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Autopark Got Me

mattshotcha

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Ok, so first off, learned what autopark is exactly today.

Researched it (barely) when buying my Jeep, but thought it was only for the Jeeps with all those fancy "lane detection" type features. Did not realize I had it, and the dealer didn't say a word about it. (Kinda feel like this should be mentioned when taking delivery but anyway)

In line at grocery pickup and I needed to pull up because a goofball who doesn't understand the need for space between vehicles in order to load groceries parked RIGHT UP on my bumper in the pickup line.

Hop back in the Jeep and the door doesn't fully latch despite closed, seatbelt off. Start rolling forward a tiny bit and bang autopark kicked on while rolling. I obviously wasn't going very fast at all and it is designed to kick on up to 1.2 MPH, but it made a short grinding type sound as the trans clunked into park.

How does this NOT damage a transmission? I've searched threads and found plenty of info on autopark but nothing about the longer term effect of it kicking on while rolling. Should I be worried?
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bcampion

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Agree, Auto Park is stupid, and we should be able to disable it. Since the inception of the automobile, there was NO such thing as AUTO PARK. Now with the advent of electronic shifting transmissions, FCA thinks we need it.

How does Auto park work when the doors are removed? Does the jeep still Auto Park if the seat belts and doors are off?
 
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mattshotcha

mattshotcha

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Agree, Auto Park is stupid, and we should be able to disable it. Since the inception of the automobile, there was NO such thing as AUTO PARK. Now with the advent of electronic shifting transmissions, FCA thinks we need it.

How does Auto park work when the doors are removed? Does the jeep still Auto Park if the seat belts and doors are off?
Apparently, with doors off, as long as the seatbelt is fastened you're good. If I'm not mistaken it will require your seatbelt be on. And inversely, if the doors are on and closed but your seatbelt is off, you should also be fine. Just the combination of those elements that triggers it.

And be warned, if triggered while rolling it will sound like death in your transmission.
 

calemasters

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We required a park pawl engagement test for every automatic vehicle coming off of the assembly line. Vehicle rolling at ~ 3 mph, shift into park and when the vehicle slows down to ~ 1.5 mph the park pawl will engage. The gears are beveled so that the park pawl can not engage a higher speeds.

Jeep Wrangler JL Autopark Got Me park


I do not see a downside for auto-park.
 
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mattshotcha

mattshotcha

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We required a park pawl engagement test for every automatic vehicle coming off of the assembly line. Vehicle rolling at ~ 3 mph, shift into park and when the vehicle slows down to ~ 1.5 mph the park pawl will engage. The gears are beveled so that the park pawl can not engage a higher speeds.

Jeep Wrangler JL Autopark Got Me park


I do not see a downside for auto-park.
So could the murder sound in the transmission when the autopark kicked on be the pawl not locking in immediately due to speed? That would mean the sound was working as intended, despite sounding pretty bad.

It's possible I was barely over the MPH threshold and that's why I only heard it clunk briefly before locking in and stopping.
 

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calemasters

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So could the murder sound in the transmission when the autopark kicked on be the pawl not locking in immediately due to speed? That would mean the sound was working as intended, despite sounding pretty bad.

It's possible I was barely over the MPH threshold and that's why I only heard it clunk briefly before locking in and stopping.

Yes. It sounds terrible, but no harm done. And yes to your 2nd question. When the vehicle slows down to engagement speed, park will engage abruptly.

I have put engineering vehicles in park at 30 mph. Park does not engage but the park park pawl ratcheting on the park gear makes a "concerning" noise.
 
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mattshotcha

mattshotcha

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Yes. It sounds terrible, but no harm done. And yes to your 2nd question. When the vehicle slows down to engagement speed, park will engage abruptly.

I have put engineering vehicles in park at 30 mph. Park does not engage but the park park pawl ratcheting on the park gear makes a "concerning" noise.
That's excellent news!

Thanks a ton for easing my mind on this.
 

calemasters

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That's excellent news!

Thanks a ton for easing my mind on this.
My grandmother put her 1963 Thunderbird into reverse at 80 mph (3-speed Cruise-O Matic MX). This, I do not recommend.
 
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dgoodhue

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When I was younger and travelled for work, I would put the rental car transmissions in park when I had coworkers with me all the time. I accidentally put a rental car in park on the highway to attempt restart it when it ran out of gas.

above is a good picture of a parking pawl. I rebuilt a GM transmission so I at least understood what I was doing.
 

danm

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There was a law suit a number of years back where a person at a drive through window dropped their credit card while handing it out the window to the clerk. She opened the door and reached down to pick it up and fell out. The car started rolling forward (in drive still) and ran her over. Car manufacturer was found at fault. So car companies add this safety feature to all cars and Jeeps now.
 

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mattshotcha

mattshotcha

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Yeah, I definitely see there's a valid safety reason for it, and honestly a minor inconvenience in some areas is fine by me if it's safer overall.

I just really was a bit shocked considering I didn't know to expect that or that it wasn't nearly as serious as it sounded. Hell, the people in line all looked at my Jeep like it hit something or was going to come apart.
 

calemasters

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I accidentally put a rental car in park on the highway to attempt restart it when it ran out of gas.
Sometimes "N" is good too. :giggle:
 
 



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