What are the hazards of turning off the engine without shifting to P gear?
2 Answers
The hazard of turning off the engine without shifting to P gear is that it affects the lifespan of the transmission. Here are some precautions for driving: 1. Pay attention to the distance between vehicles: If directing someone to park at night or in a poorly lit area, you should maintain an appropriate distance from the vehicle and remind the driver to slow down to ensure absolute safety during parking. 2. Improve anticipation for safety: Drivers can learn from the practices of professional parking lot staff. When directing parking, stand in the opposite direction of the vehicle's movement first. For example, when backing up, stand diagonally in front to guide the vehicle straight, and then move to the side to assist in directing when anticipating the vehicle approaching rear obstacles or other objects.
Having driven for decades, I'm very familiar with automatic transmission operations. Turning off the engine without shifting to P gear can cause significant harm. When parked on a slope, the car might roll away without P gear engaged, risking collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians—extremely dangerous. Inside an automatic transmission, there's a parking pawl that only locks the output shaft in P gear to prevent wheel movement; frequently turning off without P gear subjects this pawl to repeated impacts, accelerating wear. Repairs can be costly and compromise the transmission's overall lifespan. Moreover, modern car computer systems are highly sensitive and may record fault codes or trigger warning lights upon detecting abnormal operations, requiring professional diagnostics to clear. Developing the habit of shifting to P gear before turning off ensures safety and saves money—never cut corners for convenience.
