Should an automatic transmission car be shifted to P gear first or turned off first?
3 Answers
Shift to P gear first and then turn off the engine. The correct parking steps are as follows: 1. Press the foot brake firmly, pull up the handbrake, shift into P gear, gently release the foot brake until it is completely released, and then turn off the engine. 2. Whether you turn off the engine in P gear or N gear before parking, it is particularly important to pull up the handbrake before releasing the foot brake. 3. As long as the handbrake is firmly pulled, you can turn off the engine in either P gear or N gear. However, if you want to remove the key, you must turn off the engine in P gear. Precautions for parking are as follows: 1. In bad weather conditions such as windy or rainy days, stay away from objects like trees, utility poles, and billboards that are prone to falling, to avoid damaging the car or scratching its paint. 2. During heavy rainfall, avoid parking in low-lying areas that are prone to water accumulation. 3. If parking in a parking lot, choose a parking space with pillars. Spaces next to pillars generally offer more room, making it easier to get in and out of the car and preventing other vehicles from squeezing too close. 4. For temporary parking spaces on the roadside, try to park near surveillance cameras to monitor the car comprehensively. Roadside parking is more complex than in parking lots, and having surveillance can help identify any parties responsible for scratches or dents.
When it comes to the parking sequence for automatic transmissions, I’ve developed my own method after driving for ten years: after coming to a complete stop, first shift to N (Neutral), engage the handbrake, release the foot brake to let the car settle completely, and finally shift to P (Park) before turning off the engine. The key is to let the handbrake take the weight of the car first, protecting the parking pawl mechanism inside the transmission. On flat ground, it’s not a big deal if you skip this step, but if you park on a slope and shift directly to P, the gears can get jammed tight. The next time you start the car and shift gears, that loud ‘clunk’ sound can be heart-stopping. Keep doing this long-term, and the repair costs for the transmission could add up to half a year’s worth of fuel. Now, whenever I mentor new drivers, I always emphasize this detail—developing good habits saves both hassle and money.
From a mechanical perspective, the core principle of parking an automatic transmission vehicle is to avoid placing the parking pawl under isolated stress. The P-lock mechanism functions like a pin engaging with the gear, and having the full vehicle weight constantly bearing down on it can lead to metal fatigue. Therefore, the scientific procedure should be: after coming to a complete stop, shift to Neutral (N), engage the parking brake, release the foot brake to allow the vehicle to settle naturally into position, then depress the brake again before shifting to Park (P) and turning off the engine. Especially on slopes exceeding 5 degrees, directly shifting to P before shutting off the engine can subject the parking pawl to impact forces exceeding 1 ton. Having disassembled numerous transmissions, I've found that in 9 out of 10 cases of pawl fractures, the owners had long-term improper parking habits. Simply adjusting this procedure can extend transmission lifespan by 3-5 years.
