Hi does anyone have any ideas why it would be hard to put my shifter into park, after doing some parallel parking and moving from r-d abit and then finally putting it into park, it seemed really hard to go in, and once it did it made an aweful sound, would it be like just a shifter prob, or something with the trannie?

Anyone else had this problem as well?

I've had this happen when my Partner was driving my baby, he has a bad habit of NOT coming to a complete stop before going from D to R or R to D. He learned the hard way after spending $1000 to get his VN's auto reco'd.

mine was fine moving around d to r and vice versa, only finally when i go to put it in park it doesnt really wanna get in.

i'll have to get them to fix it in february, next service

I wouldn't wait.

mine was fine moving around d to r and vice versa, only finally when i go to put it in park it doesnt really wanna get in.

i'll have to get them to fix it in february, next service


with some warrenty probs, they can get worse over time, and it will say something somewhere in the warrenty handbook that you have the resposability to get any warrenty probs fixed asap. so if it is something with the gearbox, it might be small now, but in 2 months time it could turn into a new box and cost them an extra grand or two... id be ringing them and asking if it can wait til february so you dont get hit with a bill

mmm, i'll pay them a visit on tuesday, has anyone else had this prob tho?

just a thought, would it be some sort of linkage from shifter to trans, as rwd cars, the shifter is ontop of the trans, so with the fwd setup there must be something connecting shifter and trans? could it be that? any ideas?

I find it sometimes parking my TL on a uphill or downhill slope makes a slightly clunkier sound then usual going from P to any other gear or vice versa, And going to P sometimes requires more force.

driving today home after work it drove, shifted and worked perfectly, but when it was hard to put into P this morning, which was on flat by the way, it made some noise/crunch which did not sound good.

I'll get my dealer to doa full checkup Tuesday

oh and it's the first time i've been back to dealer for warranty work, so i want to see how good this better built better backed slogan is

We have the same problem in our TH, should be intresting to see what the dealer says.

Here is a lesson that all auto drivers should learn.

When parking you car, whether on a slope or flat road, do the following:
1. Apply foot brake,
2. Put gear into N,
3. Apply hand brake,
4. Release foot brake to let the park brake take any load and finally,
5. Shift gear into P.

This is to protect the little pin (ratchet) that is used to lock the gears. This little pin is not
designed to bear weight. Let the hand brake take any slack and then shift into P. You do not
want that little pin to snap off and drop into the gear box and stuff up the gear box.

If the above is followed, then you should not have difficulty taking it out off P.
When moving off, do the following:
1. Apply foot brake,
2. Shift gear out of P (into D or R),
3. Release hand brake and,
4. Release foot brake and move off.

danthevrxman, you may have a problem with that little ratchet pin.

i thought ratchets only break/snap when the car rolls forward abit in P. My foot was firmly on brake moving from R to P, and at that stage didnt really want to go in, but did then made this sound. Lets hope they can fix it tommorow

I've had this happen when my Partner was driving my baby, he has a bad habit of NOT coming to a complete stop before going from D to R or R to D. He learned the hard way after spending $1000 to get his VN's auto reco'd.

Spot on.

You have to come to a complete stop when changing gears!

Spot on.

You have to come to a complete stop when changing gears!

Hmmm, Ok keeping in mind I just touched up the Blonde in my hair.... do you mean 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th..... seems a little silly though. But I'll give it a try and see what happens.

no you only have to be at a complete stop when going to R or P, otherwise you can move the gears around whenever

I find it sometimes parking my TL on a uphill or downhill slope makes a slightly clunkier sound then usual going from P to any other gear or vice versa, And going to P sometimes requires more force.

try putting the car in neutral, apply the handbrake and then put it in park. you will find if you take it out of park before releasing the handbrake, it will be a whole lot easier.

i had a similar problem when mine was auto, it seemed more like a shifter problem, not an actual gearbox problem, so i pulled up the console and cleaned around the shifter and removed any dirt and dust. worked perfectly after. seemed there was a bit clogging up somewhere.

Hopefully it's something simple, or some linkage from shifter to trans, or something needs lubing as it's been perfect today and not playing up

My TE does the same thing, sometimes it feels like the button on the top of the shifter just isnt working, cos if a take my hand off it and then try again it works fine, other times if i take it back to neutral then try again it works, i dunno, doesnt feel like a gearbox problem though, to me it feels like the button on the shifter is screwing up.

no you only have to be at a complete stop when going to R or P, otherwise you can move the gears around whenever


Yep, usually clunks if moved from drive to reverese etc

I Dont know if this is good news or bad news, good i guess, i'm getting a new Trans next week free of charge obviosuly. They think it's some mechanism in the trans that's stuffed

I Dont know if this is good news or bad news, good i guess, i'm getting a new Trans next week free of charge obviosuly. They think it's some mechanism in the trans that's stuffed


Thats good news!?

as long as it comes with a warranty or the original warranty.

Here is a lesson that all auto drivers should learn.

When parking you car, whether on a slope or flat road, do the following:
1. Apply foot brake,
2. Put gear into N,
3. Apply hand brake,
4. Release foot brake to let the park brake take any load and finally,
5. Shift gear into P.



I do this now when I park mine on a upwards incline otherwise it's difficult to pull it out of park when you need to drive off again. And it clunks and jolts the car.

I find Chocolate helps. They are a pest when they just stand in the middle of the road, but the promise of Chocolate seems to get em moving. If not maybe use lube.