Tranny stuck in park?

medix · Dec 5, 2006

It's been quite cold in Illinois the last few days and when I drove to work I had no problem. I came out of work this morning and started my Durango, a 2001 4x4, with the 5.2L, with 51800 mi. I believe, and was scraping the frost off the windows? I'm sure I bumped and pushed the D around a bit while doing this. When I got in and tried to put it into Reverse, the gear shift was frozen!

I tried it all? turned the overdrive off, tried to shimmy the gear shifter, popped the hood and checked the fluid (plenty and clean looking) and got back in and tried again. Nothing! So I got out and nudged the vehicle with my knees at the front. It didn't move much the first time but seemed to rock more the next couple of times. I got back in still and nothing. I turned off the O/D and it went into gear so I turned the O/D back on and it was still good. Put it into Reverse and then Drive to go home. When I got home, I tried all the gears and it worked fine. I even turned it off once at work thinking it was something I'd done.

Anyone know what might have happened? Or had any problems like this? Flushed within the last year, oil changed recently, rear heater core replaced in early Nov, rear brakes replaced in October and also, the condenser I think it's called, in the tank a while ago. My only guess is I was too close to the concrete block and put the tranny in a bind or the brakes were frozen?

No trouble lights displayed either.

Thanks ahead of time!

Silver Ghost · Dec 5, 2006

If you have a 2001 D, then you don't have a 5.2 engine. They last appeared in 2WD 2000 D's. So you either have a 5.9 (and 46RE transmission) or a 4.7 (and the 45RFE or 5-45RFE transmission.)

Regardless, I can think of two possibilities (the FSM didn't give much insight.)<ul>a) Shift lever cable out of adjustment.
b) Something interfering with the shift cable.[/list]In cold weather, it might be possible to kick up some slush that would re-freeze around the cable making it difficult to operate. When you finally get it to shift and everything warms up, the blockage melts and everything returns back to normal.

Joe

medix · Dec 5, 2006

lol Oops, I was tired this morning. It's a 4.7L.

medix · Dec 8, 2006

lol Oops, I was tired this morning. It's a 4.7L.

<u>Update</u>
Did it again tonight during the really cold weather. I warmed it up and went to shift out of park and nothing. Put it into 4HI and tried shifting and it went in just fine then back down to 2wd and it shifted fine. It's in the tranny I guess?

FSTDANGO3 · Dec 8, 2006

I think what you're saying is that you place it in Drive but it doesn't move?? If the lever doesn't move, then Joe's post above applies and the linkage is freezing up for some reason.
Otherwise it sounds like you're having a pump issue in the tranny or possibly the wrong fluid was put in?? Take it back to the dealer and get the tranny serviced with new filters again.
Steve
DOC Pres

pjb · Dec 8, 2006

Just something to think about - A few weeks ago I rode to the hardware store with my brother in his F150. When we came out the truck started but the shift lever wouldn't budge out of park. Right away I noticed the brake lights weren't working either. I disconnected the wiring plug to the brake light switch on the brake pedal arm and shorted the pins with a jumper wire. The brake lights came on and the shifter worked fine. Seems like the truck didn't know he was stepping on the brake pedal, as is required to shift out of park. We drove to AutoZone with the jumper wire in and the brake lights constantly on. $6 for a new brake light switch, a quick swap, and we were set.

medix · Dec 8, 2006

pjb said:
Just something to think about - A few weeks ago I rode to the hardware store with my brother in his F150. When we came out the truck started but the shift lever wouldn't budge out of park. Right away I noticed the brake lights weren't working either. I disconnected the wiring plug to the brake light switch on the brake pedal arm and shorted the pins with a jumper wire. The brake lights came on and the shifter worked fine. Seems like the truck didn't know he was stepping on the brake pedal, as is required to shift out of park. We drove to AutoZone with the jumper wire in and the brake lights constantly on. $6 for a new brake light switch, a quick swap, and we were set.

Now this could be it. I have noticed the ABS and brake lights stayed on a little longer sometimes but not recently. Also, once I got the chime and they both flashed at the same time. My problem is I can't get it out of park on the gear shifter. I try but it's locked up. So what difference would turning on the 4HI make to that?

pjb · Dec 8, 2006

I don't have much to add, but I thought I'd throw in my recent similar experience. Do your brake lights come on when the lever is stuck in park?

tomk · Dec 8, 2006

I don't think 4HI made any difference.

I think either you have a lose connection or a bad brake light switch that just decided to work, or you didn't have your foot firmly on the brake when you tried to shift

medix · Dec 8, 2006

pjb said:
I don't have much to add, but I thought I'd throw in my recent similar experience. Do your brake lights come on when the lever is stuck in park?

haven't checked will try to check today!

tomk said:
I don't think 4HI made any difference.

I think either you have a lose connection or a bad brake light switch that just decided to work, or you didn't have your foot firmly on the brake when you tried to shift

Thought about that, stood harder on the brake but it didn't help. Maybe it warmed up at that time and decided to work lol?!?!? I'll be calling Dodge today for an appointment right after I get off the internet!

pjb · Dec 8, 2006

Why ask for help solving a problem if you're going to take it to the dealer for service anyway? :? :roll:

medix · Dec 8, 2006

pjb said:
Why ask for help solving a problem if you're going to take it to the dealer for service anyway? :? :roll:

Worries. If it was something simple, I was going to try it. If it was way beyond my skills, they're few as my dad never taught me and I've never had a knack for mechanical work, I was going to take it to the dealer.

pjb · Dec 8, 2006

That's cool.

More people should just jump in and find out that the do-it-yourself route isn't that hard. But, if it's not your thing, that's cool. No slam intended.

FSTDANGO3 · Dec 8, 2006

We're just trying to save you big bucks!
Steve
DOC Pres

dizzyD · Dec 8, 2006

Did you see the rear (outside) brake lights light up?

If they don't light up, then you have a bad switch at the brake pedal. In addition to operating the brake lights, it's a saftey switch that doesn't allow you to shift from park if you don't step on brake pedal. You can step on the pedal all day long but, if the switch is bad? you see where we're leading you?

IIRC, the shift locking is electrical in nature?

medix · Dec 8, 2006

pjb said:
That's cool.

More people should just jump in and find out that the do-it-yourself route isn't that hard. But, if it's not your thing, that's cool. No slam intended.

At first I thought you were slamming me, but I was just looking for personal experiences and what it might cost me. I had some problems a long while ago and found some help here.

Neil · Dec 8, 2006

pjb said:
why ask for help solving a problem if you're going to take it to the dealer for service anyway? :? :roll:

Regardless of whether you can fix it yourself, I'd rather be better educated as to what could be wrong or figure out what's wrong before a repair shop tells me it's something else and or rapes me for unnessary work.

medix · Dec 8, 2006

Neil said:
pjb said:

Why ask for help solving a problem if you're going to take it to the dealer for service anyway? :? :roll:

Click to expand...

Regardless of whether you can fix it yourself, I'd rather be better educated as to what could be wrong or figure out what's wrong before a repair shop tells me it's something else and or rapes me for unnessary work.

That's it too! The last problem I was on here for was the fuel smell in the oil, which it turns out is normal on short trips such as I do, and the caramel cream in the oil. When I first found this place, I was freaking out

:doh: With reassurance I was better :clap:

biggame · Dec 10, 2006

My in-laws have a 2000 4.7 AWD D and they have a steep driveway. A couple of times they experienced this problem. I'd rock the car forward and it'd seem to unbind something in the tranny/driveline and it'd come out of park. It only happens on their steep driveway. Maybe you shifted it into park before the vehicle came to a complete stop and it bound up??

MWeed · Dec 10, 2006

I'd hope that they'd have learned by now, but Dodge trannys used to have a curved parking pawl in them. If you parked so the vehicle rolled before you put on the parking brake, or drove into a curb and put the tranny into park, you could come back and find the tranny jammed into park so bad it'd never move. The only way to release the tranny was to jack up the drive axle to relieve the pressure on the driveline. Then you could shift out of park.

Very common and very frustrating.

Tranny stuck in park?

medix

Silver Ghost

medix

medix

FSTDANGO3

pjb

medix

pjb

tomk

medix

pjb

medix

pjb

FSTDANGO3

dizzyD

medix

Neil

medix

biggame

MWeed

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