Button-free Drive-to-Neutral shifter mod

[GetMeMyStogie]

When I first got my Marauder, I found it odd that the shifter required you to press in the shift knob button when shifting from Drive to Neutral. All of my previous vehicles let you do this by simply pushing in the direction of neutral. While they were column shift, you didn't have to pull it out like you do when shifting to reverse. I've driven a few vehicles with console shifters too, and they all shifted from Drive to Neutral with just one motion - no button press needed.
So, I'm used to just pushing towards Neutral when necessary, usually in a panic. I always considered having to push in the shifter button on the MM rather unsafe - in a panic I'm either going to forget to push the button in, and will be unable to get out of drive immediately, or else I'll push the shifter beyond Neutral, into Reverse or perhaps Park. The movement of 'press the button and move just one detent up, not two, not three' I find demands precision that just isn't available in emergency situations.

So, I decided to modify my shifter so that I can shift from Drive to Neutral without pressing the shifter button, and I created an album that walks you through the process (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=600).

The main part of the mod is in these pics, here:
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/600/Shifter_N-D_cam-trimming-guide.png

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/600/IMG_4853.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/600/IMG_4855.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/600/IMG_4857.JPG

The material is a resilient type of plastic, so the X-acto blade acted more like a shaver than a knife. Still, it wasn't very hard to do. Total time was about 75 minutes, with photos. Without snapping pics, it's under an hour, easy.

I consider this an improvement to the safety of my vehicle.

[Midnight]

dude! great idea... i too, had this issue... and i slammed it into reverse going like 40MPH.. i could only imagine what would have happened going 60+!

but, chirped the tires... but quickly got it back in drive... so, no damage done. im sure their is something that is hurt.. but no driving differences or performance problems.

Nice pictures BTW! gonna replace that blub with a LED? if so... take a picture! (im sure it wont do any justice.. but tell us if its beneficial!.

but i never knew how to take that cover off, and i have alot of "unaccessable grime" between the left cupholder and the bottom assembly.. so by "popping it out" ill be able to get into there..

so the cover just pops up right? or does it slide in any way..

also.. i CANNOT GET MY GAUGES TO STAY IN PLACE! they always fall out.. (not the gauges, but the big black assembly.. i push it in.. it pops back out...

Kudos on the pictures... and if you have any recommendations on how to get those guages to lock into place... that would be.. as tony the tiger says.... GURRRRREEEEAATTTTTTT!!!!

[GetMeMyStogie]

The main thing about the cover is that it has to pop up first, in order to disengage the clips that hold it down. Once they're released, you need to slide it forward just enough to clear the storage compartment latch. You can push latch in to make it a bit easier.

About the gauge console, the 'female' socket is part of the dash, while the console itself has a 'male' plug. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe there is a metal clip that attaches to the male plug, and which engages the female socket securely. You may be missing this metal clip. Or worse, the male plug may be missing (if it was snapped off).

19696

19697



I don't have any better closeups of the male plug side of things. Perhaps there are some pics already posted.

[Midnight]

I have both of those... ill try and "stretch" them to keep a good grip

thanks alot!