What are the effects of keeping the car in N gear for a long time?
2 Answers
For automatic transmissions, this operation is not recommended. The reason is that when in N gear, the transmission oil pump does not work, and the transmission oil cannot circulate. Keeping the car in N gear for a long time can cause the oil temperature to rise due to the lack of oil circulation, which may have certain adverse effects on the transmission. 1. Comparison: The P gear uses a mechanical lock to fix the rotation on the transmission, while the N gear allows free movement. If stopping for a short time (such as waiting at a traffic light), it can save fuel to some extent by interrupting the engine's power and reducing its output. 2. Structure introduction: The P gear has a relatively simple structure. There is a pawl next to the gear on the output shaft. When the gear is shifted to P, the pawl hooks the gear, thereby locking the output shaft. Therefore, using P gear for long-term parking is safer.
I've always believed that driving requires attention to detail, and prolonged use of N gear is something not to be taken lightly. Last time during a highway traffic jam, I tried shifting to N gear for convenience, only to notice the engine vibrating more noticeably than usual, with fuel consumption also increasing. The automatic transmission oil pump operates at lower speeds in neutral, reducing cooling efficiency—especially in summer when this can easily lead to transmission overheating. A mechanic once told me that long-term use like this might cause premature wear on the shift mechanism, and repairs could cost way more than a few hundred bucks. There are safety concerns too; relying solely on the handbrake on slopes risks the car rolling if the handbrake is worn. Short stops in N gear are fine, but for anything over three minutes, it's safest to shift to P gear and engage the handbrake.
