Should You Turn Off the Engine in Neutral (N) Gear for Automatic Transmission?

[McJuliana]

You should not turn off the engine in neutral (N) gear for an automatic transmission car. For safety reasons, the car must be shifted into park (P) gear before turning off the engine. The correct method to turn off the engine is: press the brake, shift into N gear, engage the handbrake, release the foot brake, ensure the vehicle does not move, shift into P gear, and then turn off the engine. In fact, both P gear and N gear disconnect the engine from the wheel transmission system. The only difference is that when the engine is off, a car in N gear can be pushed freely, while a car in P gear cannot move. This is because when shifted into P gear, a pawl inside the transmission locks the output shaft, preventing the vehicle from moving.