OK to switch into Drive while moving backward?

There is no beep but the computer will record that as inappropriate operation performed by the driver (Pg 3972, 2010 Toyota Prius Repair Manual).



Vincent

 

Not really a problem in the US and to what end?
Even if that were true (and I have my doubts) big T's powertrain warranty is only 60,000 miles.
It's like getting 'secret demerits.'
Not once in my 5 years of Priusdom have I ever heard of a warranty claim or repair being affected by these alleged codes.

Of course this "inappropriate action" would have to lead to an engineering casualty, and under the Moss-Magnuson warranty act the OEM would have a liability burden since the computer allows the shift under some circumstances and disallows them under others.
Result: OEM software bug. They buy me a new transmission.

 

That's a nice theory but.........you assume that they would roll over and play dead at the mere mention of the MM act but the reality is that they don't.
It likely would entail you doing a LOT of legal foot work yourself or hiring an attorney.

Occasionally they lose disputes like this when they run into an owner who also has "deep pockets" but usually they just brush off the legal aspects of disputes like this and stick to their guns.

 

The few times I've shifted to drive, while still in reverse, virtually at a stop but still slightly rolling backwards, I've felt/heard no protest from the transmission. It does seem there's a soft connection, it can take it.

Maybe faults are recorded only if the car 's going fast enough that it doesn't do the shift, beeps at you?

 

I happened to me while I was doing about 10 mph (IIRC, maybe it was a bit lower). The car stopped so abruptly, it was very unhealthy for it.

 

It's not a soft connection, it is an electric motor that needs to turn the other way. That is never a problem, you just apply a current in the reverse direction and the motor first slows down to a stop and then starts spinning the other way. The only downside is that you use electricity to stop.

 

It's not a soft connection, it is an electric motor that needs to turn the other way. [/QUOTE]

I think you misunderstand the "soft connection" reference.
It means that "shifting" the indicator has no mechanical connection to the transmission.
Moving the shifter merely sends an electrical signal (soft connection) versus actually making parts in the transmission move (hard connection).

 

Thanks for that response jacek. I know what you mean.

For me when it happened it took me a couple of seconds to realize what occured. Suddenly the accelerator was not responding and i felt like i hit a patch of molasses as i quickly slowed down. Worse someone was merging from a side road behind me. Had to put on the flashers and stop at the end of the merging lane so the car behind me could swerve to merge.

For noobs this could be a safety issue. Part of the problem is people don't totally take their eyes off the road to push keys. A quick glance perhaps to locate it, but after that it is all by feel. Of course after what happened, i took extra effort to memorize the buttons. But the first mistake is enough to end in tragedy. If Toyota insists on keeping that button, they should make it as distinct as the Stop/Start so no one mistakes it for a benign button. But honestly, keeping it is really dumb design. Sorry for the rant... hard not to after a hairy experience.

 

Starship, in the case you describe, were you trying to push another button, say PWR? A workaround would to forget about all the buttons, just leave it on normal acceleration.

 

Yup, the Auto button for the Climate Control....which is the one closest above the Park button. But like I've said, the mistake happened only once. Because once is enough to scare you to seriously address it. So the danger will be for future noobs not me. For me, i took extra effort to be aware of the Park button and avoid it. At 1 point i considered taping a metal plate over to deactivate it. When i park i simply step on the parking foot brake and push Stop. The Park button is really of no use to me.

 

Yeah, I meant unhealthy. In your case it went to neutral, in my case it actually went to park. I'm glad than no one followed me closely as I was slowing down toward a red light. I was trying to reach climate control without looking too.

 

I'm often reaching for those (flat, anonymous) climate control buttons on a twisty highway, with the windshield starting to fog up. No like.

 

I'm not entirely sure it went to neutral, it felt more like it was in Park mode already but the momentum at the speed it happened just prevented it from abruptly stopping.

As to the Park button being a danger only to 1st time noobs, I just realized my wife falls into that category. She has driven my car twice only in the last 3 months and i had to reorient her every time. So i might actually pop off that plastic button and cover it with a piece of wood cut to shape. I hate to think what might happen if she makes the same mistake and i'm not around.

 

Vincent,

That is interesting that Toyota logs this as an inappropriate operation. We forward and reverse VFD motors at work all of the time with no adverse affect since they have accel and decel ramp rates that take them to zero speed before reversing.

The fact that it shifts to Neutral if too fast is good enough for me. I will continue to use.

Dwight

 

+1

 

^ Starship was aiming for the climate control "auto" button. Drives home the point that uniform, flat buttons for widely disparate purposes, with very different consequences, are for the birds.

 

I thought he was aiming the photon torpedos?

 

No no no, the photon torpedoes have a bright red, protective cap you have to flip up first.

 

The manual says do not allow the car to move backward while in D, and do not allow the car to move forward while in R.

 

Trust me, if it actually went into park at speed, you WOULD know it! I'd bet the computer was smart enough to "ignore" your command, and put the car into some type of "safe mode". do not know.

I once (very long story) shifted a truck into reverse at 55 MPH. The truck's tire's locked up, engine died, and it slide to a stop in less than 100 feet.