Is it serious if there is a clicking sound when shifting into P gear without the car being fully stopped?
3 Answers
It is not serious if there is a clicking sound when shifting into P gear without the car being fully stopped. Incorrect gear shifting operation: Downshifting requires deceleration first. Before shifting gears, the clutch pedal must be fully depressed. The gear lever should be operated gently, quickly, softly, and accurately. The clutch must be pressed all the way down, and gear shifting should be done in one smooth motion. Excessive wear of the gear lever ball socket: Excessive wear of the gear lever ball socket can cause the lower end of the gear lever to fail to push the sliding gear into place when shifting into first gear or reverse gear. This means it may slip out from above the groove of the first or reverse gear shift fork shaft guide block, preventing the first or reverse gear shift fork shaft from reaching the correct position during gear engagement. It is recommended to visit a repair facility to replace the gear lever.
Over the years of driving, I've encountered this situation several times - that alarming 'click' sound when shifting to P before coming to a complete stop. This noise is caused by the parking pawl forcibly engaging with the still-rotating parking gear in the transmission, creating impact noise. It's like sticking your finger into a spinning electric fan - definitely risky. Last time at the repair shop, I saw worn gears with notched edges from this. An occasional slip might not cause immediate problems, but frequent operation continuously impacts the pawl and gear teeth, potentially leading to transmission fluid leaks, shifting difficulties, or even complete failure to lock. The most dangerous scenario is doing this on slopes, where failure to engage could cause rollaway. Now I always wait two extra seconds after stopping completely before shifting to P - the savings on repairs could cover a year's worth of gas.
As someone who has long studied transmissions, I must say this operation is equivalent to forcing the transmission to withstand impact. The principle of the P gear in automatic transmissions is to lock the gear by inserting it into the parking pawl slot—even at a speed of 1 km/h, it's forcibly engaging. The clicking sound is a warning of severe metal collision, and the transmission fluid temperature spikes instantly. In the short term, it might only cause deformation at the gear edges, but over time, it leads to increased play in the parking mechanism, even resulting in slight wheel movement after shifting to P. The worst part is that the damage is usually gradual; by the time abnormal shifting noises or lock failure occur, repair costs start at least 5,000 to 6,000 yuan. It's better to develop the habit of applying the electronic handbrake first after coming to a complete stop, then shifting to P.
