Do You Need to Press the Brake When Shifting to P Gear in an Automatic Transmission?

[LaJack]

Generally speaking, many modern cars are equipped with safety mechanisms that require the brake to be pressed when starting the engine or shifting gears. For keyless start vehicles, pressing the start button without stepping on the brake will only power up the electrical system; the engine will only start when the brake is pressed. Some vehicles also require the brake to be pressed to shift out of P gear and start driving. How the P Gear Lock Works: The P gear lock is an electromagnetic valve, with its iron core acting as the locking pin. When the gear lever is in P gear, the electromagnetic valve is de-energized, causing the locking pin to protrude and engage with the fixed plate of the gear lever assembly, thus locking the gear lever in P gear. When the brake is pressed, the brake switch sends an unlock signal to the transmission control unit, energizing the electromagnetic valve to retract the iron core and the locking pin, thereby unlocking P gear and allowing the gear lever to shift into other gears automatically. Impact of the P Gear Lock: When shifting into P gear, a locking gear inside the automatic transmission engages to secure the transmission. Any movement of the wheels while in P gear can easily damage the locking gear and even severely affect the transmission. Therefore, drivers should operate P gear correctly and carefully.