Help.... tranny problems maybe?

[misspebbles71]

I have a 2001 Ford Explorer. Bought in 2002-2003 maybe with 32000+ miles on it and it has been very good to me. It now has 117,000+ miles on it and has started doing something weird.

Occasionally, not all the time, when I put it in park and shut the engine off, sometimes it will make a chunk-chunk-chunk sound as it slips backwards. Usually I hit the brakes right away, start the engine and put it in drive and move ahead again and with a little extra force, put it into park and it will stay.

The other day however, i had been out shopping. I just got home and was getting stuff out of the back of my explorer. The engine was off and vehicle had been sitting a few minutes. I got the last of my groceries and shut the hatch. Chunk-chunk-chunk.... it started coming backwards on me! With my hands full, i jumped out of the way. It only traveled backwards about 2-3 feet and stopped on it's own but it was enough to startle me.

Is my vehicle possessed or is the tranny starting to slip? Planning to look for another vehicle soon but would like to know if maybe this is a simple fix??

~Chris

 

[drdoom]

Chris, that sounds like a problem with the pparking pawl or maybe the cable or shifter. First thing I would do would be to check under the dash for loose bolts, there is a thread here about that.