What happens if you accidently switch gear from D to R when you are driving 60mph in highway?

Question

i.e. when you are trying to reach your cellphone, you tap the gear with your hand to Rear accidently

Answer 1

If you can pull it off, Which is possible, you can really screw your tranny up. But otherwise you'd skid like crazy.

I know someone who did that to their 99 Hinda Civic and their entire transmission was fried.

Answer 2

Nothing. An automatic transmission won't shift until you are below a preset speed (usually about 10 mph.) And a manual transmission (stick shift) won't even shift, because the synchromesh (if it even has synchro on reverse) can't handle the speed differential, so the gears will simply grind - if you try to force it, it will eventually tear the teeth off the gear.

PS: Mythbusters recently tested this one - it will simply disconnect the trans from the engine (basically, it's like being in neutral) until the car slows enough for reverse to engage.

Answer 3

If you are not wearing a seat belt, you may find yourself wearing a windscreen. The car will decide to do doughnuts (360 degree spins) wildly out of control. The engine will shear the engine mounts and try to climb out of the engine bay up your front right hand guard. The hood will lift as the motor climbs up through it. The radiator will spew steam and boiling water in a shower. There is the possibility of shearing your driveshaft off and having it evacuate from under your vehicle, spinning like a boomerang. There may be ripples up the side of the panel work of your vehicle from the torsional damage to your cars subframe/chasis. Apart from all this, there is also the possibilty of the vehicle rolling over.
Not a good mistake to make.

Answer 4

There will be a rather nasty noise from the engine as the gear wheels start shredding up, throwing debris into other parts of the transmission and engine like shrapnel from a hand grenade. You would come to a shuddering halt, which will be so sudden that you will be lucky if the car behind you avoids smashing into you.

Altogether a rather expensive error and one which cost you your life!

Answer 5

I was in a car once when someone did it on purpose to finish off a junkbox car. The transmission just "clicked, clicked, clicked" slipping internally to protect itself and continuing forward. We could rev the engine as if in neutral until our speed was about 3 mph. then reverse drive kicked in and wheels screeched backwards. By the way, if you jam the car in PARK at any speed same thing happens until about 3 mph an wheels lock up. Harder to destroy a transmission than you might think. Even draining all fluid out will not destroy it. Just put fluid back in.

Answer 6

If you somehow managed to bypass the safety system most of them have to prevent such a thing, you'll grind out the reverse gear. If by chance it actually goes into reverse before completely ripping the reverse gear to crap, you'll face plant the steering wheel and rip the snot out of the transmission before the engine's kill switch kicks in before red-lining.

Answer 7

Normally at that speed you'll find it very difficult to get into R - but buddy never try this as you'll not know what hit u as your transmission mechanism shall get smashed up internally as ur car( with u in it!), goes for a spin.

Answer 8

You'll probably sail right thru your windshield and have various injuries if not killed while stripping the gears out of your transmission. You won't have a chance to do it a second time either. One to an idiot.

Answer 9

The gear won't switch to reverse.

Answer 10

i dont really know what happens but that happend to me once when i was in 4th gear and it went to 3rd.... The gears will grind like crazy and the teeth will be so grinded out...i dont really know how to explain it but i think your transmission will be a complete loss. but if you do switch gears by accident you will notice becuz u will hear the car go "GRRR KRRRR KARR GRARRR".

Answer 11

You can't accidentally shift from drive to reverse. You would have to seriously force the gear shift and even then I don;t know if you actually could. "If" you could you would probably drop your transmission all over the road in a million little pieces.