automatic transmission -- park!

[moel]

parked on a small incline at work set parking brake - got out and looked at my front tire as i was walking past, and saw it was turning backwards, after shaking the cobwebs out and clearing my eyes - it was still moving and i could here creaking noise, jumped back into cab fired up and reput transmission into park and slammed parking brake all the way down - it still was moving - scary. anyone else have problem with park holding 9000lbs in place?

 

[TFucili]

Was the park pawl actually skipping?i. e. -the rear wheels were turning.

Is it possible that the surface was a little slippery and the truck was creeping/sliding ahead? I'm not busting your nuts, cause I actually had it happen once. Parked on a slope to make a delivery, climb up on the truck, hear a strange err-errr-errr sound, then realize the damn truck was moving. I almost broke my back jumping off the truck and trying to climb into the accelerating cab. Reached the service brakes with my hand just before the truck hit a wall

 

[txhawg]

parked on a small incline at work set parking brake - got out and looked at my front tire as i was walking past, and saw it was turning backwards, after shaking the cobwebs out and clearing my eyes - it was still moving and i could here creaking noise, jumped back into cab fired up and reput transmission into park and slammed parking brake all the way down - it still was moving - scary. anyone else have problem with park holding 9000lbs in place?

I had the exact same thing happen to me while parking in my driveway. I parked, put it in "P", nad when I let my foot off the brake, the truck rolled backwards. There was no noise, it was as if it was in nuetral. This only happened to me once, and of course the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem, so nothing is wrong, and I am just another nutty owner. This is a serious, serious safety concern that DC needs to look into. What if a "parked" truck begins rolling backwards in a school parking lot and runs over a kid?

 

[TSpecht]

I can't imagine why the parking brake and park pawl both wouldn't hold it. THe only thing that really makes sense there is if the hill was a bit slippery since park and the parking brake only affect the rear axle, which might explain why the front wheel was turning even with those on. Were the back tires turning at all? When you set the parking brake, do you normally just put it to where the resistance starts or right to the floor? I'm not sure if it's how you're supposed to do it, but I stomp mine right to the floor. Perhaps it needs to be all the way down to create the necessary pressure to hold it. Perhaps at that point the parking brakes simply didn't have enough friction to stop the vehicle once it was moving (only to prevent it from starting to move)?



I hope nobody is relying solely on the "Park" pawl to hold a 7000lb+ truck in place. I don't even rely on 1st or reverse (manual) alone to hold mine in place, despite how much compression the engine makes and the fact that it'd be difficult to overcome that to get the truck to roll. Park brake always, and if it stops working, it needs to be adjusted or parts replaced I would believe.

 

[SnoKing]

My 2001. 5 47RE has backed up twice on me with the engine running when I thought I had got it into Park. Ford had a lot of trouble with a similar problem. I volunteer fireman (also a Washington State Patrol Officer) was killed in Sequim, Wa a few years back, when he walked behind the Ford Firetruck and it backed over him. I think his family got a few shares of Ford stock for it. SNOKING

 

[moel]

the temp is about 32° - i was parked on north side of building in the shade - only noticed front wheel turning did not think to check back wheel - my only thought was to get in cab and fire up engine and shift out of - and back into park to make sure it wasn't operator error(which for me is usally the case) after reading about "slipping" down the slope i went and checked - and i believe that is what happened-truck is now about 2 feet from where i left it. i never really trusted the park since new - it just doesn't feel like it goes in right. sorry to start something over this - i am concerned when almost 9000lbs starts moving without control.

 

[Rosco]

I've had several instances where I put my truck into park but it was not actually in park. For some reason these dodges will sporadically hang up in a spot that is between neutral and park. On one occasion I put my truck into park after unhitching from my fiver so I could get out and undo the 7pin connector and breakaway wire. After I was behind the truck the truck over a minute or two it slipped into reverse and backed up. The only thing that saved my butt was the fact that the truck rehitched itself to the camper. I reported this incident to my dealer who said he's never heard of it and I should use my e-brake when I get out of my running truck. While using the e-brake is sound advice it's not the answer I should have gotten.



moel, I think your truck was probaly not truly in park with the park pawl engaged. Like my truck, it shows "P" on the dash but it's not fully locked in park.



I firmly believe that Dodge has a serious safety issue with these trucks that needs to be addressed. Originally I was going to report my incident to the NHTSB but I didn't. After reading this thread I will be making a call.

 

[rbattelle]

I once rebuilt an automatic transmission. After seeing what the park pawl looks like (how small it is) there is no way I would ever park any vehicle without using the parking brake.



This is just my opinion.



Glad to hear your park pawl isn't broken!



-Ryan

 

[Mgeary]

Check out the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency website. www.nhtsa.gov. You can search recalls, safety issues and tsb's. There have been several documented cases of 48re not going into park.

 

[Buddy's Ram]

I always use my parking brake when I stop the truck. I have gotten back in the truck a number of times and attempted to start it and the starter would not engage. Look down at the dash and it either is showing R or nothing at all lit up. I push it back up into park and all is ok. I really do think there is something that needs to be addressed but I just try to make sure it is indeed in park before I shut her down.

 

[moel]

Check out the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency website. www.nhtsa.gov. You can search recalls, safety issues and tsb's. There have been several documented cases of 48re not going into park.

i will get mine checked at dealer - if there has been a recall for this issue - are we supposed to be notified? or maybe there hasn't been a serious enough issue to get a recall -yet! i use my parking brake as a matter of habit all the time, but i do not believe that is enough to keep truck from starting rolling in every situation

 

[Bill Stockard]

I once rebuilt an automatic transmission. After seeing what the park pawl looks like (how small it is) there is no way I would ever park any vehicle without using the parking brake.



-Ryan

Yep, once you see the size of the pawl, you'll never depend on it again! I always apply the parking brake before placing the selector in Park. Leaned the hard way years ago in a Buick...



Bill

 

[nickleinonen]

i don't have the trouble of an automatic, but i have had my truck slide back down my drive with the truck in 1st engine off parking brake on... driveway was sheer ice... stuck it in 4wd and it held then...

 

[jhyatt]

05 2500 same problem here did it sence new. The funny thing is that it happened at a dodge dealer and if my wife was not in the truck it would have hit one of the trucks behind me now what RECALL RECALL BEFORE SOME ONE GETS HURT

 

[RAMINSPEED]

I have heard of a problem with the transmission not properly engaging in park, people have been hurt and accidents have happened.

I screwed up once while working on my truck, had the transmission in neutral and had the front of the truck off the ground. The truck was pointing down hill and I was standing in front of the truck when I had let it off the jack only to be greeted with it rolling forward and crushing the cheep plastic wheel chocks I had gotten from Wal-Mart. I’m a big guy so I put my shoulder into the truck trying to stop it and all I could do is keep it from gaining more momentum. I tried for about 25 feet before diving out of its way before it smashed into my cedar fence. The truck only had paint scuffing but it snapped the fences 4x4 off at the ground, knocking the fence over. Thankfully I didn’t trip or get hurt while trying to stop the monster. So to all out there. BE CAREFULL!

 

[Mgeary]

i will get mine checked at dealer - if there has been a recall for this issue - are we supposed to be notified? or maybe there hasn't been a serious enough issue to get a recall -yet! i use my parking brake as a matter of habit all the time, but i do not believe that is enough to keep truck from starting rolling in every situation

There is no recall but NHTSA is aware of the problem. About 50 reported instances.

 

[Palmtree]

flimsy shift indicator

I am still amazed at how flimsy the shift indicator is in my dually. I don't trust that park brake much either. several times when I first got my truck I put in park and it wasn't in enough and slipped into reverse. Now I double check that thing everytime I put it in park. There is just to low a response from the shift lever. I guess it's all by wire in the new stuff. miss my linkage. . oh well, those were the days.

 

[JTeague]

My buddies 05 also slipped out of park and rolled away. He was not in the vehicle when it happened. He had the engine running with the drivers door open with the nose of the truck pointed up hill. The truck ended up ripping the drivers door completely off as it sideswiped another parked truck before coming to rest at the bottom of the hill. One guy seen it happen and said the back-up lamps were on while it was rolling off. He brought the truck to my dealer and I looked a the truck and could not find anything wrong. I just passed it of as some kind of freak accident or that maybe he didn't get the shifter fully into the park detent. Before reading this post this was the only truck I have seen with this problem. I think I'll have him bring it back in so I can check it a little closer.

 

[jhyatt]

ok asked dealer about problem said he never heard of such a thing then got very angry and said STAR knows everything but cant talk about it FOR LEGAL REASONS i said what... . realy disapointed in DC and my new truck

 

[SSlevin]

Mine has done it about 15 times. I do a lot of in and out around the rench and it will slip into reverse so now I always set the break. Most of the instances were when I just got the truck.