Does stepping on the gas while in P gear and with the handbrake on affect the car?
2 Answers
Stepping on the gas while in P gear and with the handbrake on for a short time has no effect on the car, but prolonged operation will have an impact. Hazards to the engine when stepping on the gas in P gear while parked: When parked, the transmission's drive shaft is locked, and the engine is separated from the transmission at this time. Power will not be transmitted to the drive shaft, only causing the engine to idle and consume fuel, with the gears spinning freely. Hazards to the engine when stepping on the gas in P gear while driving: Stepping on the gas in P gear does not harm the vehicle. The P gear in automatic transmission vehicles is a parking gear. Accelerating in this gear will not transmit the vehicle's power system to the transmission, involving no substantial damage. It is similar to stepping on the gas in neutral, with the engine's mechanism in an idle state.
The other day, a friend asked me a similar question. Having driven for so many years, I've encountered quite a few cases of misoperation. After shifting to P (Park) and pulling the handbrake, stepping on the accelerator theoretically won't make the car move, but it puts significant stress on the automatic transmission. There's a locking mechanism inside the P gear that prevents the wheels from turning. Stepping on the accelerator can cause wear or even damage to that component. I've seen some beginners do this while testing their cars in parking lots, resulting in strange noises from the transmission and costly repairs. Actually, for normal parking, you should just shift to P and pull the handbrake—there's no need to randomly step on the accelerator. If you accidentally press it, immediately release your foot and check the car, or pay more attention to driving habits in daily life to save a lot on repairs. In summary, doing it once in a while might be fine, but repeated operations will definitely shorten the car's lifespan. Safety first, after all.
