1996 Ford Thunderbird Owner's Manual - Page 168

Driving Your Thunderbird Driving with an Automatic Overdrive Transmission The gearshift lever is floor mounted. The automatic overdrive transmission operates very much like a regular automatic transmission, except it offers the extra overdrive feature. Putting Your Vehicle in Gear RWARNING Hold the brake pedal down while you move the gearshift lever from position to position. If you do not hold the brake pedal down, your vehicle may move unexpectedly and injure someone. To move the shifter out of P (Park), the ignition key must be turned to either the OFF or the ON position and the thumb button must be pushed in. This vehicle is also equipped with the brake shift interlock safety feature which prevents shifting the transmission out of the P (Park) position without the brake pedal being depressed if the key is in the ON position. To operate: 1. 2. 3. Start the engine. Depress and hold the brake pedal. Move the gearshift lever out of P (Park). 165