gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 My son has a 96 Outback Legacy, when he got it the previous owner had bypassed the tranny interlock safety switch thing because the switch was broken. Just recently the tranny will not lock in park unless the key is on or the car is running. when the key is off the car just rolls as if it in neutral . No, the handbrake does not work. Yes, I took the plastic off surrounding the floor shifter and did not see anything different then the last time when I removed that switch about 8 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 You mean it moves into "P" but doesn't hold the car? Or that it won't move into "P"? There is supposed to be an interlock in the steering column to prevent removing the key before the shifter is in "P" not sure if that's connected. Also fix the handbrake.......The shoes can be adjusted out through the backing plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 moves into park but will not engage park unless the key is on. forgot about the ignition safety thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 moves into park but will not engage park unless the key is on. forgot about the ignition safety thing Very odd. The parking pawl is purely mechanical........it isn't hydraulically or electircally connected to anything. When the cable moves to park......the pawl should drop into place against the output drum in the trans. I would maybe suspect the cable. One question......if you move it to park.......let it engage (car won't roll).....then turn off the key does it keep holding in "P" or does car start to roll? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 Like Gloyale said, Key on/off doesn't affect the park pawl mechanism in the trans. That's 100% mechanically operated by the shift cable. Sounds like a broken axle to me. Only the front wheels are mechanically locked by the park mechanism. While the engine is running the AWD clutch pack has fluid pressure on it which will allow it to hold the rear wheels. Once the engine is off the fluid pressure bleeds off and only the front wheels will be locked by the park pawl. But it doesn't lock the wheels directly. The park pawl locks the output drum in the trans, which has a shaft leading to the front diff. This will lock the front ring gear, but does not lock the spider and output gears inside the differential. If one of the axle joints is broken there is no mechanical link from one wheel to the other through the differential. This will allow the both wheels to free-wheel. To test this block the rear wheels, put the car in neutral and lift one front wheel off the ground. Spin the wheel and watch each section of the axle for movement. The whole axle should spin with the wheel. Now put the trans in park and try to spin the wheel. If the axles are good, the wheel will NOT spin. If the wheel does spin, check each section of both front axles for movement. If the whole axle does not turn (outer joint, axle shaft, and inner joint) together, that axle is broken. If any section of the opposite axle turns backwards, that axle is broken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 We just replace the driver side front CV axle yesterday and the other one looks like its pulling the car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 and the other one looks like its pulling the car I don't understand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 Gloyale, I was responding to the reply that was posted after yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 I opened the hood and had him drive slowly forward and back and it looks like the passenger side front shaft is turning under it's own power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 it looks like the passenger side front shaft is turning under it's own power. Spinning faster than the car is driving? That would indicate broken passenger side axle.....which would produce the "no park" condition after the engine is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooniebird63 Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 no, it looks legit, just like other front drive car axles I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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