Jaguar Repair: 1987 xj-6, cable problem, gears

Question
Hi, I recently purchased a 1987 xj-6. It has been running great until yesterday. I pulled out and put in park to close my gate. When I tried to put it in gear the gear selector feels loose. It would not engage in any gears and had to be towed back in the yard. It seems like I would have more warning if the transmission had been going out? transmissions are costly and am hoping it could be something simple in the gear selector or something? Thank you for your time!

Answer
Hi Stephanie,
The shift selector operates the transmission lever by a cable. Sometimes when the car is on a grade or slope and it is put into "Park" the load required to get it out of "Park" is too much for the cable to handle and it either brakes or comes loose. It is unlikely a problem with the transmission and most likely just a operating cable problem. It does require that the center console plate be removed to gain access to the cable.
Howard