Drive Axle

JEFF3355

MEMBER
2000 BUICK CENTURY
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
166,000 MILES

I am trying to diagnose a problem. Car will not move. It will roll when in park. Transmission shifts through all gears but will grind when downshifting from reverse into park. Engine runs fine. Do I have a broken drive axle or possibly a bad torque converter? If it is a broken drive axle, should there be a grinding noise in transmission? Tranny was rebuilt at 121,000 miles.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

It does indeed sound like an axle problem, but it's more likely there is a suspension problem that allowed the spring-loaded axle to fall out of the transmission. You'll have to look underneath to see that, and you'll likely see a puddle of red transmission fluid on the ground. If an axle is pulled out, it will let the rotating parts of the transmission do what they normally do, (spin), then when you shift back into "park", the pawl that catches on the notches will bounce over them until it can become seated in one of them. That would explain the grinding sound.

A broken ball joint is one thing that could cause an axle to come out of the transmission. You would see that wheel not sitting straight up and down.