock solenoid has a mechanical connection to the sensor module using a sensor arm. Movement of the
solenoid is transferred via the sensor arm to the sensor module which detects the movement using an optical sensor. The
sensor arm movement provides a confirmation to the sensor module that the solenoid is in its interlocked position. The
sensor arm has a ratchet adjustment for alignment of the optical sensor and is factory set and must not be adjusted.
The shift interlock solenoid locks the selector lever in the park position or the neutral position to prevent inadvertent
selections on the selector lever. The interlock is released when the ignition is on and the driver presses the brake pedal. A
signal from the brake switch is passed on the high speed Controller Area Network (CAN) bus to the TCM and is then
passed on the LIN bus to the sensor module. On receipt of this signal the sensor module logic energizes the solenoid if in
the Park (P) position or de-energizes the solenoid if in the Neutral (N) position, releasing the interlock mechanism.
If the selector lever is left in the 'N' position for more than 3 seconds, the solenoid will be energized and the selector lever
will become locked in the 'N' position. To move the selector lever from the 'N' position in this condition, the footbrake
must be applied. This prevents the selector lever from being moved to the 'D' or 'R' position unintentionally and the
application of the brakes also prevents the vehicle 'creeping' when the gear is engaged. Movement of the selector lever
from the 'P' or 'N' positions is also prevented if the TCM senses the engine speed is above 2500 rev/min, even if the brake
pedal is depressed.
If a fault occurs with the shift interlock solenoid, the sensor module, the brake switch or associated wiring, an emergency
release lever is provided to disconnect the interlock mechanism. The emergency release lever can be accessed by using a
tool to remove the selector lever trim finisher from the floor console. The finisher can be lifted to gain access to the
release lever which is located at the front the selector lever assembly and is colored yellow for identification.

Sorry about the formatting - it looked OK in the preview window!

Thank you, that is a very clear explanation of the system and one day might get me out of trouble. Sometimes over engineering can cause as many problems as it solves. My old Jag lockout gave me so much trouble I removed the solenoid altogether. No more lockout and I can use my own common sense when selecting gears without the car saying no.

Cheers.