# Tranmission **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** pontiac\ **Created:** [August 24, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521 "2009-08-24T17:08:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jimmyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jimmyboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimmyboy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521/1 "2009-08-24T17:08:05Z")
2000 pontiac grand am hard to shift out of park while on incline ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521/2 "2009-08-24T17:37:17Z")
As well it should be. The transmission has a parking pawl that holds everything while the car is in park so that the vehicle can’t roll. When you park on an incline it puts pressure on the pawl and makes it hard to disengage. You can reduce the this by firmly setting the parking brake - which you ought to do anyway. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521/3 "2009-08-24T17:45:35Z")
Well, if the transmission, as opposed to the parking brake, is holding the weight of the vehicle, it will be difficult, yes. There is a small parking pawl inside the transmission. It’s not really designed to be the primary method of keeping the vehicle in place. The parking brake is designed to do that, with the transmission serving as a secondary safety back-up. Set the parking brake, take your foot of the brake pedal (the big one) and allow the parking brake to take the vehicle’s weight, THEN shift to park and turn off the engine. You’ll be surprised at how easily it shifts out of park if you let the parking brake do its job. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521/4 "2009-08-24T17:58:52Z")
Are you using your parking brake as you should? ---
**Author:** ![jimmyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@jimmyboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimmyboy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tranmission/35521/5 "2009-08-24T23:17:24Z")
thank you all i’ll try the foot brake…