# Putting a car in park at stop lights

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-a-car-in-park-at-stop-lights/117962>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** x5, bmw\
**Created:** [May 24, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-a-car-in-park-at-stop-lights/117962 "2018-05-24T03:16:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-a-car-in-park-at-stop-lights/117962/10 "2018-05-25T01:30:58Z")

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I’ve always shifted into neutral when waiting at a stop-light on my automatic equipped truck. I don’t like the idea of having to hold the truck back with the brake pedal, you got the engine fighting with the brakes, when shifting to N is so easy to stop the ongoing battle. Whether it helps or hurts the drivetrain and brakes, probably doesn’t make any notable difference either way. But shifting to N it is easier on my lazy leg and foot.

I wouldn’t shift into P however. From D you have to shift through N and R to get to P. And it would be easy to accidentally shift into R instead of P, and accidentally back into the car behind you. Plus shifting in N still usually requires a little brake pedal to prevent rolling, which keeps the brake lights on, just as it would with a manual trans. Shifting from D to N is just one click, very easy.

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