on a few occasions when I park and shut off the motor (or not) it slips out of park. I hear the parking pawl clicking, but not engaging. Most of the time it works fine. With all the other weird stuff I have found on this guy, I am wondering if it is a shift adjustment that is not correct(??) Haven't been under to look at how the shifter is attached to the trans, and if there is an adjustment.
I have been using the parking brake and that does the trick until I can get a peek under there. Don't really want to replace the transmission as it works fine otherwise. I just would hate for it to roll back into another vehicle when parking in a lot or ?? Luckily it has happened when I was just getting out of the truck and it started to move so I was able to grab the hand brake and stop it.
Any hints on an adjustment?? the shifter looks to be al the way into park from the drivers seat.

 

From what I understand the parking paw is near the back of the transmission and can be accessed from the rear once the TC is removed. My 97 XD has a parking paw that does the same because the previous owner winched while it was in park.

 

Thanks for the reply! That's what I was afraid of, Unfortunately I am probably not going to be able to wrench that far (TC removal, etc) as I have limits to my abilities after both knee replacements, arthritus, and just plain wore out body. I was hoping it might be something simple and not have to take it in for repair. I have been getting by with using the parking brake for about 3 years and I guess I will just keep doing that. Hasn't been towed or winched since I have owned it. There were a lot of questionable problems I have fixed when I got it and that one sort of showed up out of the blue. No plans to sell it yet, until I can't physically get in and out of it Has great heat, AC, sunroofs work, windows work and runs great. Except for the park thing, and the crazy temp gauge that likes to show it is too hot and then goes back to normal (which I figured out was a false reading after replacing radiator, water pump, sending units, thermostat, etc) Finally put an external temp gauge on it and found out the gauge is wrong!

 

Yeah mine usually catches but if it doesn't gently rocking it like getting an ATV into N usually works. If I was closer I'd tear it down for ya!

 

Sunroofs work? Sounds like a unicorn! Definitely seems like a keeper to me.

 

Have you been using Park INSTEAD of the parking brake??? If so, that's quite possibly why it's worn.

When parking, the best way is to stop and select neutral, apply the parking brake and release the foot brake, so the load can be taken up by the parking brake, Then select park.

The Park pawl is only designed to be a backup, not to hold the weight of the vehicle. It's a tiny mechanism, certainly not designed to be relied on.

 

Ok, but I am parking on a fairly flat parking lot with about a 5% slope. And yet on times it will hold on a much greater slop like when I am filling coolant to burp the system. I would go with the some sort of damage or it isn't engaging all the way. when it doesn't engage, you can hear a ratcheting sound which is a really bad thing in my opinion.
I'm afraid it would take a trans rebuild to make it right, which would likely be more than the vehicle is worth. I'll stick with the parking brake for now. Been that way for about 3 years now. Just wondering if I am missing an easy fix.

 

You can try adjusting the linkage, to make sure it goes all the way in, otherwise the Transfer case and tail extension can be taken off to check the mechanism. It may be worn, or the case can be damaged.

Honestly - use the brake ALL the time, as it was designed for. the parking pawl is NOT designed to hold the vehicle - it's 100% an emergency backup, like leaving a manual car in gear with the parking brake set. In both cases, the brake is designed to hold the car.