What would happen if you put your car in reverse while driving along?

Question

I've just got a mini, and have noticed that there is no safety lift on the gear stick to stop you absent mindedly slamming it into reverse by accident.

I'm very paranoid about doing this one day, what would be the worst outcome if I did?

Answer 1

it makes a bloody loud noise until you put it back!

Answer 2

The worst? It would cause an accident and get people hurt or killed.

Second worst? It could burnout your tranny.

Answer 3

It shoudlnt be possible to put it in reverse whist driving, dont worry about it!

Answer 4

wreck the gearbox

Answer 5

If it's a stick, you can't put it in reverse.

Most manual cars have a reverse lockout, if you try to put it in reverse while you're traveling forward, it will just grind like crazy but won't go into gear.

BTW they tested this on mythbusters.

Answer 6

Be care full when you change gears

Answer 7

Never heard of anybody managing to do this the noise before it engaged would stop you maybe chipping the gear teeth.

My boss was blasting down the motorway and managed to get from 4th to 1st and lift off. large bits of the engine were deposited in the road.

Lucky it was a Company car!

RoyS

Answer 8

Its very VERY hard to actually get a car thats moving forward into reverse, you will hear a lot of grinding first.... if you have superhuman strength and manage, despite lots of resistance and grinding to get it into reverse at a decent speed it will tear apart your gearbox.  I think its very unlikely youd manage to do this, not at any speed anyway... but it can be done if you change gear really aggressively!

Answer 9

Don't know to this day how he did it but witnessed a 50horse outboard shifted from full forward to reverse you are only supposed to do this at low revs as a safety measure but the engine sort of blew apart,so if you could do it I would assume the same result.

Answer 10

your gearbox will be smashed to bits,the car it self might be damaged due to flying bits,some could enter into the cockpit and harm you and damage to others nearby,car parts from the engine and gearbox could fly into the path of people that are near to

Answer 11

Possibly destroy the gear box? May crack the plates, especially if the gear change was in force, usually the car would scratch when something like this happens, and is hard to get into gear.

Answer 12

Be Careful! Doing this could level entire city blocks and cost thousands of lives.

Answer 13

it wont let you your gears will just make a funny noise

Answer 14

You would wreck your gearbox and start slowing down til you end up reversing

Answer 15

Nasty noise and possible damage to the gearbox.

Did it once with a Nissan Primera and the box was never quite the same again. Thought I was in 3rd but actually in 5th and tried to change up.

Answer 16

Not coming to a complete stop before shifting into reverse can cause severe damage to the transmission as well as to yourself.

Answer 17

worst outcome would be replacing trans/clutch with new or rebuilt