if your shift interlock mechanism isn't working.................and the
shifter is mechanically locked in Park,
ALL such vehicles have a mechanical override.
You have to be able to get it out of Park with a dead battery say, right ?
........
so they all have something.
Usually you reach down past the shifter and push on a little tab or
something.
It's in the owner's manual............but I get the impression no one has
one, or ever reads them.

it's possible the brake light switch provides the signal to release the
mechanism, .........and they might have found that to be a failure item,
though I wouldn't think that's so likely to happen.
If it was............I'd take that out of the circuit, bypass it, and have
it so I could get it out of Park anytime the key was on, like a normal car.
Oh...........there is a yahoo group for EV's.

Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Phelps" <spttvb@BELLSOUTH.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 7:51 PM
Subject: Eurovan help needed, 2002 westy, tranny stuck in park , desperate

Hello,
As the subject says my 2002 eurovan will start and run but wont shift out of
park.
The dealer suggested i try a new brake light switch, didnt help, took the
old one apart and found one of the contacts burnt a bit. i am wondering if
there is a short causing the trouble. The car has a trailer hitch , the
trailer wiring is tied iinto the harness at the rear, but it has been on
since  near new and i have 95,000 miles on it now.
So: any ideas on this, anyone had this problem, is there a way to bypass the
lockout as the car is headed into the drive, next to the house ,and it will
be quite a problem to load onto a tow truck from the rear with front wheels
locked...
All the dash lights are on too, epc abs et. al. ...