Transmission problem or clutch?

[jeeper2000]

I have a standard transmission and I left my jeep in 1st gear on a slight uphill slope. When I came back my jeep had rolled back about 15 feet and was resting against a snowbank. It was still in gear. This isn't normal is it? I started it up and it was making a strange noise like paper hitting the spokes of a tire. It did this for about 2 minutes and now the noise is gone. It seems to drive just fine. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[XJguy]

I have a standard transmission and I left my jeep in 1st gear on a slight uphill slope. When I came back my jeep had rolled back about 15 feet and was resting against a snowbank. It was still in gear. This isn't normal is it? I started it up and it was making a strange noise like paper hitting the spokes of a tire. It did this for about 2 minutes and now the noise is gone. It seems to drive just fine. Any ideas? Thanks

No not normal. Since you did say snow bank, I have to say are you sure it did not just slide on some ice? Happened to me a few years back.

Other than that, your clutch and or flywheel might be glazed or just fried. If you did any engine or tranny work lately make sure you didnt somehow get oil or grease on those surfaces, if you have a leaky engine or slave cylinder its possible that oil could have gotten on the friction surfaces as well. If you detect no slippage anymore and the Jeep now holds, maybe you just had the surfaces contaminated (salt / ice?) and now it self cleaned. All possibilities and worth looking into.

XJguy

 

[XJguy]

Since I no longer have an edit feature I must add additional comments this way.

PS, ever though the Jeep was in gear, you really should always keep the e-brake engaged as well when parked. The Jeep can pop out of gear and cause a hell of an accident without you even being in the car.

XJguy

Walk a mile in my shoes.

 

[jjvande]

...happened to me too one time back in highschool... best i figure..the engine slowly turned over and let the jeep roll back.

 

[jeeper2000]

It says I have two replies but they don't show up.

 

[XJguy]

It says I have two replies but they don't show up.

Blame it on bosses of , the big brother collective wants me out of here and they are cutting off all my priveleges a bit at a time.

If you still cant see the posts, email me and Ill let you know what I think of your situation. [email protected]


XJguy

Walk a mile in my shoes.

 

[GSequoia]

You said it landed on a snow bank, any chance there was ice on the road, might have slowly slid....

When parking you should also set the e-brake (and turn the wheels into the curb on hills), standard transmissions popping out of gear while parked is not an uncommon thing (happened to me in my old truck, I chased the damn thing down and caught it just before it rolled into a major street!).

If ice wasn't an issue, and it happens again sometime I would take a serious look at the clutch. Do you notice any clutch slipping, especially if you gun the throttle?

As for the sound, I don't know, if it happens again try putting the clutch in, letting it out, and trying different gears to try to see if it's clutch, transmission, or engine related. Was it actually wet as well as cold, could ice have built up around the mechanical fan perhaps?

Sequoia
FYI: For future reference this type of question would fall under the OEM forum.

 

[Eagle]

Parking in gear is a good supplement to the parking brake, but not a replacement. There is no physical lock to prevent an engine form turning over when you shut it off. The only thing working is compression. It's entirely possible that the hill was steep enough to allow the vehicle to gradually roll against the engine compression.

That's why they put a parking brake in there for you.

 

[RichP]

On certain grades my XJ will roll backwards, nose uphill, but won't roll forwards if put on the same grade nose downhill. Has to do with the gear ratio and engine compression. I very rarely use my EB in the winter if parking for any length of time. Had the shoes freeze to the drums a couple of times when I was parked all day and is one of the main reasons I have TWO quickly purchased propane torches in my tool collection. Not fun to be in a 3 piece suit kneeling on floor mats while you heat up your drums to free them. It is also not a good thing to have it roll back in a forward gear, it turns the engine in a direction it was not meant to turn....

 

[Go Go]

Just to jump on the parking brake bandwagon, you should also curb your tires on a hill. Parking up hill with a curb, turn wheel left. No curb turn wheel right. parking downhill, put in reverse, parking brake and tires right with curb and right with no curb. The idea is to force the jeep to roll into the curb not traffic. Or perpencicular to the hill if no curb present. All of this assumes you are driving on the right side of the road and not in some backwards country like england.