[j_kutsch]

I have a '07 SXT with the 3.5L. Any time I park on an incline (i.e. my driveway) when I go to put the car in gear, (drive or reverse both) the transmission makes a loud clunking noise. Any ideas before I take it in?

Also, when I park, and let off the brake, it rolls an inch or two before the transmission "grabs" in Park.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

 

[otto_laryn]

I don't know how 'park' locks up your transmission, but can tell you I put my car in neutral, set the parking brake, release the brake pedal, let the car settle against the parking brake, then put it in park. This leaves the parking brake to bear the load instead of the transmission.

otto

 

[fnkychkn]

I don't know how 'park' locks up your transmission, but can tell you I put my car in neutral, set the parking brake, release the brake pedal, let the car settle against the parking brake, then put it in park. This leaves the parking brake to bear the load instead of the transmission.

otto

definitely the best way to keep transmission from clunking when shifting out of park. :thumbs_u:

 

[karfreek]

I have a '07 SXT with the 3.5L. Any time I park on an incline (i.e. my driveway) when I go to put the car in gear, (drive or reverse both) the transmission makes a loud clunking noise. Any ideas before I take it in?

Also, when I park, and let off the brake, it rolls an inch or two before the transmission "grabs" in Park.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

Sounds like a normal automatic transmission.

Jay

 

[j_kutsch]

Sounds like a normal automatic transmission.

Jay

Yeah, OK.
None of my other vehicles I've owned have done that, but granted, a lot of those were sticks. Thanks all!
Jason

 

[karfreek]

Yeah, OK.
None of my other vehicles I've owned have done that, but granted, a lot of those were sticks. Thanks all!
Jason

Automatic transmissions have what is called a parking prawl (sp?). This engages and 'locks' the transmission. When you put the car in park on an incline the weight of the car is resting on this prawl, when you release the car from park there is a lot of force on the prawl and thus the bang. It will also be hard to get the car out of park too, that is because of the force.

When you put the car in park on an incline and it rolls forward or backward because it is between the teeth on the prawl and rolls until it engages on a tooth.

It is slightly more complicated than this, but this is the readers digest version.

Manuals dont have any of this. When you park the car in gear it is using the compression of the engine and the friction force in the clutch to keep the car from moving. This is why they say you should use the ebrake on a manual because if the clutch is bad or you have low compression the car *could* roll on you.

Jay