southernsingh

I pressed park button by mistake while approaching a red light and was at a slow speed like 6 or 7 mph, I actually meant to press wiper button on left side but accidentally pressed park (bought a year 2018 CPO a few weeks back, still getting used to the vehicle). I heard some gear grinding noise for 1-2 seconds before the car came to halt and went into park. I later switched to drive and moved on. Has someone else done this accidentally before? Can the cars handle it or I already might have damaged my car? I do understand that at a little higher speed, it would not have engaged park as the gear selector switch is disabled after a particular speed. I don't see any other symptoms/issues yet. I wish they disable the gear selector just at 1 mph.

SteveE400

I don't know for sure, but most transmissions have a spring-loaded pawl that engages one of the gears or a hole in a wheel for the "park" lock. If the car is in motion when shifted into "Park" there will be a noise like a ratchet, but it will not actually engage "Park" until the car is nearly stopped. This is done to protect the pawl and gears, so you should be OK. If you were going faster, the transmission probably wouldn't have even tried to engage "Park."

GLE43_Sube

Intending to turn on the wipers, my wife inadvertently hit the DIRECT SELECT lever and shifted into "Neutral" while we were in motion. I didn't notice if she shifted up or down, but fortunately, she only went one click, so it went into Neutral instead of possibly Reverse. It's an easy mistake to make when you're new to the vehicle and just getting familiar with the controls. Now, I couldn't make that mistake if I tried.

One more reason I don't do valet parking or let a parking garage attendant park my car. Here are a few more. I once parked at a multi-level garage. You drop off your car and they park it for you. Later that day I had to go back to my car to get something out of it. I walked up to the roof level of the parking garage where my car was. To my horror, I discovered every single car was intentionally parked in contact with the metal guardrail. They did this to conserve space, and the drivers were too lazy to judge the distance, so they just backed up until they hit the guardrail and then left it there. They didn't worry about anyone seeing this, because normally, they'd be the one getting your car for you, so you'd never know. I ended up filing a claim with their insurance co. and getting my bumper repainted. Now how many people noticed damage to the paint a week later and had no idea when or where it occurred? Another time I cringed as I watched some young kid pull my car up to the front of a hotel. The tires hit a tall, squared edge curb, almost scratching the rim. Another time I had change stolen out of case I kept in the center console for parking meters. They didn't steal all of it. That would be too obvious. But it was enough for me to notice and yet never be able to prove.

chassis

Probably OK. As mentioned the transmission engages park by way of a pawl or similar mechanism. All physical gears are in constant mesh, so any grinding sound was not technically a gear. Gear ratio is selected by (automatic) clutch actuation.

IrAg166

Your car is more than likely fine. Next time you drive at slower speeds if you look closely at the gear indicator on the screen between the two analog gauges, there will be an arrow that appears next to the gears (P, N, R, and D). At low speeds, the presence of the arrow means that the car has determined it is safe for you to select the gear with an arrow. If my memory serves me correct, that arrow should still be present next to P at around 6 miles an hour. Furthermore, if you do happen to hit it at a higher speed (without the presence of the arrow), the car will most likely not actually engage P until you are at a complete stop to ensure the gearbox is protected. I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if it's a one-time thing. Modern cars are designed with fail-safe mechanisms that will prevent (or in worst case scenarios, reduce as much as possible) the damage that may be caused to the vehicle.

southernsingh

Thanks, yes I have noticed that tiny arrow and always wondered why it stays on till 6 mph for park. It goes away sooner for R. But it always stays there for N for all speeds, so is it always safe to switch to N and then back to P while driving at any speed? I never tried it.

SteveE400

Not quite. It is always safe to shift into neutral at any speed (for the drivetrain, at least), but ONLY shift back into the appropriate road gear for the vehicle's motion, NOT PARK!

Now, if you meant to ask if it is safe to shift from drive to neutral, then back to drive, yes it is.

(I think that's what you meant. I'm just having some fun at your expense. No insult intended.)

IrAg166

SteveE400 has a very thorough response. You can and should ONLY ENGAGE TO N at speed. Attempts to engage R or P while in drive at high speed will either be a: prevented by the car or b: cause potential damage. It is perfectly fine to shift from D to N (or R to N) at speed which is why the arrow remains there. Now, should you do it frequently? No. Shifting from D to N at speed will take away your ability to accelerate should there be a sudden need to. Also, if you repeatedly shift from N and back to D whilst the vehicle is in motion, it will potentially cause unwanted wear on the gearbox (if my memory serves me right). Should you accidentally bump it into N and then put it back into D, that'll be fine. Just don't frequently do it for safety's sake (as well as the longevity of your transmission!)