Occasionally, when I park on an incline, my Disco will slip and roll downhill a few inches. This happens a few seconds after it is in Park, after I've turned it off, and after I've removed the key. It's really startling to be getting out of the truck and have it roll downhill a few inches! After it happens, there's definitely a metallic click or clank coming from underneath, like something engaging or catching. It's like something isn't engaging or disengaging properly when I put it in Park and it rolls downhill a few inches until something catches. Any ideas?

 

Depending on if it is a DI or a DII I have your answer.

 

Sorry, I thought I had my info set to display. I have a 99 DII with 70k miles.

 

Would you please share both answers Spike? People searching in the future with either vehicle could benefit from your knowledge.

 

Ok, first things first, whenever you park on a hill, either facing up or down does not matter, set the parking brake BEFORE you shift into park, this will keep the weight of the truck off of the parking prawl.
The parking prawl is a "gear" in the transmission that locks into a gear on the output shaft on the transmission to keep it from moving.
To much weight on that gear and it will not only be hard to shift back out of park but it will also wear out that gear faster.

Now, pop the little trim piece off of the top of the gear shifter ****, there will be a nut in there, with the truck on a flat surface tighten that nut a few turns.
What is happening is that you are not all the way in park even though the shifter says that you are, you are only half way in park.
Once you get out you wiggle the truck just enough for it to move and then the parking prawl engages all the way and "locks" the truck in place.
That "click click click" that you hear as the truck is rolling is the parking prawl grinding on the output shaft gear.
So just like when you grind the gears in a manual transmission you are grinding that parking gear and stripping it, eventually park wont hold the truck at all because that gear will be worn down to nothing and there will be nothing for the parking prawl to lock into.

 

This is for both DI's and DII's, there is a cable attached to the gear shifter that goes to the transmission, over time this cable will "stretch" and just needs to be tightened back up.
No big deal.
Another symptom of a stretched shifter cable is not being able to remove the key from the ignition after shifting into park and turning the engine off.

 

So what difference is there if the vehicle is a DI versus a DII?

 

None really, but maybe now with his next question he will make sure to post that he has a DII.

 

I guess you really taught him a lesson.


I'm not trying to pick a fight here although you may take it that way. The more complete searchable answers that accumulate here the better for all, including you. You can spend less time answering the same questions over and over again and more time concentrating on the difficult ones or doing whatever else you do. This forum is a great knowledge-base for the Disco and I want to see it continue to get better instead of seeing you and the other experts get burnt out and disappear.

 

I was not trying to teach him a lesson, just trying to make a point I guess.
Being a DI or a DII may not make a difference this time but next time it might.

I know exactly what you mean about keeping the information clear and easy to understand for future users.
There are WAY to many unfinished threads on here, ranging from a "send me your number and I'll call you" to a never posting what the actual fix was.
Neither one of those helps anybody.
That is why I try and post clear, easy to understand answers and I try and ask clear and precise questions.
I may over simplify for one person but the next person who does a search may need the simplification.
Start with simple and free repairs first, then work your way up from there.
Always remember...

K eep
I t
S imple
S tupid


Thats why I like DI's so much, they are simple and stupid just like me.