jjmullane

after parking my automatc allroad in my inclined driveway, it is difficult to get it out of park unless you pull very hard (and then it makes a loud sound while shifting)...i had a 02 automatic s4 and the same thingthere...i have other automatic cars and they are not very hard to shift out of park on a hill...is something being damaged? help please

roxreps

It's 'normal" so every dealer says. I don't park on inclines anymore...,

MachineMan

When you park the car, gravity is allowing the car to roll back against the mechanical parking pawl in the transmission. Then when you go to put it in Drive it makes a loud snap as the pawl pressure is released. Virtually 100% of auto transmissions or transaxles ever made will do this. On a steep incline you may not be able to shift out of Park at all due to the high pawl pressure. The parking pawl (like a finger) keeps the car from rollng while in Park.

The recommended way to park on an incline is to apply the emergency brake before putting the car in Park. You take move the selector out of Park before releasing the parking brake.

If parking against an incline curb you should turn you wheels out, shift to neutral, allow the tires to roll back against the curb, apply the emergency brake and then shift to Park.

End of noise and possible damage to your parking pawl.

You can actually snap the pawl off under severe conditions doing it the way you are doing.

kimer12345

YES! Me, too. And it happens intermittantly, not just on inclines, not just when it's cold, etc. Happens for no apparent logical reason. Just CLUNKS into gear when I force it.

?!? I've always forgotten to ask that here! Thanks for posting it!

roxreps

Like I said, don't park on an incline (or California St.).

2tu®bos1mission

Put on parking brake first
Then put the tranny in park.

Then when you are leaving:
Put car in reverse
release the parking brake.

Troy H

Or just be sure the e-brake is set before letting off the foot brake.

markcincinnati

Don't folks "naturally" put their emergency brakes on when parking?

Troy H

the transmission (be it auto or manual) but I've seen plenty of cars rolling due to either a brake failure or a loss of compression, so the only smart thing to do (for us manual die-hards, anyway) is to engage both the e-brake and either 1st or reverse when parked.