I know this is a really stupid question, but here is goes.

Would I have damaged the car if I had the car set is drive then turned off the engine?

I was meeting my family up for dinner and I had my new car (Honda Fit-Automatic trans) stopped in a parking spot. I had set the parking brake, and I was turning off the lights a switches. I admit I was in a rush, and I turning the lights and AC off, then thinking I had set the shifter to park I turned off the engine. I then realized that the key would not come out which is then I looked down and saw that the shifter was still in drive.

I set the shifter to park, turned on the engine, took off the parking break, then set to shifter to drive. Then I put the parking brake back on, shifted to park then turned the engine off, and I was able to get my key back.


After I dinner I went home and played around with my car. I was surprised that the car would let me turn the engine off while set in drive, which it did when I turn the key to turn off the engine, but the key wouldn't come out unless I had the shifter set in park. I also found out that the car won't turn on unless the shifter is in park. I tried to turn the engine on with it set to drive. (I thought that's how I'd turned the engine back on before meeting my family for dinner) I found out that while the starter will spin out, yet it won't start.

Of course when I shut it down for good I did it the right way. But I'm just wondering if I harmed the car at all.


Signed, a worry wort driver.

 

Uh, it should be fine.

All you had to do was shift to park, you didn't have to turn the engine back on to take out the keys. Apply some pressure to the brakes, shift to park, pull out keys. Do NOT pump your brakes too often, otherwise it will lock (in most cars/SUVs). If your brakes lock, you HAVE to restart the engine to release it. The problem is, if the actual brakes locked up, this might've been recommended by some people to keeping the car parked. But I think the only thing that locks up, is the pedal.

You could probably start the car in Neutral too.

The radio in the Pathfinder that I've been driving acts up sometimes, and the only way to clear it, is to turn the key so everything is off and then turn it back on. What I've done a few times when local traffic was steady, shift into neutral, shut off the engine, then restart the car... the whole time, letting the car coast forward.

The only reason, that I can think of, why you can start the car in Park and Neutral, but NOT drive... in case your foot is not on the brakes. Think about it, if you started the engine in drive, or reverse, and your foot was off the brakes (and parking brakes are not set), the car would lurch forward. Even if you say that YOU always set the parking brakes... does that mean everyone else does?

For manual transmissions, you have to press the clutch to start the engine, which means the engine is still disengaged from the wheels. While in gear, if you lift off the clutch past a certain point but don't press the gas, you stall.

 

I can't imagine it would hurt anything. The only thing it could damage would be the transmission, which is engaged, but all you're doing is removing the power to it.

FYI, you can also start the engine if it's in N, but not any of the gears (R, D, S). If it were in gear, the starter motor would try to move the car, which is obviously bad.

The key not coming out is a safety thing. It forces you to put the car into park, which is where it should be to leave it unattended.

 

Thanks for the replies. For giggles I tried starting the engine in Drive. (the manual says nothing about even being able to start it in neutral). The worst is did was cause the starter to spin out and possible engage with the teeth of the flywheel of the car. The engine didn't engage at all, probably another safety measure to guard against damaging the transmission, and engine?

And just an FYI, the reason I tried starting it in drive is because that what I had thought I had done while at the restaurant. Turns out I probably shifted to park without thinking about it.

 

No harm done to the car. It's fine.

Also, all cars have to allow you to turn off the ignition in Drive. it's a safety feature in case something happens with the accelerator or other component in the car. You HAVE to be able to shut off the car while driving.

As stated by others. Removing the key in park is also a safety feature. Prevents you from leaving the car in Drive, Reverse, or neutral where the car could just roll.

~SB

 

Its gonna explode.

 

Nooooo, first the car is gonna try and mimic the Toyotas, and suddenly accelerate forward, just like a bottle rocket (and just as patheticly), it only explode with a tiny "pop."