Do I Need to Shift to P Gear When Parking for Refueling?
1 Answers
Shifting to P gear is necessary when parking for refueling. Many car models nowadays cannot be turned off without shifting to P gear, which is a safety measure to prevent drivers from forgetting to engage P gear. In essence, P gear is similar to N gear, except that when P gear is engaged, a pawl inside the transmission locks the output shaft, preventing the vehicle from moving. Below are some key points about parking in P gear: 1. Key Point One: It's important to note that the handbrake must be engaged before shifting to P gear. Only the handbrake can truly prevent the car from moving. 2. Key Point Two: The function of P gear is similar to engaging first gear in a manual transmission to prevent rolling. Simply put, when the vehicle is subjected to external force, the handbrake should be engaged first to bear the force. If P gear is engaged first, the transmission bears the force. If the handbrake fails, it's not a big issue as it's easy and inexpensive to repair. However, if the transmission is damaged, it can be quite troublesome. 3. Key Point Three: The transmission of automatic vehicles has a limited capacity to withstand external forces, approximately around 20,000 newtons of pressure. If the driver shifts to P gear before turning off the engine, especially on uneven roads, the vehicle's weight will exert force on the transmission gears due to gravity.
