Dog kicked GF's -running- CRD into reverse?

EstorilM · **Joined:** Thu May 12, 2016 8:03 am **Posts:** 6

So I'm at work - just got this text. I told her it had to be neutral maybe? Or she left the keys in the car and left it in reverse when she turned off the ignition?

She denies all of this though, and is adamant that when she got in it (still ended up backed into the ditch) that it was "in reverse."

Now, the car was running - so I know the primary interlock cable / BTSI was deactivated, but what about the electronic lock-out that requires the BRAKE PEDAL to be depressed before you can shift out of park? That applies to neutral as well? But DEFINITELY reverse.

Has anyone heard of that system being able fail in an unsafe condition? As opposed to just failing in the locked position?

flash7210 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:36 pm

The ignition can be turned off with the shifter in any position.
But the shifter must be in park to remove the key.
It's possible that the shifter was forward far enough to allow the key to be removed but not far enough to engage park.
Or there is a problem with the ignition/shifter interlock cable.
Or the parking pawl lever inside the transmission is broken (unlikely).

The brake pedal needs to be pressed only when moving the shifter out of park.

If the engine was running, then definitely wasn't all the way forward in park.
And it wouldn't take much effort to bump it down into reverse.

EstorilM · **Joined:** Thu May 12, 2016 8:03 am **Posts:** 6

flash7210 wrote:

The ignition can be turned off with the shifter in any position.
But the shifter must be in park to remove the key.
It's possible that the shifter was forward far enough to allow the key to be removed but not far enough to engage park.
Or there is a problem with the ignition/shifter interlock cable.
Or the parking pawl lever inside the transmission is broken (unlikely).

The brake pedal needs to be pressed only when moving the shifter out of park.

If the engine was running, then definitely wasn't all the way forward in park.
And it wouldn't take much effort to bump it down into reverse.

Sorry, I don't think I explained things in the best way.. but I was saying that she walked away from the car with it running and the dog inside (yeah yeah... not the smartest thing, but the heat index is 107 here today. Windows were cracked enough to get an arm in in case he hit the "lock" button conveniently located exactly where a dog steps on the center console lol).

She turned around and the car was backing down the driveway!

Chased after it, got in but still hit the ditch, and said it "was in reverse."

Now, that's on a hill so even if he hit neutral it would have done the same, but what does the electronic / "depress brake pedal" portion of the interlock do exactly?

On a side note, I've accidentally pushed the shifter into neutral on the highway more than once in this thing on long road trips. Every time I feel like that shouldn't have been possible.... poor CRD revs up to like 4k. :banghead:

...and no I never depressed the shifter button, which is my next question. There's a 0.000% chance the dog pressed the button or the brake pedal obviously.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:45 pm

Someone is going to have to get in a CRD to figure this out. I would but mine has been sold. That said the owner's manual strongly implies that if the vehicle is in P and the engine is running that the brake pedal interlock does not function which suggests that the vehicle could be shifted out of P if the shift lever is bumped but what I don't know is if that would be prevented by failure to at the same time depress the button on the front of the shift lever. Seems to me it's possible the shifter was not fully into P and/or the shift lever interlock was not fully engaged in which case it could be bumped from P to R which is, IIRC, immediately next to P.

Obviously the engine can be running in any shift position and to what extent shifting into other positions can "happen" depends on the interlocks and whether or not they function properly.

I'd comment on failure to use the parking brake but I'm as guilty as anyone about not using it especially on flatish land.

HER_CRD · **Posted:** Thu Jul 13, 2017 5:50 pm

If I'm in park I need to press the brake pedal before I can pull the knob on the shift lever.

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GordnadoCRD · **Posted:** Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:07 pm

on mine I have to both have the brake pressed, and the lever on the front side of the shifter pressed, to bring it out of park. Once in reverse, I can shift through neutral and into drive without pressing anything, and going forward, the same. But I have to press both the brake and the lever again to get it back into Park.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:48 am

I'll ask again. If the engine is RUNNING can the vehicle be shifted out of P without pressing the brake pedal or the knob on the front of the shifter.

GordnadoCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:21 am

On mine, no.

It was running when I did the aforementioned check.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2017 9:27 am

Tks. Sounds like the subject vehicle was a) not fully or actually in P or b) interlocks not working right.

OP needs to put it in P with engine running and see if shifter can be bumped into R. If not dog not responsible.

geordi · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:50 am

papaindigo wrote:

I'll ask again. If the engine is RUNNING can the vehicle be shifted out of P without pressing the brake pedal or the knob on the front of the shifter.

No. The park interlock is a magnetic servo that requires the brake pedal, and to enter reverse from EITHER DIRECTION (park or neutral to reverse) requires the button to be pressed.

This sounds like she left it in neutral or reverse herself.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sun Jul 16, 2017 2:35 pm

You cannot move the vehicle from park to reverse without pressing both the brake and then the gear shift button.

You cannot move the vehicle from neutral to reverse without pressing the brake.

You can move the gear from neutral to drive without pressing the brake.

I think this was operator error, not an act of dog.

Dog kicked GF's -running- CRD into reverse?

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