Question about possible parking pawl?

[duffymaddox]

Was wondering if anyone could offer any advice. My 1995 Legacy has been making a clicking noise while turning left. Yesterday, when I put the car into park, my car started to drift. Now it will only stay completely in park with the parking break. If it is just in park, it drifts fwd and backwards, depending on the incline. Someone told me that it may be a parking pawl that could have snapped. Now when driving it, the clicking noise is constant.

 

Has anyone had this issue? Anyone have any advice for me?

 

And if it is the parking pawl, does the whole transmission need repalced, or could just the part be installed.

 

[presslab]

I read that those in the rust belt don't use their parking brake, it's sure hard on a transmission.

 

It's probably not the shift cable alignment if it's making noise in drive.  The pawl can be accessed from the tail housing of the transmission, the whole trans doesn't need to be removed.  There is also the actuating rod that can be accessed by removing the pan, but that's probably okay as it's spring loaded and not under much force.

[CNY_Dave]

Sounds more like a front axle has let go.

[Fairtax4me]

You probably have a broken CV axle joint.

Only the front drive is locked when put into park. The rear is still free because there is no fluid pressure on the rear drive clutch pack.

 

If one axle is broken the rotation of the opposite axle is just transfered through the spider gear of the differential which will spin freely and cause the broken axle to turn the opposite direction.

 

Put the car in drive and set the parking brake. Chock the wheels if the park brake will not hold the car still. Then open the hood and look at the front axles. Good chance one will be spinning.