Locked Shift Lever

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01-04-2002, 04:49 AM

Bill Wattison

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Join Date: Jan 2002

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Locked Shift Lever

I have automatic transmission and park on a sloped driveway, so whenever I move the shift lever back to the park position, i release the brakes and the gears seem to grind as the car moves back; the shift lever then ends up kind of stuck in the park position. Usually it will take a large amount of force to move it out of park, to the point that I know the shift lever will break off if I continue doing this.

Recently I've just been setting the parking brake to minimize movement of the car while I set the the car to park, but is there a more appropriate way to be releasing the car out of park?

BTW, this should be normal, right? Or should I let the dealer check it out (it's still under warranty.)

01-04-2002, 04:59 AM

mzmtg

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Since it's still under warranty, let the dealer take a look.

01-04-2002, 05:44 AM

njmaxseltd

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What your experiencing is pretty normal. If your dirveway is on a steep slope and you only use park to stop the car from rolling your putting a lot of pressure on the transmission. There is a pin, I believe it's actually called the park pin in an auto trans. Your whole car is resting on this pin. The proper way to park your car on a slope is to set the parking brake first. Then put the car in park. You wount sit on the pin so hard and it will be easier to move your shift lever.

01-04-2002, 07:34 AM

Scruit

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Quote:

Originally posted by njmaxseltd
What your experiencing is pretty normal. If your dirveway is on a steep slope and you only use park to stop the car from rolling your putting a lot of pressure on the transmission. There is a pin, I believe it's actually called the park pin in an auto trans. Your whole car is resting on this pin. The proper way to park your car on a slope is to set the parking brake first. Then put the car in park. You wount sit on the pin so hard and it will be easier to move your shift lever.

Agreed... If you auto owners were to stop on level ground, put it in park without setting the handbrake/parking brake and then get out and try to push the car, it would roll up to 12" and then you'll hear a click as the park pin engages and locks the front wheels.

On a slope you should use the handbrake / Parking brake as well as putting the autobox in park, otherwise you'll get so much sideways force on the park pin that it would be difficult to disengage (exactly what is being described in the original message. You only need to use enough handbrake to stop the car from rolling, plus 2-3 clicks (not like every valet driver, mechanic and fast-lube kid who's ever driven it, who all pull the handbrake up so it points almost vertical, and it very difficult to disengage + is probably gonna stress/stretch/damage the cable components.