Is it serious if the P gear is accidentally engaged while driving?
2 Answers
It is serious and absolutely prohibited, otherwise it may cause severe damage or even total failure of the transmission. Here is the relevant introduction: 1. Automatic transmission P gear lock: When in P gear, there is a locking mechanism inside the transmission that locks the output gear of the transmission, which means the transmission part is locked. If the P gear is engaged while the vehicle is moving, it may cause severe wear of the gears inside the transmission or abnormal noise at best, and damage or total failure of the transmission and transmission part at worst. 2. Correct usage of P gear: It is used for parking, utilizing a mechanical device to lock the rotating part of the car to prevent it from moving. When the car needs to stay in a fixed position for a long time, or before leaving the vehicle after parking, the hand brake should be pulled and the lever should be pushed into the "P" position. It should be noted that the vehicle must be completely stopped before using the P gear, otherwise the mechanical part of the automatic transmission may be damaged.
Accidentally shifting into P while driving is no small matter. A friend who experienced a similar situation mentioned that the internal locking mechanism of the transmission might be damaged due to sudden speed changes, leading to gear breakage or chain snapping, which could cost thousands to repair. If this happens on the highway, the risk of losing control of the vehicle also increases, so always make sure the car is completely stopped before shifting to P. Developing this habit can save a lot of trouble. While driving, keep your hands off the gear lever and focus on driving. If this happens, slow down and stop immediately, check the dashboard for any warning lights—safety first.
