I haven't driven my car in a few weeks it stays in a semi-open garage.

Go to start it this morning, that goes fine. I put it in reverse and I feel the rear of car raise up. Hit the gas, and there are evil evil sounds coming from it. Grinding and mashing, like a wheel is completely locked up. Put it back in park to give up, and I notice the car lower.

I've got to call AAA to have it taken somewhere, but what on earth is it?

My fears are an axle or transmission. Is what I've described typical behavior? And what on earth would happen from a perfectly working vehicle to make it behave like this one random morning?

 

Sounds like the brakes not releasing. When you put the car in reverse the back should not raise up. The only time ive had the back raise up is when i put it in reverse with the parking brake on. We need more description of the sound, was it like the gears in the transmission grinding? Also how many miles are on the car?

 

Sound brake related to me too.

 

Thanks for the quick replies.

115K miles on the vehicle. No major work done recently.

The parking brake was not engaged, however that was my first guess that somehow it was stuck on. I engaged and disengaged the parking brake, but no change in behavior.

My other thought is that somehow the ABS controller died on me and the brakes were completely locked.

I am not good at describing sounds. To me it sounded like grinding gears, but it felt more like a brake issue to me. The sound was most similar to what you get when you are using a drill on a a stripped screw, but much louder and with the vibration throughout the car.

To be fair, I only tried it twice for a second before deciding that I should not try this again until having the car towed somewhere for examination/repair. Because of where my car is parked in an indoor garage, though, if I can't get it into neutral to get it out I'm not sure if a tow truck could get there to get it. If it is brakes then neutral should still have the same behavior, right? And if it were transmission or drive train then it should work ok in neutral? Sounds like a I need to root hard for the former.

 

Grinding would only lead me to think axle is bad.
If the axle is bad then the car will roll even if in park.

 

Well, in any event, I guess the conclusion is that the car must be towed and examined, then probably best to report back w/ the diagnosis and estimate before deciding whether it makes sense to have the work done.

My immediate question is where to have it towed to (Seattle, WA), but I'll check cartalk and yelp for that.