[sandman]

Merged on to the freeway today in Southern Calif. from a "on" ramp. I used the button on the trans to keep revs up (traffic tends to move pretty fast here - if its not completely stopped) as I changed lanes. Finally got in the fast lane, matched traffic speed at 70 to 75 mph, let out a sigh of relief and moved the shift lever foreward and (somehow) directly into PARK :banghead:
Once my heart started beating again, I noticed that I could still accelerate, my head had not gone through the windshield, and smoke was not pouring out of anywhere. Only trouble was - I couldn't get it out of PARK. So I start heading for the slow lanes. By now my heart beat was down to 240 or so and some oxygen must have been getting to my brain - so I tapped the brake and moved the shift lever at the same time. It went to reverse - another heart attack!! After I noticed I wasn't going in reverse, I tapped the brake, moved the lever to drive and proceeded on.
Obviously the trans has been designed to handle people like me. Did panic a bit, when I couldn't get it out of park - which is why I am writing this. So now you know what to do in case this happens to anyone else. Or course, if you just want to give your wife a thrill some day on the freeway, now you may have a new idea :drunk:

 

[Gmoney_2010]

So the shifter will move without pressing on the break??

and did it stop or anything when it when into park or was it the same as drive??

sorry im confused :-[

 

[sandman]

Once it was in PARK, it would not move. Only when I tapped the brake and moved the shifter at the same time, did it move. While it was in PARK (and I was doing 70 or so), it acted normal - I could accelerate, etc. I just couldn't move the shifter out of park.

 

[Gmoney_2010]

So this didnt hurt the acadia at all??

 

[mitchl]

I am guessing that the reason you could not shift out of Park without the brake, is that it is the standard brake/park interlock that has been on every car I have had after my 1969 Oldsmobile 88 (my 1972 Skylark might not have had it either).

By the way, I hope that I never repeat your experiement. Nice to know that it didn't break, but that is a little too trusting of that new tranmission for me.

 

[caddycruiser]

Yep, likely an idiot-proof feature for obvious reasons, and the same idea as the starter lockout most new vehicles have that prevent you from double-starting an already running car.

Just don't do it again, and whatever odd hand movement had you do it, keep that hand tucked away and don't fumble with the shifter anymore.

 

[Jewelacadia]

I am most amazed you repeated the story. I doubt you could find a woman willing to tell it.

 

[MrBiz]

Wow, what a captivating story! I'm thankful you are OK. What a tranny, eh?

 

[kjf]

I am most amazed you repeated the story. I doubt you could find a woman willing to tell it.

One of the nice things about the anonymity of the internet. ;D

Sandman, thanks for sharing.

Kelly

 

[linuxtwit]

Merged on to the freeway today in Southern Calif. from a "on" ramp. I used the button on the trans to keep revs up (traffic tends to move pretty fast here - if its not completely stopped) as I changed lanes. Finally got in the fast lane, matched traffic speed at 70 to 75 mph, let out a sigh of relief and moved the shift lever foreward and (somehow) directly into PARK :banghead:
Once my heart started beating again, I noticed that I could still accelerate, my head had not gone through the windshield, and smoke was not pouring out of anywhere. Only trouble was - I couldn't get it out of PARK. So I start heading for the slow lanes. By now my heart beat was down to 240 or so and some oxygen must have been getting to my brain - so I tapped the brake and moved the shift lever at the same time. It went to reverse - another heart attack!! After I noticed I wasn't going in reverse, I tapped the brake, moved the lever to drive and proceeded on.
Obviously the trans has been designed to handle people like me. Did panic a bit, when I couldn't get it out of park - which is why I am writing this. So now you know what to do in case this happens to anyone else. Or course, if you just want to give your wife a thrill some day on the freeway, now you may have a new idea :drunk:

Wow. I guess GM wasn't kidding about the "We are Professional Grade" we they. :thumb:

 

[sandman]

My pleasure, Kelly. The only thing that bothers me a bit was how seemingly easy it was to move the shifter into PARK. Granted I was perhaps a bit distracted with the flow of traffic around me. But, I have been driving a really long time and I was truly amazed (for several reasons), when that sucker slid into PARK.
So, I guess my main reason for writing was to let people know that it can happen and how to get out of it. However, I'm not sure if I'll put my picture on the forum till this dies down. ;D

 

[luvmyacadia]

I guess if your still here you could also steer!! :drunk:

 

[Dawgdaes]

That is a crazy story my heart is racing just reading it. My first week I knocked the shifter into neutral reaching for my iPod. I made a mental note and it has not happened since.

 

[sandman]

OK, I think I figured out how it happened. To get into L, you have to depress the release on the shift. When I moved it out of L, I depressed the release and it just kept on moving :hot: . If the release is not depressed, it will stop in N.

 

[imgntht]

I'm equally amazed and alarmed that you thought it was okay to merely tap the brake and slide it back into Reverse and eventually back to drive...all while still coasting along the highway! At any point did you not think to just pull over and be safe by STOPPING on the shoulder and then assessing your next move? That's more scary to me, as the initial incidence was an accident, the rest was premeditated to some degree. Glad to hear your okay and nobody was injured along the way. Hopefully there will be no long term damage done to the tranny.

 

[sandman]

Actually, I never was coasting. Always had full power. I was moving over to the shoulder. By speeding up and slowing down had moved 3 lanes over to slow lane when I tried the brake tap and let out a huge sigh of relief.
As far as I can tell there is no damage to the trans. It just kinda ignored the driver and kept doing what it knew was correct.

 

[luvmyacadia]

That is a crazy story my heart is racing just reading it. My first week I knocked the shifter into neutral reaching for my iPod. I made a mental note and it has not happened since.

Next time listen to XM, its much safer!

 

[imgntht]

I guess coasting was a bad choice of words...I meant that you were still just driving along regardless of speed. Any changes in gear from park, reverse, and drive while moving scares me.

 

[sandman]

I guess it kinda comes down to how important "information" or "knowledge" is. If you look at the site on "+/- button on Acadia tranny « 1 2 »", a lot of people are still trying to figure out how to use the button shifter.
If you are going to use the buttons - its real important to stay away from the "release" button on the shifter as you return to D. It's also nice to know that if you screw up and put it in "PARK", you don't have to go through the several heart attacks that I did.