Engine runs but the Voyager will not move

[Galaxy]

It was parked for three weeks. It starts perfectly no error codes and I can put the transmission into D but except for a little jerk it will not move. If  I put it into neutral it will not roll back even though it is parked on a steep hill. It is most likely transmission related. perhaps the oil pump?  Any suggestions?

[93JC]

To be honest, it sounds like the parking pawl won't disengage.

Bizarre to say the least.

[Galaxy]

To be honest, it sounds like the parking pawl won't disengage.

Bizarre to say the least.

A pawl is what? MY english-german dictonary is letting me down here.

[MX793]

A pawl is what? MY english-german dictonary is letting me down here.

It's the device that locks the transmission when you put it in "Park".  It's like a bar that locks into the teeth of a gear to keep the gear from turning.

[Galaxy]

It's the device that locks the transmission when you put it in "Park". It's like a bar that locks into the teeth of a gear to keep the gear from turning.

Does this thing run electrical or mechanical?

[93JC]

Should be mechanical.

I don't mean to say that is what is wrong with absolute certainty, but it's the only thing that would keep the van in place.



unless...






You didn't leave the parking brake on, did you?

[GoCougs]

Check your transmission fluid level.

[93JC]

I like idea of the parking brake being seized the more I think about it. It sounds more plausible: you would feel a jerking motion when you engaged any of the forward gears or reverse, the van would be held in place in neutral...

And it could easily happen over three weeks of not moving.

[Galaxy]

Should be mechanical.

I don't mean to say that is what is wrong with absolute certainty, but it's the only thing that would keep the van in place.



unless...






You didn't leave the parking brake on, did you?

I always turn on the parking brake when parked on a hill but I do not think it being rusted in place is a problem, from experiance I know that it gets knocked free as soon as gas is applied.

I did not forget to  pull the release handle if that is what you mean.

[GoCougs]

You're leaving out a piece of crucial information: when shifting into gear and upon application of throttle, does the engine rev freely, or does if feel like it's being held back (lugging - like stepping on the throttle and brake while in gear in a properly working vehicle).

[Galaxy]

You're leaving out a piece of crucial information: when shifting into gear and upon application of throttle, does the engine rev freely, or does if feel like it's being held back (lugging - like stepping on the throttle and brake while in gear in a properly working vehicle).

It is reving normal. Of course I only reved it barely abouve idle for fear of damaging something.

[Galaxy]

Check your transmission fluid level.

That was the first thing I checked, it is OK, which brings us to the oil pump or can I rule that out?

[MX793]

Well, you could always chock the wheels, put it in neutral, and then jack up the front wheels to see if they will spin and then move to the rear to see if they'll turn.  That should be able to tell you if the transmission is locked or if your parking brake is frozen.

[Galaxy]

Well, you could always chock the wheels, put it in neutral, and then jack up the front wheels to see if they will spin and then move to the rear to see if they'll turn. That should be able to tell you if the transmission is locked or if your parking brake is frozen.

Would the front wheels not start to spin with the rear parking brake locked even at low rpm and with the wheels on the pavement? Especially with the pavement being wet and the Chrysler vans having pretty bad traction. Also traction is reduced even further since the the van is on snow tires and Germany is having the warmest November in 100 years with tempretures of almost 20 deg Celsius.

[ifcar]

That was the first thing I checked, it is OK, which brings us to the oil pump or can I rule that out?

With a bad oil pump, I wouldn't see it starting and running fine.

[GoCougs]

It is reving normal. Of course I only reved it barely abouve idle for fear of damaging something.

But does it successfully shift into gear? This is the most crucial question by far. Stop doing everything else until you have conclusively determined the answer.

If it revs freely (i.e., doesn't shift into gear), this is an indication of a problem with the transmission. Could be lots of things; linkage, pump, fluid, etc. How steep is this hill? I guess a long shot guess is that the fluid pickup is somehow starved. If it were me, I'd get it towed to a professional.

If it doesn't rev freely (i.e., it does shift into gear), my guess is that it's a frozen parking brake. If it were me, I'd rock it back and forth vigorously (reverse to drive).

EDIT: Be careful of the advice. It's worth exactly what you paid for it.

[MX793]

Would the front wheels not start to spin with the rear parking brake locked even at low rpm and with the wheels on the pavement? Especially with the pavement being wet and the Chrysler vans having pretty bad traction. Also traction is reduced even further since the the van is on snow tires and Germany is having the warmest November in 100 years with tempretures of almost 20 deg Celsius.

They might, but you'd have to give it a decent amount of gas to get them to spin.  It didn't sound like you stabbed the throttle pedal terribly hard for fear of damaging something (a wise decision on your part).  Or, they might not spin, but you'd start dragging the rear tires if they are locked. 

What you could to is just jack up one front tire, start the car, put it in gear and give it a little bit of gas.  If the tire spins, the transmission isn't the problem.

[Eye of the Tiger]

It sure sounds like low oil pressure in the transmission. If you rev the engine up higher it will probably engage, but then you might break something. Make sure you check the trans fluid with the engine warmed up and running with the lever in park or neutral. If the level still checks out okay, then my first guess would be the valvebody or the oil pump are leaking.

[Galaxy]

But does it successfully shift into gear? This is the most crucial question by far. Stop doing everything else until you have conclusively determined the answer.

If it revs freely (i.e., doesn't shift into gear), this is an indication of a problem with the transmission. Could be lots of things; linkage, pump, fluid, etc. How steep is this hill? I guess a long shot guess is that the fluid pickup is somehow starved.

If it doesn't rev freely (i.e., it does shift into gear), my guess is that it's a frozen parking brake. Just try rocking it back and forth a bit (reverse to drive).

Well first of all the term rev freel should not be used when describing the 3.3 V6.  It perfers to chug along in a calm matter which is OK since it is not a sports car engine.

I am fairly sure it feels like it always does when one puts the car into gear and applies gas. I wrote "fairly sure" since I only applied gas normal the first time, after that I handled the gas pedal as if it is attached to a ming vase. I did try rocking back and forth.

[AutobahnSHO]

Hmm...
I was first going to say the hill might be part of the problem, a cousin once parked on a hill into a curb- when he tried to get the car out of Park it wouldn't go, since it was wedged against the curb too tightly..

But I would let it warm up, check the tranny fluid, follow the suggestions below-

jack the front wheels up, (parking brake ON) and try to put it in gear. If there's no problems there, maybe the parking brake is frozen, which happens from time to time, especially on a hill for 3 weeks.. 

[93JC]

Get the emergency jack out and lift up one of the rear wheels. Just so we're sure your parking brakes haven't seized.

It's entirely possible that they are stuck in place and you wouldn't know it. Even if you had pulled the release handle and they parking brake light in the gauge cluster went out, it is still possible that they are applied. It can happen.

[GoCougs]

Well first of all the term rev freel should not be used when describing the 3.3 V6.? It perfers to chug along in a calm matter which is OK since it is not a sports car engine.

I am fairly sure it feels like it always does when one puts the car into gear and applies gas. I wrote "fairly sure" since I only applied gas normal the first time, after that I handled the gas pedal as if it is attached to a ming vase. I did try rocking back and forth.

I hear you on the 3.3L V6. I have had these vans as rental cars.

I'm still a bit unsure, but if I had to guess, it sounds as if the car is correctly shifting into gear. Thus, it sounds to me like the brake is frozen. In most cases this is because there's a bit of rust between the drum and shoes. I'd give 100% throttle. If that didn't do it, I'd rock the vehicle vigorously with signficant if not 100% throttle. If this doesn't do it, it could be that the linkage is somehow frozen/rusty, thereby not releasing the brake.

Mind you, I'm a bit rough on my vehicles, so take this advice with a grain of salt. I have very little patience for stuff that doesn't work.

EDIT: I'd be extremely careful about jacking a vehicle on a hill.

[Galaxy]

I will try jacking the van. I am currently out of town (without the van unfortunately  ) but will do it when I get back next week.

I did phone a garage to ask their opinion. They think it is the transmission, they said that they do not repair transmission themselves. They pull them and send them to ZF (regardless of who made them) to be repaired.

[S204STi]

With a bad oil pump, I wouldn't see it starting and running fine.

I think he was talking about the transmission oil pump.  Those are normally driven off of the input shaft anyway though, so if it failed to create pressure that would more likely be due to failed seals or mechanical failure in the pump, like a vane breaking, etc in which case there is a 1 part number fix....

[Galaxy]

OK, I got back and jacked the rear up. It is indeed the parking brake that is stuck. Thanks 93JC.  So I started it up and slowly applied throttle and eventually it started to move but the rear wheels where still stuck, I tried backing up but that did not work. Since the van was know partialy blocking a drive way I continued on for around 5 more meters with the rear wheels dragging along. I will work on them tonight.

btw. I am amazed that the front Continental tires got a grip on the road with those anchors in the back. 

[93JC]

OK, I got back and jacked the rear up. It is indeed the parking brake that is stuck. Thanks 93JC.

[AutobahnSHO]

OK, I got back and jacked the rear up. It is indeed the parking brake that is stuck. Thanks 93JC.? So I started it up and slowly applied throttle and eventually it started to move but the rear wheels where still stuck, I tried backing up but that did not work. Since the van was know partialy blocking a drive way I continued on for around 5 more meters with the rear wheels dragging along. I will work on them tonight.

btw. I am amazed that the front Continental tires got a grip on the road with those anchors in the back.?

You could try taking off the rear tires and squirting the brake assembly with wd-40 or some penetrating oil. Try to get it into the drum assembly- there are holes on the side of the assembly facing the vehicle at the top center, then bottom sides. (Covered by little rubber plugs.)

Does the cable seem to be releasing??

My 99 is having a problem right now with the right side not engaging, due to cable problems I haven't tackled yet. The parking brake barely holds the van on a slight hill, not to mention putting it in gear.  Yours must be REALLY stubborn..   

[L. ed foote]

out of curiosity, why'd you let the car sit for 3 weeks?

[MX793]

You could try taking off the rear tires and squirting the brake assembly with wd-40 or some penetrating oil. Try to get it into the drum assembly- there are holes on the side of the assembly facing the vehicle at the top center, then bottom sides. (Covered by little rubber plugs.)

Does the cable seem to be releasing??

My 99 is having a problem right now with the right side not engaging, due to cable problems I haven't tackled yet. The parking brake barely holds the van on a slight hill, not to mention putting it in gear.  Yours must be REALLY stubborn..   

Maybe a piece of the parking brake pad broke off and is now wedged?

[AutobahnSHO]

Maybe a piece of the parking brake pad broke off and is now wedged?

Could be a possibility too. 

I'd be more inclined to say it's rust though.  When I moved last month I hadn't used the p-brake on my white van since I bought it in May.  Our new driveway is super sloped, and I tried it and it doesn't work.  I pulled it apart and spent an hour or so trying to adjust the back brakes right, to find out the cable is rusted somewhere so the one side isn't engaging...