I've been driving a manual tranny car for the last 8 years. Just got a auto TSX. Sometimes when I park, I forget to throw the shifter into P and just shut the engine off. Is that bad for the car? I'm so used to driving the manual and just pulling up to a parking spot and shutting down and still do this sometimes with the auto.

 

I think the car will be fine. You'll notice you can't take the key out unless it's in Park. If this was a problem then they wouldn't let you shut it off unless it was in Park.

 

This is bad! How do you get the key out? Did you break the lock?

 

probably leaves the key in the ignition. I leave mine there when it is parked in my garage (manual transmission)

 

I put the car into park after shutting down the engine.

 

No problem at all. You just did it in a different sequence than most people. Technically, you should pull the parking brake before putting the gear in park (to avoid locking up the gear should the car roll on a hill), then turn off the ignition.

 

If you're an extreme dork like me, you put it into neutral, pull up the parking brake, let off the foot brake (to ensure the car is resting on the rear brakes), then you shift into park.

I know this is probably saving me about 1 micron of wear in the transmission over 200K miles but it still makes me feel reassured. I guess for me it's good to keep the parking brake lubricated, and if it fails I will know immediately and can get it fixed before I fail inspection or really really need to use it.

 

This is helpful, I've been driving automatic all my life and never knew that.

By the way Duke Zip, my husband is a big watch fan. I just had to show him the nice pic of the Seamaster in that pose.

 

You would still be fine to put the car in park and then set the e-brake before you let off the pedal brake. If you think about it, you apply the brake then have to go through neutral to put it in park. It's the same as putting it in neutral, e-brake, then park.

I know, I'm a dork!

 

i actually do this too. i read that in the owner's manual. you should put up the emergency brake before you left your foot off the brake pedal to avoid the car from rolling to a stop with the transmission in Park. Probably not necessary, but I do it anyway.

 

Brakes are cheaper to fix the trannys. Save the tranny.