Will shift to drive but stays in park. Please help.

[jaysino4]

Hi, I have a 96 grand prix 196,000 miles on it. The thing is that when I shift out of park it will shift you can feel and hear it also the RPMs drop a bit, but the car won’t move. The trany is stuck in park, it’s like if you have the brakes on tight when giving it gas. There is not a locked rooter cause if I play with the shifter from park and drive it will work, The brake lock think does not work I don’t need to press the brake to shift so it’s not that for sure. Its like its in park and drive (or reverse) at the same time.Thanks for any help.

[TDWPgtp]

not to be a smart*ss, but MAKE SURE its not your parking brake

[jaysino4]

Nope the brake is not on. I can get it out of park if I move the shifter from P to D many times. It’s almost like whatever engages to make the tiers lock is not releasing, is this possible?

[procaddytech]

To clarify, are you saying it feels llike the parking pawl is staying engaged locking the final drive, and that you can get it to work sometimes?

[jaysino4]

Originally Posted by procaddytech

To clarify, are you saying it feels llike the parking pawl is staying engaged locking the final drive, and that you can get it to work sometimes?

Yes I think thats what Im trying to say, if thats what its called. "PAWL" is that the part that holds the car from moving when in park? When I get it to drive its fine untill I but it back into park. It seems to happen when Im parked on any kind of slope.

[procaddytech]

If your parking brake works, try applying it, letting your foot off the brake, and then shifting into park. Shift out of park and into drive or reverse before you release the parking brake and it should not bind up. If you have been forcing it into gear the rod that connects to the manual shift shaft and lifts the pawl up to unlock it may be bent or damaged. Let the p-brake hold the weight of the car and not the transaxle.

[jaysino4]

Thanks for taking the time trying to help me with this. I should have said in the first post it has an automatic transmission, and the parking brake cable is not connected to the calibers.

[procaddytech]

That's ok. Knew it was an automatic because manuals do not have park. So with your parking brake disabled, you have to rely on your trans to hold the car? As long as you can free it up by shifting from P to D to R a few times keep on riding!

[olopezm]

Relying on the parking pawl to hold your car instead of the parking brake is not a good practice. It should be used only as a last resort safety measure instead of a regular use item.

If you are having problems mostly on slopes it's because you're putting all the weight of the car on the pawl. In some cases it can brake and jam the transmission, some times shavings from it can flow through the transmission and damage it's internal components.

Oscar.

[jaysino4]

lol...I have no choice to keep on riding...Have you guys ever heard of anything like this? I took it in and they said never seen anything like it, He told me”it works or it doesn’t”. I guess there is no way of fixing this other then replacing the trany. I never know of using the parking brake with an auto trany. Does this look like a good deal?
http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/in...lASC&cardist=0

[Tech II]

If you took this into a GM dealership, there is a TSB for this, like the guys said......when parking the car, ESPECIALLY ON A HILL, apply brake, then apply e-brake, then shift into park....shut vehicle off...

Start car car, foot on brake, shift out of park, THEN RELEASE E-BRAKE....

Hell of a lot cheaper to replace e-brake cables than a tranny....