Transmission dial going to reverse while traveling 60 mph

[Rwills]

My wife and I are on a trip and she has her phone plugged into port for the map on screen. As we are traveling at 60 all of a sudden on dash it says major transmission malfunction and starts shutting everything down. I look over and my wife had pulled phone cord out of the socket and somehow moved gear dial to reverse. I immediately turned it back to drive and continued with our trip. Just wondering if there is a safety feature thru the computer. I haven't seen any problem with trans that was affected. Any thoughts?

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[AutobahnSHO]

Yeah the dial is just a link to the computer- it won't actually shift the truck into anything that will destroy it.

 

[Rwills]

Yeah the dial is just a link to the computer- it won't actually shift the truck into anything that will destroy it.

I'm very thankful

 

[Tbone91]

My wife and I are on a trip and she has her phone plugged into port for the map on screen. As we are traveling at 60 all of a sudden on dash it says major transmission malfunction and starts shutting everything down. I look over and my wife had pulled phone cord out of the socket and somehow moved gear dial to reverse. I immediately turned it back to drive and continued with our trip. Just wondering if there is a safety feature thru the computer. I haven't seen any problem with trans that was affected. Any thoughts?

I posted something back in September in a thread Does Rotary Dial Suck? Something similar happened to me. Dropped my phone on the dial shifter and it threw me into neutral, cruise control shut off and I was just coasting. Didn't realize it at first because I was on the highway. Slowed down a bit and put it back into drive and was fine after that. Pretty crazy that there isn't something to prevent that IMO

 

[MaverickDragon]

I've never had a car that would prevent you from shifting into neutral...
I don't think it would be a good idea to prevent that. I assume your point would be to make the shift more obvious than an inadvertent rotation of the dial.
Maybe a good idea, but I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon, as the shifter has remained unchanged now in its 5th model year.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Avoiding accidental shifting.
My wife's 2016 Ford Escape absolutely locks into Drive when you pull the lever back into Drive.
I have made a 10 sec. video to show that it cannot be pushed from Drive into Neutral, without depressing the lock button.

 

[ScottyC]

My shift knob will not move unless I put my foot on the brake pedal first.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

My shift knob will not move unless I put my foot on the brake pedal first.

Don't know if the 2025's are different.

My 2023 hybrid I have to push the brake pedal to shift from Park into Drive.
Once underway I can rotate the knob from drive to neutral without pressing the brake.

 

[MaverickDragon]

Avoiding accidental shifting.
My wife's 2016 Ford Escape absolutely locks into Drive when you pull the lever back into Drive.
... it cannot be pushed from Drive into Neutral, without depressing the lock button.

I never drove a Ford Escape, but I made a suggestion that a lock press on the rotating shifter knob would eliminate most of the inadvertent shift changes. Feedback was mostly nope on that.
It's all up to Ford, and they don't seem inclined..

 

[Prickly Pear]

Wow, that would have scared the living crap out of me!

 

[MetalThunder]

Live and Learn

Cheers

 

[ScottyC]

My shift knob will not move unless I put my foot on the brake pedal first.

I need to update the thread - I thought it locked when the vehicle was in drive (or reverse) and would only move with your foot on the brake, but it is only when I am sitting in park and wish to shift into gear is when I have to place my foot on the pedal. Once in drive (or reverse) I can rotate the knob to any position without my foot on the pedal. Just wanted to clarify and update my earlier reply. I apologize for the misinformation.

 

[MaverickDragon]

My shift knob will not move unless I put my foot on the brake pedal first.

On my '25 if the eBrake is engaged, I can shift it without a pedal press, but if not I need to press the brake pedal.
I think the idea is to not have the car go forward without the driver being prepared to stop....

 

[HeyBales]

On my '25 if the eBrake is engaged, I can shift it without a pedal press, but if not I need to press the brake pedal.
I think the idea is to not have the car go forward without the driver being prepared to stop....

Need to test the 24 XLT - very strong habit to press brake when turning key, or shifting.
Sadly also a strong habit to not use the EPB - but I am in KS!

Not sure I've accidentally done the right combo to notice.
And I don't have Auto-Hold engaged.

I've certainly been annoyed a few times attempting to shift to N while it's off because I just want a little roll distance. Nope. I don't think even On state, need to be started.

 

[MaverickDragon]

Good point.
Some "nanny state" safety measures can have unintended PITA consequences...

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