On my '96 855R there was a switch on the brake pedal that did interface with the shift system.

I think that it was relatively easy to access after removing a panel below the steering wheel.

There is probably a way to adjust its position so that the brake pedal will switch it with less pedal travel.

I had a similar problem in our '96 855R - when I took it apart, everything looked OK.

Since the shift lever in that car is pressed on, I figured out that the shift lever may have moved ip on its shaft.

I gave it a good smack on top of the shift lever and that cured the problem.

A silly idea, but costs nothing to try.

Does the brake do anything on these early models? What about the lift button on the gear knob. These can be stiff and rather uncooperative.

Hi,

I’m not one with knowledge of these series of cars but on the late years of the automatic 240s somebody came up with the idea to make everyone apply the brakes before coming out of park.
This involves having the brake system or lights to lift a pin so the shifter would move later.

This little item causes more pain than it’s worth and many people disabled it, in like, tossing it! (:-)
Or they adjust it out of working range so it doesn’t work.

I suspect what you have is an adjustment problem with a solenoid that lifts a pin.
The solenoid chamber or some linkage may have gotten dirty.
With this idea it cannot move back far enough.
I suspect it gets toggled out or up every time the brake pedal is pushed and it’s not lifting clear.
That’s wear unseen and this car has some mileage I suspect.

Now that’s my simple version of a 240.
The newer cars of recent have gone bonkers with computer sensors to do our thinking for us.
It sounds like you are having to rip it by that pin obstruction.
That is not going to play out well if you keep having to do that.
That is unless it totally breaks and doesn’t leave you stranded.

On the 240s there is a lever that can be manually pushed to let you out of park.
You need to check for that override feature in your owners manual.
By seeing how that is supposed to work can help you readjust it or by-pass it electronically.

I hope others will see this posts “bump” and help you more.
I bet you are not the first case of this just like the 240s.

Phil