Can You Shift to P Gear After an Automatic Car Stalls?
2 Answers
You can shift to P gear after an automatic car stalls. Here is the relevant content introduction: The gears of an automatic car are as follows: 1. P gear is the parking gear, used for long-term parking of the vehicle. 2. R gear is the reverse gear, which is engaged when the vehicle needs to move backward. 3. N gear is the neutral gear, which is engaged when the vehicle is parked for a short time without stalling. 4. D gear is the drive gear, and when the gear lever is placed in D gear, the vehicle will automatically shift gears based on throttle opening and speed data. 5. S gear is the sport mode, and M gear refers to the manual mode, where gear shifting is done manually by the driver when the gear lever is in M gear. 6. L gear is the low gear.
Shifting to P after turning off the engine is actually a good habit, but the sequence matters. My routine is to first bring the car to a complete stop, keep the brake pedal depressed while shifting to N, then firmly engage the parking brake to stabilize the vehicle before finally selecting P. This prevents harsh gear engagement in the transmission. This sequence is especially critical when parking on slopes - otherwise the entire vehicle's weight rests solely on that tiny parking pawl, which can lead to expensive transmission issues over time. I recently saw a repair video showing deformed parking pawls, and those repairs cost a fortune. Developing the habit of engaging the handbrake before shifting to P can add years to your transmission's lifespan.
