Transmission Possible Damage in Locked Position

I have an Acura 2002 3.5 TL which I normally keep in my garage in the Park
(transmission locked) position and the emergency brake off.
My wife came home from shopping last week and left her Honda in drive when
she exited the car to get the paper. When she noticed the car was moving,
she jumped inside and promptly stomped down on the gas pedal instead of the
break pedal.
She pushed my Acura into the back of the garage and caused considerable
damage to my front end. Here is what puzzles me.
My tires left no skid marks which means my wheels had turned when she
pushed the Acura into the back of the garage. How is this possible with the
transmission locked? Can this cause same future damage to the transmission?
You all know that the 2002 Acuras had the dreaded transmission problem and
were re-called for a fix.
Thanks for any ideas or help you may have.
Don

"Don F" wrote in


> I have an Acura 2002 3.5 TL which I normally keep in my garage in
> the Park (transmission locked) position and the emergency brake off.
> My wife came home from shopping last week and left her Honda in
> drive when she exited the car to get the paper. When she noticed the
> car was moving, she jumped inside and promptly stomped down on the
> gas pedal instead of the break pedal.
> She pushed my Acura into the back of the garage and caused
> considerable damage to my front end. Here is what puzzles me.
> My tires left no skid marks which means my wheels had turned when
> she pushed the Acura into the back of the garage. How is this possible
> with the transmission locked?


Do you have any idea what that "lock" looks like? It's a small gear section
that engages a corresponding gear inside the transmission. Contrary to the
misperceptions of legions of car owners, it is NOT intended to "lock" the
car in position when unattended, except as a backup to the PARKING BRAKE.
The locking the car in place is primarily the function and purpose of the
PARKING BRAKE.

Some early autmoatics didn't even have a Park position at all. You were
intended to hold the car still with the parking brake alone.



> Can this cause same future damage to the transmission?



No. Not at all. The parking pawl is *designed* to jump out of engagement if
presented with excess load. This is to prevent it from damage, which would
cause loose metal parts to be released into the transmission's innards.
Observers may have heard a loud grinding noise as your car was pushed
forwards. They was the gear sector skipping over the gear teeth.



> You all know that the 2002 Acuras had the dreaded transmission
> problem and were re-called for a fix.


Different problem entirely.

You do realize that had your wife set the PARKING BRAKE when she left her
vehicle to get the paper, this incident would not have occurred? It's
prevention of this sort of thing that the PARKING BRAKE was installed in
the first place.


> Thanks for any ideas or help you may have.


Use the parking brake. It's there for a reason.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/