shifting between drive/neutral with auto...SAFE?

[Onatrum]

I have an automatic MP5. The gear shifter can slide between Neutral and Drive freely without pressing in the button. I've noticed this also on my g/f's '96 Neon and a friend's '95 Beretta.

My questions...

Is there a purpose for the transmissions being able to do this...such as for safetly?

Also, is any harm done if I slide it from Drive into Neutral WHILE driving...and then back into Drive? It's happened by accident once when it got bumped, but nothing weird happened besides the engine revving in Neutral.

My friend's dad says he can do this in his truck, but said not to shift it above 30 MPH. He didn't have a solid reason why not to do this, other than it COULD harm the transmission. But we're all in question.

As far as I can tell, if I were to let off the gas and then slide it into Neutral, it'd be much like shifting into neutral with a stick. And putting it back into Drive would be like picking a gear with a stick...so I can't think of anything that's harmed. But that's why I asked!!

 

[MidnightP5]

My friend tried to slip the gear into neutral while I was waiting at a traffic light but I know my car and with my peripheral vision I caught his action so I played it off as if I didn't notice then when the light turned green i slipped it back into drive as if it was manual. He was upset that I caught it. But to answer your questions, I don't know. Obviously it is done like that for some saftety reason.

 

[kep0ne]

you can shift from drive to neutral for emergency reasons. say the car overheats, stalls, whatever while you're in drive...you can shift it into neutral to push the car. i wouldn't do it at high speeds, although im not sure if it causes problems. i do know that if you put it in neutral, rev it then slam it into drive, you can break the wheels loose. or at least you could do it in the toyota celica i used to drive (no i didnt take care of that car very well)

 

[badboyeee]

my sister says I MUST press the shift button when i shift from REVERSE then through NEUTRAL then into DRIVE. I always just slide it through when I drive any automatic car. My sister tells me to stop and im gonna break it! I say its normal. Can I get a confirmation if its normal for me to do this?

 

[ZoomZoomH]

my sister says I MUST press the shift button when i shift from REVERSE then through NEUTRAL then into DRIVE. I always just slide it through when I drive any automatic car. My sister tells me to stop and im gonna break it! I say its normal. Can I get a confirmation if its normal for me to do this?

it's perfectly ok to just slip from R to N to D without pressing the shift button, hell, even the friggin MANUAL says it's OK to do it!!!!!

yes everyone, when you have some free time, RTM!!!!!!!