318 auto debate

just popped in from alt legal, where a storm is brewing over this news article

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Can a 318 auto owner (past or present) tell me Is it possible to shift into neutral, from drive with the engine running ? Cheers

Reply to
simonsmith.uk
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wrote

This has already been discussed here: "Gas pedal stuck doing 130mph for 60 miles", "High speed runaway", and "Runaway BMW update" are the threads.

1) it's certainly possible to shift into neutral. 2) turning the ignition off won't lock the steering, unless the key is removed. 3) he was a moron

FloydR

Reply to
Floyd Rogers

thanks

Reply to
simonsmith.uk

It is possible to shift any car from D to N.

I have never seen a lockout in this direction of the shifter. There is also no lockout when shifting from N to D.

One will encounter a lockout when shifting into or out of P, into R but not out of R, and into lower gears from D, but not out of lower gears into D.

This is standard operation of an automatic transmission, any variance is at the whim of the automaker. Since the automakers like to make stuff as easy as possible for the operators of their products, they generally use as few lockouts as they can get away with, where the lockout is activated by pulling the gear shift lever -- on a column shift -- towards the steering wheel, or -- on a floor mounted shifter -- by pressing a button or physically moving the shift lever through a series of gates. (This ignores the requirement to step on the brake pedal as an additional lockout for getting out of P -- which is a relatively new requirement in the history of automobiles.)

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

And, since he survived, odds are good he is still a moron.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Darwin was cheated

Reply to
Rex B

Is this about THAT?. Sheesh! I shoulda seen that one. the idiot only needed to switch the key off and enjoy coasting to a stop. He could elect to shift into N, but that is not required. It's certainly possible, but not required.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

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