After a recent snowstorm and attempting to rock the vehicle out of a snowdrift, I came out on a nice day to find that my car will not move. I feel the transmission engage from nuetral to reverse, to park etc…, but the car will not move. Also of note, whilst in nuetral, the car cannot be pushed…it is literally frozen. The differential looks fine, the driveshaft does not turn whilst accellerating. What the hell is wrong?
Sounds like your parking brake is frozen or not releasing. These cars have an automatic release when you put it in gear. But if you get down on your hands and knees you can release the brake manually. Look up at the pedal linkage and you should see a little release lever…
Or the mechanism on the rear brakes is jammed with ice…Or there is so much snow packed in the wheel-wells the tires can not turn…
so, even though the driveshaft won’t turn at 2500 revs, it could still be a brake issue?
Certainly! If the brakes are locked, the driveshaft can not turn.
How can you even see the driveshaft? Is the parking brake set??
2500 RPM is the stall speed of your torque converter. THAT’s what is slipping. You do NOT want to do too much of that or you WILL be buying a transmission sure enough…
checked trans fluid level. Bone dry. I assume this is a problem
An empty transmission wouldn’t keep you from being able to push it in neutral. I’d still check the parking brake and rear brakes.
Yes, that’s a BIG problem. Perhaps your trip into the snow-bank was a little more complex and destructive…Transmission cooling lines torn off, hole punched in oil pan…
i looked under the vehicle whilst someone revved the motor. The driveshaft was frozen. I disengaged the brakes via the manual lever. Still no response although the rear brakes certainly have a good deal of rust
come to think of it, one of the hoses towards the radiator labelled ‘top’ was disconnected at the brass linkage. There are two hoses, roughly 1/2 in. diameter
Good diagnosis Caddyman.
"come to think of it, one of the hoses towards the radiator labelled ‘top’ was disconnected at the brass linkage. "
And the several quarts of hot transmission fluid that shot out all over the engine compartment in the next minute or two wasn’t a concern?