Does Stepping on the Accelerator in P Gear Damage the Car?
2 Answers
Here is an introduction about whether stepping on the accelerator in P gear damages the car: 1. If the car is in a parked state, stepping on the accelerator in P gear has no impact on the vehicle. This is because P gear is the parking gear, and stepping on the accelerator in this state is equivalent to revving the engine in neutral, causing no substantial harm to the car. P gear only adds a lock to the output shaft compared to neutral, and in P gear, the power is not transmitted to the output drive shaft—the internal gear mechanism is merely spinning freely. 2. After shifting into P gear, no matter how much you press the accelerator, the power will not be transmitted to the automatic transmission. This also does not harm the car. 3. However, if you shift directly into P gear while the vehicle is moving and stepping on the accelerator, it will cause catastrophic damage to the transmission.
As someone with years of driving experience, I find this question very practical. Stepping on the accelerator in P gear does have some negative effects on the car. Although the car won't move, the engine idling at high RPMs increases the load, especially when warming up the car in winter. Some people are used to doing this to warm up the car faster, but modern cars actually don't need prolonged warm-up times—just wait 20-30 seconds after ignition for the RPM to stabilize before driving. Prolonged operation like this can cause the engine to overheat, potentially accelerating wear on components like piston rings or cylinders, while also wasting fuel unnecessarily. Once, a friend's car had its engine oil diluted due to frequent revving, leading to an early trip to the repair shop. I recommend developing good driving habits: after starting the car, shift directly to D gear and gently press the accelerator to move off. This saves fuel and protects the car, avoiding unnecessary repair costs.
