Is it Done?
 

My 2006 EX 4cyl w\ 169K miles is sitting in a Walgreens parking lot.

I have noticed for the last few days that when I was taking slow but sharp turns (u-turns or pulling out of a parking spot) that my drivers side tire had a little rattling drumming sound.

It seemed a little worse this morning, but went away as soon as I straightened out the wheel.

I was about 3 miles aways when this grinding sound started (from the same place as the drumming/rattle) and I pulled into the parking lot immediately and shut the car off.

I pushed it into a parking spot and then I realized that I had been pushing it while it was in park and my front brakes just werent working, so I had to pull the emergency brake. My brakes were changed recently enough that I know they arent bad, but its also been long enough that I dont think its just a botched brake job, roughly 6 weeks.

It starts up fine, but the moment it goes into gear (R or DR) the noise starts and only intensifies if I touch the gas.

If it was just the drumming rattling Id think it was just a busted CV Joint, but the brakes not working, coupled with the drumming/grinding sound in gear is really throwing me off. Is that a transmission thing?

Anyone have any ideas?

I realized that I had been pushing it while it was in park and my front brakes just werent working, so I had to pull the emergency brake.

I don't understand this part of your post. Can you explain it better?

To me, pushing the car while in park would mean the car shouldn't move. And I am not sure about how the front brakes were causing problems.

Sounds very-very much like a broken axel or CV joint.

I was as baffled by the occurence as you were from my sentence.

To myself also, you shouldnt be able to push a car in park because the front brakes are engaged. Thats what threw me. I was convinced it was my transmission, but I couldnt figure out why that would've done something to my brakes that would let me push the thing in park.


The brakes not working in park was actually the detail that keyed in my mechanic to the same conclusion as below, that my axle and/or cv joint went out.

Now if he'd just get his candy arse over here to fix the damn thing, I'll be in great shape!

So assuming there are no complications with the repair, I will happily post when the Silver Bullet hits the 200K mark! <<knock knock knock on wood>>

Truth be told I was really banking on the Mayan calendar thing, so I didnt have much planned as far as new car purchases and what have you.:)

When your car is in "Park", the brakes are in no way involved. There are only three items which could have broken which would have allowed your car to roll when in Park, I've listed them below with the most likely on top:

• CV Joint
• Axle Shaft
• The "Parking Pawl" in the transmission

The front brakes should stop the tires from rolling regardless of the condition of the transmission or CV joints. Carefully inspect the brakes to figure out why this isn't happening.

Wouldn't both CV joints need to fail to allow the car to roll while in park? In a straight line.

I am kind of leaning towards a transmission problem. One easy item to check the the transmission fluid to see if it is full.

If he was pushing the car from the outside, how were the brakes supposed to be engaged.

No, the differential would allow a car to roll if only one CV joint had failed.

Without more information to go on, I'm inclined to think the OP's transmission is just fine.

Would the differential still allow one wheel to spin even when it is in park?

I wasn't sure what he meant by brakes not working.

Yup, even in Park. Try it sometime, lift the front wheels off the ground while the transmission is in Park (or in gear if the car is equipped with a Manual Transmission), and turn one of the front wheels, the other wheel will turn in the opposite direction.