MT shifting into reverse by accident?

[FirstNissan]

Hi, I just test drove a 2014 accord manual 6 speed transmission. 6th gear was awfully close to reverse and in order to engage reverse there is no "pull or push on the gear shift" like in my Nissan. It made me pretty uncomfortable thinking that I could accidentally shift into reverse while trying to find 6th gear.

Is there some backup safety mechanism in place to prevent this?

 

[Tegger]

There is a safety lockout that prevents the shifter from being moved into reverse while the vehicle is moving.

 

[expat]

That sounds strange, I cannot recall ever using a MT that did not have some sort of deterrent to prevent you from inadvertently shifting into reverse.

 

[Chris142]

You can't put it in reverse if your going forward at any speed. It will grind Because theres 2 gears going opposite directions.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My father used to do that when he was still driving truck. He was used to having a lot more than 5 ... when he couldn't shift into 6th gear, he'd move to neutral and try again.

Never managed to kill an AX-15 from it!

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
You can't put it in reverse if your going forward at any speed. It will grind Because theres 2 gears going opposite directions.

No.

You can't shift into reverse in that Accord because there's a blocker that prevents the lever from dropping into reverse if the car is moving. Once the vehicle is stopped, then the lever will go into reverse.

 

[javacontour]

The Mythbusters tried this. There is probably a youtube video of them trying this in a Honda Civic or similar, IIRC.

 

[FL_Rob]

Originally Posted By: expat
That sounds strange, I cannot recall ever using a MT that did not have some sort of deterrent to prevent you from inadvertently shifting into reverse.


Opposite for me.I've never driven a MT,with a rev lockout.

 

[4wheeldog]

My '05 Tacoma pickup has syncros so that you can shift into reverse while moving forward. I am not making this up. I cringed when I tried it the first time, and I have never done it with much speed, but slip right it, it does.

You do have to push down on the lever, and reverse is next to first, so no chance of doing it accidentally.

 

[19jacobob93]

When I was taking my driving lessons a few years ago my instructor told me a learner grenaded his last car by shifting it into reverse instead of 6th at 60mph! Not sure what car it was but it clearly didn't have much to prevent it from happening...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My parents had a wrangler with a 6 speed. The only issue I had with it was I'd sometimes Grab 4th. You would have to push down and towards reverse to get 6th. It wouldn't go into reverse uless you pushed it all the way to the left, past 1/2

 

[Chris142]

Any time I have tried to go into reverse going forward,even slowly it just ground until I was stopped.

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: 19jacobob93
When I was taking my driving lessons a few years ago my instructor told me a learner grenaded his last car by shifting it into reverse instead of 6th at 60mph! Not sure what car it was but it clearly didn't have much to prevent it from happening...


I sincerely doubt that the student got the car into reverse, at that speed. More likely second, or even first, but definitely a forward gear. The scary part is that it would most likely be the clutch that would grenade.

 

[Corvette Owner]

Most, if not all, modern cars have an electrical block on reverse when the car goes above a certain mph. My 1998 corvette has it.

This electrical block is easier and more foolproof than the old mechanical ones. My 1964 Corvette had two finger hooks that you had to pull up on to shift into reverse. If the spring broke, it could remain up all the time. Plus, if you pulled up you could go into reverse while driving forward!

 

[leeharvey418]

Originally Posted By: 4wheeldog
Originally Posted By: 19jacobob93
When I was taking my driving lessons a few years ago my instructor told me a learner grenaded his last car by shifting it into reverse instead of 6th at 60mph! Not sure what car it was but it clearly didn't have much to prevent it from happening...


I sincerely doubt that the student got the car into reverse, at that speed. More likely second, or even first, but definitely a forward gear. The scary part is that it would most likely be the clutch that would grenade.


Exactly.

Because a driving instructor would never embellish the truth in an effort to intimidate the student, right?

 

[asand1]

I've had a few manual transmissions apart and never seen a lockout mechanism in the trans. I have seen European cars with mechanisms in the shifter, but they could still be manipulated while in forward motion.

My father had a 96 S10 with synchronized reverse, I was able to shift to reverse at any speed, and I'm sure releasing the clutch pedal would have been disastrous.

Non synchronized transmissions will not go into reverse, they will just grind.