question about transmission

This may seem like a silly question, but I have to ask it anyway...

Say you have an automatic transmission. The car is parked on a hill, but you want to move it down the hill more. You decide to turn on the accessories, but NOT turn on the engine. While in accesories mode, you switch the car into neutral and let it role down a little ways. Then you brake, shift into park, and leave it. Is it okay to move the car like this without turning on the engine?

As long as you don't move it very far, it is fine. If you are towing a car like yours (you have a Grand Marquis, correct?) you must tow it with the rear wheels off the ground.

Yes, I do have the Grand Marquis. If the car is rolled like this farther, would it pose a threat to the transmission parts since there is no fluid being circulated through it?

Originally posted by jjguitar
Yes, I do have the Grand Marquis. If the car is rolled like this farther, would it pose a threat to the transmission parts since there is no fluid being circulated through it?
Yes. But why would you want to roll it very far?

Well, I never would want to roll it that far. If I did, I'd turn the car on. I just wanted to make sure my theory was correct. :-)

Thanks for the help!

The front pump moves fluid through the trans, which is driven by the engine. So yeah you're correct.

How about a manual? Does a manual use transmission fluid? Is it safe to shift it into neutral and roll it freely?

manual transmissions are typically splash-lubricated, which means that the gears splash the fluid all over the place whenever they turn, and thus keep everything wet. They usually can be rolled for a long way w/o problems. Some manual xmission 4WD cars are not so lucky, though, so it's usually a good idea to dolly/trailer a 4wd.