Do You Need to Press the Brake When Shifting Gears in an Automatic Transmission While Driving?

[SanEliana]

You do not need to press the brake when shifting gears in an automatic transmission while driving. Situations where you need to press the brake in an automatic transmission car: 1. When shifting from P (Park) to other gears, you need to press the brake; 2. When shifting from N (Neutral) to D (Drive) or R (Reverse), you need to press the brake. Method to start an automatic transmission car: 1. Turn the ignition key to the second position (power mode), and the car's computer system will begin self-check; 2. Press the foot brake and shift the gear from P (Park) to N (Neutral); 3. Release the foot brake and turn the ignition key to the start position. An automatic transmission does not require the driver to manually shift gears; the vehicle will automatically select the appropriate gear based on driving speed and traffic conditions. The gear positions in an automatic transmission car, from top to bottom, are: P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), S (Sport), and L (Low).

[VonValerie]

Last time I drove my friend's automatic transmission car with manual mode, I specifically researched this. When driving normally in D mode and wanting to switch to S mode or manual shift, you don't need to touch the brake pedal—just use the paddle shifters directly. But once when I was in a hurry to reverse, I forced the gear from D to R before the car came to a complete stop, and the transmission made a loud clunking noise! So the key point is which gear you're switching to—shifting from D to sport mode or L mode doesn't require braking, but if you're switching to P, R, or neutral, you must press the brake pedal firmly, otherwise you can easily damage the transmission gears. Especially at red lights, don't take shortcuts by directly shifting to P mode—if you get rear-ended, the entire transmission could be ruined.

[DelRichard]

I learned my lesson the hard way with my Toyota hybrid. Once in heavy traffic, I followed too closely and accidentally nudged the gear lever into N while coasting in D mode—the engine suddenly shut off and I lost power steering. The mechanic explained that these electronic shifters have safety locks: you can't engage R/P while moving, but shifting to neutral requires braking to slow down first. Modern cars are smarter—like BMW's electronic shifter where pressing P auto-brakes. But older mechanical levers demand strict compliance: shifting to reverse above 8km/h will definitely wreck transmission valve bodies, with repairs starting at 5,000 RMB.

[OKaleb]

Driving instructor's tips: Listen for three sounds when shifting gears while driving. First, the 'click' sound of the shift lock unlocking when pressing the brake; second, the mechanical engagement sound of pushing the gear lever; third, the sound of the transmission engaging after releasing the brake. Especially for off-road vehicles like the Grand Cherokee, shifting into low-range 4WD at high speeds requires stopping and pressing the brake. Once, while driving a Cayenne downhill, shifting into manual mode without pressing the brake for engine braking was fine, but continuous downshifting for overtaking requires matching the vehicle speed.