Why will ford 2000 winstar column shifter will move but wont set in any gear;paek drive or reverse etc.,

Remove the plastic cover on the column, there will be a nut and adjustment arm in there you can tighten. With the plastic cover off wiggle the shifter you'll see the bracket moving. " it shouldn't"

You'll have to remove the steering column. There's a few bolts that hold it to the bottom of the dash and a couple that attach it to the steering shaft before it goes through the firewall into the engine compartment. Remove that section of column and towards the bottom of it your find 2 torx screws. Tighten those screws back up and reinstall the column. The screws, in time, work themselves loose and cause this problem.

There are none procedures as follows disconnect the battery cables and remove the under steering column panels from the dashboard then remove the steering column shrouds upper and lower including the key lock cylinder there us a silver looking button that must be pressed in while turning the key cylinder to remove it on the bottom of the column under the cylinder turn the cylinder all the way foward while pulling outwards for removal next look for the cable that connects the transmission gear selector it should be orange or red this cable moves the pointer from park,reverse drive etc.there is a thumb wheel that you turn to adjust and the cable loop is attached to the shifter tube disconnect it next lower the steering column by loosening the 4 nuts that hold it in place and drop the column to gain access to the shifter tube you will now see 2 strap clamps that hold the tube to the steering column the bolts may be the torx kind it depends on the model and none is given only 94 ford? After removing the strap clamps you will see another stepper that is also clamped to the column this is the transmission shifter step lock that you feel when moving the selector from gear to gear you feel it in the shifter as you move through each gear unbolt it and be careful not to bend it attached to it is a switch on the left side that a lever from the tube locks in place for the shift inter lock switch that you see on top by the first strap clamp there is a raised section on the tube that keeps the plunger in place on the left side of the tube you will see it,next go to the shifter cable on the end and unbolt it and lift the stepper and remove the shift tube assembly is the reverse of removal with these precautions grease the strap clamps the plunger on the inside of the tube and the end spring there are 2 pins that hold in 1 the trans selector arm that you grab everyday and the lever that you see at the bottom of the tube by the cable end use a punch to drive out those pins the trans one from the skinny side not the cap side and the bottom one from the long side sticking out of the tube take a picture of everything so you can put it back together the same way when you look at the tube near the bottom pin you will see a cutout for the ignition key lock this must be in the right position or you won't be able to get the key out when assembled just go slow and don't panic you can do it it might be easier to put the lock cylinder in to position the tube but not necessary but if you never did this which I am assuming cause your here you should now transfer the rubber block and clip from the old tube if applies next bolt in the trans cable to the bottom then bolt in the straps and then the stepper make sure it is straight and not bent and the bottom lever fits into the switch at the bottom it's a u shaped piece with a plunger on the other side of it now raise the column to fit into the bolts you may have to move it back N forth to get the column aligned with the bolts again don't panic now tighten the nuts all the way you can put in the selector cable (orange/red)at this time along with the shrouds for the column take the key cylinder back out if it applies to do it and put it back in when done adjust the thumb wheel for gear selection also I almost forgot that and then tighten the shroud screws and your done ///////tools needed 1/4"drive ratchet and sockets 1/4"torx bit sockets size depends maybe t30? 3/8"drive ratchet and sockets also deep sockets for the 4 column nuts needle nose plier grease and possibly new strap clamps usually they break along with the tube but maybe not?and also pin punches for the tube and a long one or thin screw driver for the ignition lock cylinder also be careful not to lose the rubber block thats in the gear shift space transfer that and the clip to the new one the 1/4" drive tools are a must because it's very tight even with the column dropped this also depends on the vehicle and none was given only 94 ford? So you know I'm a taxi mechanic in nyc.with 50 years experience in all phases of the automobile mechanics and I have done about 3,000 of these tubes from people who don't know to step on the brake peddle first this is a safety feature so kids can't put the car into gear and the result is a runaway vehicle so take pictures go slow and don't panic and enjoy the learning process and have fun doing it this is not as hard as it looks and any problems you might have I explained to you ///the stepper and the switch and the lock cylinder lever that fits in the tube to pull out the key and the most important thing never panic just stop relax and go back with a clear head if your having trouble ok good luck stephen

Look under dash where steering column is. Find the connection for the shift cable. see if the mount that the cable end connects to is loose. wiggle it. If it is there are 2 torx screws that mount the bracket to the shift tube that you need to tighten. I think they are a T-27 size bit. This is a common problem on fords. easy fix. I usually will take the screws out and use a thread locking compound in them to stop it from happening again.

The bolt tens to loosen up on the shifter. Look up from the floor board at the column. You will see the shift cable attached to a metal shift arm. Where this arm is bolted to the column with two bolt, tighten the bolts they should be loose, You will need a torx bit. I think T30 or t40

If this is a 04 f150 on the column ,under the dash at the shift cable there is a bracket on the shift tube, that has 2 torx bit bolts that get loose, tighten the bolts and the concern will be fixed

It sounds like the bushings on the steering column that hold the shifter in place are worn out ot the brackets holding the bushings in place have come loose allowing for excessive movement with the shifter shaft. These things also had a problem with a bracket coming loose at the lower part of the steering column. You can look up under the dash (laying on your back) and find the shifter cable where it attaches to the shifter shaft. There are tree bolts that hod this bracket on. If they come loose you will have this same problem To fix it you need a T-30 torx socket and a ratchet to tighten these three bolts.

This bolt connects 2 parts of gear shifter. It's getting loose. It's known problem. Look under the steering column. Jiggle the shifter you will see where the problem is.

the light comes from a small bulb, pull the shifter out and replace the bulb

There is a bracket with two torx screws that gets loose. You need to tighten that. You will need to remove the plastic and metal shield under the dash, above the brake pedal to see the bracket. Look up above the brake pedal and wiggle the the shift lever and you will see what needs tightened. Worked for me.