Preserving Vehicle Transmission in Park

[gfd43tg]

Hello,

From what I understand, when you put your car from Drive to Park, you put stress on the transmission. I have been parking in the following order: Use Parking Brake -> Put car into neutral -> Put car into park. Is this the best way to preserve my vehicle's transmission? Or is there a better way?

 

[jedishrfu]

Taking your foot off the gas then shifting to park helps and getting your engine idle tuned helps reduce stress.

Here’s some more tips

https://www.mistertransmission.com/preventing-a-transmission-breakdown/

 

[cosmik debris]

Hello,

From what I understand, when you put your car from Drive to Park, you put stress on the transmission.

If you do it while moving you certainly will stress things, reverse while moving forward is also not a good idea. There is a mechanism in the transmission to stop damage in the park situation, you can hear it clicking if you put the trans in park while rolling.

 

[Ranger Mike]

Never depend on the PARK setting when parking on a hill or incline. Always stop the vehicle, while in neutral set the Emergency brake then with foot of the brake pedal, place it in PARK.
If you have a curb , on the hill or incline you may ever turn the steering wheel to angle the front tire to hit the curb as an additional safety measure. This is good practice when on even a slight slope. Only if you are in your garage or a flat parking lot would i depend on the PARK Pawl to hold the car.
The PARK setting is for the Park Pawl to stop the input shaft from engaging the transmission, not to hold the vehicle.

see link below.

https://estimate.myautomatictransmission.com/transmission-parking-pawl/

 

[jedishrfu]

This is a good point, there have been several recent accidents where cars came out of park and hit their owners who trying to do some last minute thing like open a gate or retrieve mail.

The most notable accident was the death of Anton Yelchin when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled down an incline and pinned him against a gate. Authorities said Anton thought the vehicle was in park but due to an automotive defect was actually in neutral. It was apparently a known issue, with a recall notice from Chrysler. The transmission shifter was actually an electronic shifter not a mechanical one so that it appeared to be in park when it wasn't.

 

[krater]

The PARK setting is for the Park Pawl to stop the input shaft from engaging the transmission, not to hold the vehicle.

Your link describes the exact opposite: "When the parking pawl is engaged it restricts the transmission's output shaft (and drive wheels) from turning in either direction"

For various reasons parking brakes (they are no longer referred to as 'emergency brake' because their use in an emergency is not advised) frequently go unused. An unmaintained and neglected parking brake can sieze closed upon use, not allowing the brakes to release at all without taking apart the assembly. This is a problem especially in corrosive driving environments (think snow and road salt). Placing transmissions in park are adequate for keeping a vehicle from rolling. As anything else, however, added measures provide added protection.

 

[xxChrisxx]

Hello,

From what I understand, when you put your car from Drive to Park, you put stress on the transmission. I have been parking in the following order: Use Parking Brake -> Put car into neutral -> Put car into park. Is this the best way to preserve my vehicle's transmission? Or is there a better way?

Unless you regularly park in San Francisco with your car pointing up or down a hill. Just put it on when the vehicle is stopped and don't worry about it.