Two questions about the automagic transmission:

1. Should the car roll forwards with the shifter in P? (I know it doesn't roll backwards).
2. Does the pawl lock up both front wheels (axles)?

My drivers side wheel doesn't seem to lock when the shifter is in P - and the passenger side wheel rotates clockwise but not anticlockwise when the shifter is in P.

I had the front end jacked up last week to rotate the tires and it was the first time I noticed. I'm just curious - I always use my parking brake, so I'm not worried about the car rolling away

Thanks.

 

Everytime I dont use teh e-brake it rolls forwards and clicks..

Personally, teh shifter gets too hard after it rolls forward.. I always put the ebrake after I put it in P before I let off the brake so it doesnt roll forward.. Makes putting it into D much easier, I feel like I might brake something if I put it into D when its all stiff and hard when it rolls forward.. :O

 

I do the same thing as sober.

nj, did you have both wheels up when you tried this? Because if you didn't, you wont be able to spin one wheel because of the open differential.

Next time put the ebrake, jack up the front, and put it in nuetral and see what happens whne you rotate the wheels.

 

I do the same thing. I have been told that it is a good idea to do that because when you are in park its just a pin that is keeping the car in place and that pin could break. im not sure if that is true im no transmission expert but i can believe it.

-Tom

 

Guys - I always use the e-brake too. This was just an observation while I had the front end off the ground.

NMex - Both wheels were off the ground. Like I said, I was able to turn the driver side wheel both ways, but the passenger side wheel only clockwise (the car was in Park).

 

Try it in neutral. They should spin opposite ways relative to each other. (CW and CCW)

Because in park, there is not much play, so that's why one wheel was not turning the other way due to it being in park.


What you observed is the cars differential in action, but only limited to a X amount of degrees rotaion due to the tranny being in park, if you put the ebrake on for obvious reasons, and jack up the front of the car and spin one wheel while in neutral, you'll see what I mean.

 

Will do...
Would you mind educating me on exactly how the differential works in our cars....

 

It's in the stickies.

 

Oops! thanks.

 

Or try How stuff works website if it's not in there.

 

Thats where I am right now (howstuffworks) - didn't see it in the stickies.. but thought I might have missed it... its not really maxima specific. Thanks!

 

Of course the wheels will spin with it in neutral and the e-brake pulled. The e-brake only locks up the rears.

 

I said the ebrake so his car wouldnt roll back and crush him because the front wheels are the only ones that lock if the e-brake isnt pulled. . . .And with the front wheels in the air w/o ebrake= : Just like what you just got.

Reason he couldnt see what I was describing is because he had it in park limiting the range of motion of the front wheels.