What is

JR wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

To prevent theft by making it impossible to steer the car when the key is not used to start the engine.

rneath the steering wheels?

the reason why cars have zig-zag automatic transimission shifter plates in modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2?? On my particular car I am always shifting into Neutral instead of into Drive - something I didn't have to look at when I owned a car with a straight shift.

derneath the steering wheels?

n modern cars instead of a simple STRAIGHT PRNDL1L2?? On my particular car I am always shifting into Neutral instead of into Drive - something I didn 't have to look at when I owned a car with a straight shift.

Yesterday morning the steering wheel lock in my 1983 Dodge van wouldn't unl ock. I worked on it, it won't ever lock again!, I Garantee. Back in the 197

0s I owned a 1970 VW van. I was down town getting a haircut, got back in th e VW van, the durn steering wheel would't unlock. I could still steer only a little bit, but I managed to get back home to my driveway. Needless to sa y, I worked on that steering wheel lock too, I never did have any more prob lems with it.

They are not required to be zigzag. My PT has a perfectly straight PRNDL shifter. But some automakers make them zigzag for reasons one can only guess at. I drove a Jeep Patriot that had one of those zigzag shifters and it was impossible to shift the damn thing even for something as normal as backing out of a parking space and then leaving the lot without looking down at it twice, once to get it in R and then a second time to get it into D.

They're all a form of intelligence test, those that are befuddled by such "confounded new fangled objects", will probably also have at least as much trouble with and shouldn't be driving.

Two reasons

1 - Parking lock (When you park you're supposed to turn the wheel so the tires point toward the curb, in the event of parking brake or parking pawl failure the curb stops the vehicle). 2 - Theft deterrent. Turn wheels toward either direction and it makes it harder for a thief to steal the car if they hot wire it.

Google,,, Problems with steering wheel locks A whole lot of 'befuddled' people out there.

A whole lot of people out there, such as those who can't figure out how to post a url, shouldn't be driving.

The practical effect has been to eliminate joyriding in favor of carjacking. One of those hope-n-change things.

I have been driving since 1957, I hope to keep on driving as long as I can. ....'Befuddled'

So you don't overshoot Neutral and inadvertantly hit Reverse while the car is moving (e.g. the engine stalled and you need to restart it)

nate

I can deal with those OK but recently I was in a new Chrysler 300, that thing has an electronic shifter that you tap to change one position each direction and you have to look at the shift knob to tell what position is selected... I didn't like it.

I still prefer a good old H pattern (well, these days it's more like a double H with an L off one end for good measure but you know what I mean)

nate

_________________ Never had that problem with either of my previous straight shifter automatics.

Mfgs. just love to overthink things.

Nate Nagel wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news6.newsguy.com:

Changing gear while the car is moving is apparently damaging to automatic transmissions, so I wouldn't be surprised if prevention of that was the reason for the zig-zaggy lever.

Our brand-new RAV4 has a zig-zaggy lever. After 23-years of a 5-speed Integra, I now have to get used to this new automatic.

It's easy to provide that kind of lockout with a straight pattern, no need for the zigzags. You can only shift my PT between N and D unless you push the BUTTON down.

I don't have any problems with the zig and the zag. You should avoid looking at the track on the shifter when you move it anyway. All you have to do is move the lever to the right and then pull it straight back. Let the spring loading do all the work. To reverse, just move the lever to the right and push forward. Easy as pie but you have to remember to not ever look at the track. I like these transmission because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the lever. OTOH, I am missing my thumbs so I'm a little biased.

dsi1 wrote "because I don't have to push no stinkin' button on the lever. OTOH, I am "

I guess it's cheaper to manufacture a zig-zag shift than a straight with the button.

But it sure sucks having to look down everytime to shift, esp in tight quarters/traffic. I always try to drive away in Neutral! smdh....

Any competent driver who want's to should be able to master one of these in short order. You should never look down when shifting. That's a no no! What can I say? Your eyes will always mess you up when shifting.

OTOH, I would sometimes shift into R instead of 2nd with the dopey English made transmission in my old Capri and I never liked the shift pattern in my brother's Porsche. First was a spring loaded push to the left and then back. Phooey!

There's a reason for the latter; you can rip through 1-2-3 without your hand having to do anything but push the lever in a straight line. Also for racing, 4-5 are in a straight line as well. 3-4, 4-3 and 2-1 (the last almost never used in a racing scenario) are the only shifts that require other than straight line motion. Pretty smart, those Krauts.

nate