What happens if you put an automatic transmision into park while you are driving?
by 
Jimmyz101
ANSWERS: 2
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An almighty big bang and an even bigger bill.
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Basically peterpam is right, but I'll expand a bit. Without getting into too much detail, when you put an auto transmission into park, a very strong pin locks the transmission gears, preventing movement outside of 1 or 2 inches. If you put a vehicle in park when the vehicle is stopped, the pin slides in and the car *should* stay stopped. If you do this when driving, you are forcing the pin to stop the gears while the gears are moving. To get a mental image, imagine putting 4 desk fans one behind the other, turning them on, and trying to put a stick through all of the blades as they turn. You might be able to get through one but 2, 3, 4? The pin WILL force its way through, but it will never come back out. The force of the gears turning will chip and bend the pin to the point where it is permanently lodged into that position. It will stop the car in a hurry (all of the drive wheels will immediately lock up), and if the transmission doesn't drop out the bottom of the car then you will need to replace it (along with several other repairs). To sum up: You'll stop and need a new tranny before that car moves again.
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