What are the effects of shifting to P gear while the car is moving?

[VanArianna]

Shifting to P gear while the car is moving may damage the transmission and cause abnormal wear due to gear grinding. The P gear structure of an automatic transmission is essentially neutral, which can cause wear on the ratchet and pawl mechanism in this state. There are two main effects of shifting to P gear while driving: 1. At high speeds, shifting to P gear can damage the transmission: Shifting to P gear while driving actually puts the transmission in neutral with a locking mechanism engaged. However, at high speeds, the internal gears are rotating rapidly. Although the ratchet is designed with numerous grooves, the pawl may struggle to engage the ratchet at high speeds. As a result, even if P gear is engaged, the pawl often forcibly attempts to engage the ratchet, but the ratchet can push the pawl away. 2. Shifting to P gear may cause deformation of the ratchet and pawl: If P gear is maintained, as the vehicle speed decreases, the pawl will eventually engage the ratchet. Although braking occurs at the moment of engagement, the impact on the entire transmission is significant, potentially causing deformation of the ratchet and pawl. The pawl may even break, damaging the connection point to the engine block.