Car rolls after I put it in park...

[50]

Hello, on my mother's car (Audi A6), whenever I shift to park the car will roll forward a foot or so after I let go of the foot brake. I have a feeling it is caused by my mother not coming to a complete stop when she shifts from reverse to drive when she backs out. I told her to stop doing it (I'm afraid the car may roll down a hill one day). What would I need to get fixed to make it stop doing this?

 

[Zim Hosein]

By foot brake, do you mean the brake pedal, or the emergency brake which is floor mounted 50?

 

[50]

sorry, brake pedal. Not the emergency brake.

 

[DainBramaged]

I highly doubt it's caused by not coming to a complete stop after reversing. Some cars just have a bit more "give", for lack of a better work, in their transmissions.

 

[GeekDrew]

That's normal for many cars.

 

[DAGTA]

Use the parking break so the car is not resting on the transmission when in park.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: DAGTA
Use the parking break so the car is not resting on the transmission when in park.

Ding ding ding! I don't want all that weight on a little pin in my transmission.

 

[BoomerD]

The pawl in the transmission that controls park is pretty small and quite weak. The parking brake is more suited for holding the car's weight than that puny piece is...Imagine the embarassment if you use the park setting only to hold the car, and it rolls back hard enough onto that pawl...you may not be able to get the car out of park...and have to have someong push or pull the car to get the weight off of the pawl so you can shift it out of park...that DOES happen, especially when parking on a hill...

 

[imported_Scourge]

Personally, I only have ever used my parking break/E-break/whatever when parking on a hill. I've never had a problem because of it. . .

As for the rolling forward slightly, most cars in my experience will have a little 'give' when you stick it into park.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Perfectly normal. That's why you set the parking brake also.

There is only a single tooth against which the transmission rests when the car is in "Park". Most of the time, the transmission will have to rotate before that tooth hits the stop. That's what you're feeling right now.

ZV

 

[BoomerD]

Forgot the relevant links:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1993/October/07.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parking_pawl