Transmission locks up in park

[jhc]

My 1993 Astro sometimes locks the transmission up when in park (can't shift it into drive, reverse or nuetral). Transmission linkage looks okay, and I Have my foot on the barke when attemping to shift. Has anyone had a similiar problem and know the cause?

[old_master]

If the vehicle is parked on an incline, uphill or downhill, it puts excess stress on the parking pawl in the transmission, requiring additional effort on the shift lever to release the pawl. Try parking on a level surface. If this is not the case, check the solenoid that locks the shift linkage. It's located on the steering column under the dash. Make sure it is free and working every time. Look for possible binding or a loose electrical connection. If you turn the ignition switch on, (without the engine running) and depress the brake pedal, there should be a slight audible "click" from the solenoid each time you depress the brake.

[jhc]

Originally Posted by old_master

If the vehicle is parked on an incline, uphill or downhill, it puts excess stress on the parking pawl in the transmission, requiring additional effort on the shift lever to release the pawl. Try parking on a level surface. If this is not the case, check the solenoid that locks the shift linkage. It's located on the steering column under the dash. Make sure it is free and working every time. Look for possible binding or a loose electrical connection. If you turn the ignition switch on, (without the engine running) and depress the brake pedal, there should be a slight audible "click" from the solenoid each time you depress the brake.

Thanks for the information. Vehicle is parked on level surface and the solenoid clicks when brake pedal is depressed. Of course the shift lever is also working perfectly now. This problem seems to occur more frequently after driving for awhile.

[Kings-x59]

The parking pawl in the transmission may be torn up. If it is a mechanical vs. electrical problem, it can be fixed without having to remove the transmission. Take it to a mechanic. If they tell you it needs to be rebuilt they are full of it. Everything associated with putting it into "park" can be replaced through the trans pan. If you want to take a crack at it yourself, get a Haynes rebuild manual for your transmission.

[jhc]

Originally Posted by Kings-x59

The parking pawl in the transmission may be torn up. If it is a mechanical vs. electrical problem, it can be fixed without having to remove the transmission. Take it to a mechanic. If they tell you it needs to be rebuilt they are full of it. Everything associated with putting it into "park" can be replaced through the trans pan. If you want to take a crack at it yourself, get a Haynes rebuild manual for your transmission.

Thank you for the response. The locking difficulty is intermittent, and occurs maybe one out of ten shifts from park. If the parking pawl in the transmission is torn would the locking problem be more frequent?

[old_master]

It's impossible to determine the condition of the pawl without actually doing a visual on it. From the way you're describing this, I'd put my money on a binding or intermittent solenoid, or a loose electrical connection. My crystal ball broke years ago, sorry. You're going to have to get in there with a test light, or voltmeter WHILE IT'S ACTING UP, to determine if the problem is electrical or not. You might find that when you're under there moving around, the thing will start working again. In which case you've got to wait for it to act up again before you resume testing. The old adage applies here: "If it ain't broke, you can't fix it." Hope this helps. Chuck

[jhc]

Originally Posted by old_master

It's impossible to determine the condition of the pawl without actually doing a visual on it. From the way you're describing this, I'd put my money on a binding or intermittent solenoid, or a loose electrical connection. My crystal ball broke years ago, sorry. You're going to have to get in there with a test light, or voltmeter WHILE IT'S ACTING UP, to determine if the problem is electrical or not. You might find that when you're under there moving around, the thing will start working again. In which case you've got to wait for it to act up again before you resume testing. The old adage applies here: "If it ain't broke, you can't fix it." Hope this helps. Chuck

Thanks again for your thoughts. I'm not a mechanic so if the situation becomes more critical, I will have to see somebody who has that skill. The information I've gotten here will help me work with them.