Is it harmful to directly shift to P gear and turn off the engine when parking?
2 Answers
Directly shifting to P gear and turning off the engine when parking is not harmful. Here are specific details about the P gear: 1. Principle: The P gear is essentially the parking gear. There is a claim that if the car is rear-ended while in P gear, the transmission could be damaged because one of the gears is mechanically locked in place, and the immense impact force could destroy the transmission system. However, experiments have shown that this possibility is very small. The design has already taken this issue into account, and at most, the locking arm might be damaged, without affecting the entire transmission. 2. Purpose: The P gear is a special neutral gear that mechanically locks part of the transmission output shaft to secure the vehicle. Its function is to act as a brake after parking, preventing the vehicle from moving. For practical safety reasons, car manufacturers place the P gear in the first position on the gear shift console and set internal mechanisms to ensure that the car key can only be removed when the gear shift handle is moved to the P gear position. Therefore, the P gear is specifically designed for long-term parking in automatic transmission cars.
I've been driving for over a decade, and it's indeed quite convenient to directly shift to P gear and turn off the engine when parking, saving one extra step. But honestly, this habit might have drawbacks, especially when parking on slopes. Once, I directly shifted to P gear, turned off the engine, and got out of the car on a slope in my neighborhood. The car slightly rolled back, and the transmission made a clicking sound, which was quite frightening. Later, a mechanic told me that the P gear relies on a locking pin to secure the gears. On a slope, the entire weight of the car presses down on it, and doing this long-term can easily wear out transmission components, with repair costs not being cheap. It's recommended to develop a good habit: after coming to a complete stop, first firmly engage the handbrake, then shift to P gear and turn off the engine to protect your beloved car. Be even more cautious on rainy or icy/snowy days—if the car rolls and injures someone or hits something, the safety risks are significant. In short, spending an extra two seconds to engage the handbrake saves worry and money, and extends the lifespan of your car.
