Rolls down hill while in park!!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

tgardner917 · 10-13-2010, 08:34 PM

You Tube

The above link is a video my wife took of me in my 2004 Toyota 4 Runner (83k miles) on Monday 10/11/10. The other week my 4Runner started rolling down my driveway while in PARK and while the car was off! So I had her video this so I could show the dealership service department. In this video I am parked in my driveway, car is in PARK, parking break is engaged, and the engine is off. It starts to roll and you can hear the awful sound. The only reason it stops is because I put my foot on the brake. If I didn't, it would continue to roll. I took it to the dealership in town and showed them the video. We couldn't replicate it yet they suggested to replace the transmission. I have yet been shown how that will prevent this and the car works fine otherwise!!! I have never heard of a bad transmission causing vehicles to roll down hills while in PARK! Anyone have thoughts on how to fix this??? Has anyone seen this? This is FAR FROM NORMAL!!!

***Zembonez*** · 10-13-2010, 08:38 PM

The parking pawl inside the trans is obviously not working. Apparently you also need some real repairs on your E brake.

tgardner917 · 10-13-2010, 08:43 PM

Yes, the dealership said the parking break needs fixing because it's not locking.

They also took the transmission cover off and looked at the pawl but said from what they could see it looked normal.

Thats why they are saying to replace the whole trans. Does that sound normal? Would that fix the pawl? Could it be something else?

***Zembonez*** · 10-13-2010, 08:48 PM

I wouldn't think the trans would need replacing. Whatever is responsible for engaging the pawl (sometimes just a linkage adjustment) needs to be addressed... and that parking brake.

tgardner917 · 10-14-2010, 07:05 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to take it elsewhere and have them troubleshoot before I replace the trans.

jetwhine · 10-14-2010, 07:29 AM

tgardner917,

I would take it to a trusted tranny shop. And that E brake woe! Who has been working on your rig. I hope it is not you. I would fire that person. That is exactly what the E brake is supposed to prevent.

tgardner917 · 10-14-2010, 07:35 AM

Jet,
No worries... I am not a car guy so it wasn't me working on it. hahaha

I use a local mechanic. They haven't touched my trans except for a flush around 60k miles.

As for the parking brake, I agree. I am having the dealership repair that today.

Regardless of the parking brake, why would a car come out of PARK? I have never heard of that happening!

***Zembonez*** · 10-14-2010, 07:38 AM

SIMPLE. The linkage may not be putting the transmission fully into park when you shift it there. There may need to be an adjustment or possibly something in the shift mechanism has come apart or broken. It's all speculation here since we can't see it, but I'd get it addressed asap.