Car Problem: I accidentaly shifted into reverse while driving...?

Question

I have a '98 toyota camry, used, just got it a month ago. I was going like 10-15 mph, down a hill, so I shifted into neutral, but then I accidentaly shifted into reverse! There was a huge jolt, the car slowed, it was really hard to turn the wheel, and the brakes hardly worked, I was lucky I was only a street away from my house.

What is the problem, what do I do? I am scared to tell my parents, money has been tight lately, and we just got it a few weeks ago. Anyone who knows what happened, or what I could do to fix it PLEASE HELP.

Answer 1

Well, I'm having some trouble understanding what exactly went on. Did you drive it home did you leave it? If the wheel got hard to turn and the brakes were hard to press, and you left it, it sounds like you need to go back, start the car and drive it home.

Many transmissions are built to shut off the vehicle if you are moving and the transmission is put in Reverse. This would mean the engine stops and the vehicle remains in "Neutral". So your power steering pump isn't working because the engin isn't running ( Hence the hard turning ) and there is no vacuum because the engine isn't running ( Hence the hard brake pedal )

Put the vehicle in park, start it, and see if it drives, you may have caused no damage.

And I'm not going to sit and explain how the torque converter works, because frankly, its late and I'm lazy. But take my word for it, you don't have to put the transmission in neutral when going down hill, just let off the gas, the engine speed will fall to idle speed as it is not having to push the turbine inside the torque converter.

Answer 2

Just go back to your parents and tell the facts  to avoid further damage

Answer 3

Shear pin....engineers use these to prevent damage to the more expensive components especially in transmissions.  An inexpensive fix if you bring it to a trustworthy mechanic.  That's the hard part!

Answer 4

More info would help but Ill try I take it that it has an automatic transmission, if this problem persisted for the last leg of your trip home then you have done  damage I don't know this car but some have gone to using the power-steering  pump to run the powered brakes if your car has this  feature then maybe a hose or check valve if your lucky at any rate you had better check the power-steering oil level.

Other cars use vacuum from the intake of the engine to help with the brakes if this went so far as to run the engine backwards this hose may have been blown off,at any rate you had best fess up, this will pass but if some one were killed this is how a little oops can go way BIG.

Answer 5

The reason the brakes and wheel was hard to turn is.....  engine wasn't running (it stalled) and you had no vacuum to activate the brake booster, second, the steering wheel was hard to turn for the same reason, the engine wasn't running and the fan belt wasn't turning the power steering pump.

Good advice do not put the transmission into neutral to coast down any hill, it isn't being lubricated and will burn out the transmission in a while.

Go start it up and drive around the block, its probably fine!

Answer 6

you tell me did you leave the car on the hill?  did you start it back up?  did you drive it home?  how is anyone suppose to know what happened

Answer 7

Never run from your problems.  Run toward your problems and solve 'em.  ASK YOUR DAD what he thinks.  If you don't act like a sniveling brain-damaged teenager, he won't treat you like one.  Try it  and prepare to be amazed.

Answer 8

shittttt.. that sucks.... but man im sorry i cant help if i dont know the symptoms of the car now.. but i hate to say it but i would say u caused internal transmission damage..

Answer 9

Well the car probly shut off thats why it was hard to turn and slowed and no breaks. Most cars will shut off if they are put in revers when driving forward. The jolt was the transmission trying to go into revers. It should be okay??? Try starting it and drive it.

Answer 10

Uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your car probably needs a new tranny.  It is an easy mistake for any driver (don't beat yourself up too much, the tranny was probably about to go soon anyway).  Ask the parents to look for a used transmission that will fit.  Camrys are good cars, you might be able to find one for about $500 on a wrecked engine, with labor it might be $750.  Otherwise, you are probably looking at $2000+.  Hope I'm wrong.

Answer 11

First step:  relax.  It was a mistake.  We all make them.

Second:  It sounds like you have an automatic transmission.  You probably put a lot of wear on the transmission, but I don't think you actually broke it.

Third:  Honesty is the best policy.  Though half-truths aren't without their charm.

Answer 12

I can't believe some of the answers on here.  Here's what you do.  Go to the car, start it up, and drive normally.  That car has a safety feature for situations like this.  It should be fine.  I jammed an Oldsmobile into reverse at 70 mph once.  It killed the engine.  I pulled over, put it in park and it started back up and drove fine after that.

Answer 13

open the deck there should be a chain pull it its in the middle to the left i thnik or right pull it out cuase it got stuck

Answer 14

i dunno man, take ur car out again to see if u can shift and ****. u know whta dont take my advice