# Shifted versa into park while driving downhill **URL:** \ **Category:** Safety\ **Created:** [August 19, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703 "2014-08-19T05:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oceanspired](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@oceanspired](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oceanspired)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/1 "2014-08-19T05:38:41Z")
So I did something, that I felt was, incredibly stupid today. I am in my third trimester of pregnancy and sometimes get incredibly foggy-brained. Anyways, I live down a somewhat steep hill, heading down a mountainside, and I usually shift my automatic transmission into first gear to try and save some wear on my brakes heading down. Well today I completely spaced out, and before I realized what I was doing I had shifted into park, still rolling down the hill. I don’t exactly remember what the car did except for that all of my dash lights came on, I had maybe rolled 20 or 30 feet. I managed to shift back into drive very quickly but my car just felt strange. I tried to brake because I was gaining speed, but, low and behold, nothing happened…my foot was to the floor and my car was still rolling, maybe slowed slightly, but I had to pull the E-brake and stop the car. Stopped, I put the car back into park, shut it off, and restarted. At this point I didn’t notice anything wrong but I was a bit shaken up from the incident. Could I have possibly damaged something? I’m not sure if I should be worried. I haven’t been eager to try and go anywhere considering it’s all downhill from here. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/2 "2014-08-19T06:57:22Z")
There is normally no way what you did would damage the brakes. Possibly you lost brake booster vacuum momentarily. I believe yours is a CVT automatic transmission. I would have the transmission fluid changed as a precaution (special CVT fluid, at a dealership). I’m assuming the car now runs normally in every way and PARK holds the car stationary on a hill. There’s a good chance you have done no permanent damage. You can always have it towed and checked if something doesn’t seem right. ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/3 "2014-08-19T07:58:11Z")
I’m guessing the engine stalled and as Insightful said you lost your power brakes. Did the car drive and brake normally after it was restarted? I remember my wife managed to lock herself out of her car with the engine running when she was near her due date with our first. Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/4 "2014-08-19T14:44:39Z")
I think it is fairly obvious that the OP’s engine stalled, thus leading to a lack of power assist for the brakes. As to possible transmission damage, I suggest that the OP follow insightful’s advice and have the trans fluid changed a.s.a.p., just in case a shard of metal was sheared from the park pawl when the trans was shifted to “park”. ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/5 "2014-08-25T14:08:50Z")
"heading down a mountainside I usually shift my automatic transmission into first gear to try and save some wear on my brakes heading down." * * * Good point. It’s always easier to drop the transmission and replace worn transmission parts than to replace brake pads. * * * The parking paw is moved into place through a spring-loaded mechanism and won’t engage the park gear if the car’s velocity exceeds a government-specified park lock engagement speed somewhere between about 0.7 and 1.5 mph. At higher speeds the paw should just overide the rotating gear on the output shaft and not engage. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifted-versa-into-park-while-driving-downhill/86703/6 "2014-09-02T18:16:41Z")
For your safety in the future, you need to be aware that you can stop the car without power brakes, but you need to use a lot of force. In your case, it sounds like you might need to use two feet. Keep that in mind if your car ever stalls again.