[chinamustang]

Hi all, Given that it is possible to accidentally hip the P button when reaching for climate control or reaching for the water bottle, what would be the scenario if you were to accidentally hit the Park Button on top of the shifter while travelling at a 100 km/h? I just bought the car for the wife yesterday, but I inadvertently hit the button while stoped at the traffic light and this question came to mind.

 

[1265]

Good question, really, need to ask to my contacts on maserati devepment and powertrain.
I hope that some sort of security features are in place to avoid a full stop, I cannot immagine the drama in case of

 

[SailDrive]

I've wondered that too. I've seen some people test stuff like that on various cars before on YouTube, usually the car ignores the park command until it's going slow enough. Sometimes that means 10mph or under, which can certainly still damage the transmission, sometimes it means stopped completly before it works.

I've got a loaner for the day (nothing serious wrong with mine, I'm fighting for the parking sensors to be off in park and the heated seats to turn on with remote start), so I'll give it a try at about 1-2mpg, If it does actually engage I don't want to be moving any faster and risk damage to the car.

 

[LC_LC]

Good question, and welcome to the forum

 

[Moholland]

I could be wrong but didn’t Clarkson try that on the grand tour when they had the Stelvio in the mud pit going around the cones? I believe it stopped the car dead. He was hoping it would slide the tail end around the turn.

 

[karlfevans]

My son pulled up on the parking brake, thinking it was the latch to open the center console. The car felt like I stabbed the brakes but the brakes just as quickly unlocked. Surely there is also logic to keep Park from being deployed at high speed.

 

[Scalewoodman]

I would hate to be the guinea pig in this situation + surely there is a fail safe mechanism to protect us from our own stupidity. Ugh- and next up will be self-driving cars!

Seems to me the design (subject to debate ad-nauseum like picking nits) would actually be less likely than most others for this to occur (levers, knobs, etc.).

 

[DarioR]

I could be wrong but didn’t Clarkson try that on the grand tour when they had the Stelvio in the mud pit going around the cones? I believe it stopped the car dead. He was hoping it would slide the tail end around the turn.

That was the emergency brake not the park button.
Pressing or manually placing your car in park in newer vehicles probably won’t do anything. As someone mentioned here, the videos on YouTube show that the cars do nothing while at speeds faster than 20mhp. Worst that could happen is your car goes in neutral.
You would think car companies would make things like that dummy proof anyway. So many scenarios that could happen with kids, pets, someone who is new at driving and so on.

 

[SailDrive]

I can confirm that in the loaner I had overnight, with the dash reporting me moving at a blazing 2mph, pushing the park button will throw the car into park and stop the car suddenly.

I certainly wouldn't want to try doing this at any higher speed, as I can easily see it breaking things at a speed of even 4-5mph.

Maybe someone else is brave / stupid enough to try it at 20+mph and report what they find, but as for me I'm just going to avoid hitting the park button while moving!

 

[chinamustang]

That was what I was afraid of, cruising on the highway and reaching over to grab a drink or fiddle with temperature and wham, you continue to move forward and the rest of the chassis is left behind, My wife has alway been a stick driver and has a habit of leaving her hand on the stick, better to tell her not to do that. Sound like a pretty dangerous issue.

 

[PJessemey]

That was what I was afraid of, cruising on the highway and reaching over to grab a drink or fiddle with temperature and wham, you continue to move forward and the rest of the chassis is left behind, My wife has alway been a stick driver and has a habit of leaving her hand on the stick, better to tell her not to do that. Sound like a pretty dangerous issue.

The manual says that the vehicle speed must be close to 0 for you to put it in park. Shame it doesn't say how close, however I very much doubt it would allow you to put it in park at highway speeds. Maybe something to ask Alfa directly if you are worried?

 

[SailDrive]

That was what I was afraid of, cruising on the highway and reaching over to grab a drink or fiddle with temperature and wham, you continue to move forward and the rest of the chassis is left behind, My wife has alway been a stick driver and has a habit of leaving her hand on the stick, better to tell her not to do that. Sound like a pretty dangerous issue.

I concur with @PJessemey, it has surely got to have a cutoff at some speed where it will ignore the button. Personally I think it should be at minimum anything over 10 mph, and probably something that required pressing and holding or double pressing over 5mph. All I can tell you is that I don't intend on finding out firsthand what speed that presumed cutout happens above/below. 2mph was enough to make me feel guilty doing to the loaner, no way I'd be responsible for deliberately trying it at even 5mph.

 

[oyeahhhhhh]

I have accidentally hit the park button while moving slow and it did abruptly stop. I was trying to turn on the passenger, seat heater. I was definitely going less than 5 mph. I find it ironic it’s so easy to slam the car into park accidentally but sometimes hard to shift from reverse to drive.

 

[SailDrive]

I have accidentally hit the park button while moving slow and it did abruptly stop. I was trying to turn on the passenger, seat heater. I was definitely going less than 5 mph. I find it ironic it’s so easy to slam the car into park accidentally but sometimes hard to shift from reverse to drive.

pull the shifter back using only one finger on the button. that'll click the button first then pull the shifter itself. Works for me with almost 100% flawless shifting from either P or R to D that way. If you get in the habit of clicking the button before you move the shifter at all (trick yourself mentally into thinking it's like the lock button that old automatics had and wouldn't move without first pushing), you shouldn't have any issues shifting. Only time that fails if you are in M and try to shift into reverse, you're still in 1st!

 

[1265]

I asking to maserati team in this moment, I want be sure before make a damage on my stelvio, I hope that ZF have a security feature that stop the P over 5km/h

 

[1265]

Maserati - ARProject Team, confirm that the max speed is 4km/h. after this speed the P switch is disable.
in this moment I'm in contact with ZF too, waiting for a confirmation

 

[1265]

funny answer from ZF:

Hello Mr. Nieddu,


Whenever you want to engage the P position, the vehicle must be in a standstill position, it means 0 km/h. Any further details regarding vehicle speed threshold is considered as confidential info.

This ticket will be closed within 30 days – please contact us if the solution provided does not work for you.

Please reply to this mail using the “Reply” button of you mail client – DO NOT CHANGE THE E-MAIL SUBJECT.

 

[chinamustang]

Not satisfied with AR Project team's response - The original question here is what would happen is you ACCIDENTALY hit the Park Button whilest travelling at speed, if you are parking and come to a complete stop and hit the button, that would not be a accident. Point is the location of the button makes it easy for your wrist to unwillingly hit the button if you are adjusting tempreture or fetching a drink.

 

[CalgaryStelvio]

Was that not answered by the AR Project Team? The button is disabled over 4km/h according to them so pressing it accidentally at speed would do nothing.