Accidentally Put Car In Reverse

If you're okay with it, can we start mocking you seriously now? You really do deserve it, you know...

So this is the stupidest thing you've ever done? Dude, you put car into reverse from neutral, when you shouldn't have been in either.

Was a woman involved in any of this?

BTW, +1 on those who say stay in gear. I'm sorry you don't have a manual, as I'm sure are you, but think about it...if you had a manny, you'd have gone from neutral to where...pick a number...doesn't even have to be a forward gear!

So what do you think you were thinking...that coz you were going down a hill in neutral, that you had a steptronic all of a sudden and could push up for a lower gear? No, I'm thinking drugs, alcohol, or women...yes, two of the three.

Maybe something else going on in back seat...don't want to say what I'm thinking, OP, but I'm pretty sure you know I know. We can leave it at that, or you can do so explaining.

Sorry about those harsh words above...trying to find my fanatics voice! There are some really rude people here!

Doug

Originally Posted by Killinspree

these are all great replies so thanks everyone, i wont be putting it into neutral anymore thats for sure! il check and see what OBDII code i recieve, hopefully its nothing major but putting it into reverse gear while going 80 in the opposite direction was by far the stupidest thing ive done, i was expecting people to make fun of me hehe


just to clearify:
my car is only automatic- no step, those were introduced in the models an year after mine
problems only started occuring after my error

You were going 80!?!?!?

Maybe the fact that you have a straight up auto means you dont have the computer controlled bit in there either. Do you have a button at the bottom of the throttle movement? Do you have the capability of like a "sport" mode with "manual" shifting?

The tranny might have legitimately gone into reverse without a computer there to stop it. I would think bmw would design a saftey feature for this . Maybe read the manual to get some more info? I would look but I dont have a 1999 manual handy.


Hahaha Doug ^

Im not trying to be harsh at all. Im just trying to figure out what could have happened I guess... The U Haul videos just fit the bill.

What happened when this mis-shift occurred? Did the car violently shudder or skid? You describe the damage was already done that suggests something went south that you felt or heard. The manual guys have coined the term "money shift". Perhaps this can now be extended to auto-trans owners?

ive never had a girlriend, too smart to drink and drive and never done drugs so none of those were factors haha

when the mis shift occured everything seemed fine at first, i reached my destination safely without noticing anything out of the ordinary, but when i left the destination the dash showed an check engine light, the time only time its noticable is going from a full stop to 40, or when idling, after that the car runs fairly smoothly. But a jerkiness motion can definatly be felt when accelerating from a complete stop.


im not blaming the manufacter but even i am suprised the car let me shift into reverse from neutral while the car was going 80 forward in the first place, i dont quite still know how i managed to do that- it happend none the less. no sport mode no steptronic or manual shifting, just straight up automatic.

il get the car checked out today hopefully n get back with the engine code

Originally Posted by Andy2108

Maybe the fact that you have a straight up auto means you dont have the computer controlled bit in there either. Do you have a button at the bottom of the throttle movement? Do you have the capability of like a "sport" mode with "manual" shifting?

BMW has been using computer controlled automatic transmissions since the late 80s.

"when the mis shift occured everything seemed fine at first"... So, nothing happened? It just continued cruising along and you pulled it back into drive? I imagined a screeching, hair-rising event that would make for a wet spot on your pant leg. Your current concern may not even be related. Pull and post your SES code(s).

Actually your car may use more gas at neutral than engine braking, because at some point on the E46 BMW programmed their DMEs to turn off the injectors when engine braking.

Obviously in this case your engine idling in neutral uses more gas than your engine being turned by the rear wheels but not using any gas.

Also the more your engine brakes, the less you wear on your brakes.

Also, at least in the USA, you don't need to press the shift button to go from Drive to Neutral, but you do to go from Neutral to Reverse. Sadly, that mechanism is there to prevent this sort of incident. While on the topic, you don't have to press the shift button to go from Reverse to Neutral or Neutral to Drive.

ok so got the car checked out, dont know the specific code but it turns out it was a misfire on cylinder 2, might have not had anything to do with the mis shift after all.
so bought some brand new spark plugs, replaced all 6 and so far so good! car performs like its new again. i'l continue to post if the problem reoccurs, but if this did solve the problem- i might have dodged a bullet, it would be the best case senario i can think of for something that seemed like a major problem.

Originally Posted by Killinspree

ok so got the car checked out, dont know the specific code but it turns out it was a misfire on cylinder 2, might have not had anything to do with the mis shift after all.
so bought some brand new spark plugs, replaced all 6 and so far so good! car performs like its new again. i'l continue to post if the problem reoccurs, but if this did solve the problem- i might have dodged a bullet, it would be the best case senario i can think of for something that seemed like a major problem.

lmao op you just gave me a good laugh lol. in terms of codes from a bmw, a misfire on one cylinder is like the tiniest code i have ever seen lol. some guys come up here with like page long code readouts lol.

happy for you though and get a peake reader for gods sake!

while you are at the spark plugs i would go ahead and do the fuel filter air filter power steering fluid brake fluid oil and coolant

Originally Posted by golf_234

while you are at the spark plugs i would go ahead and do the fuel filter air filter power steering fluid brake fluid oil and coolant

Don't forget to change the xenon fluid too..

Serriously, going down hill you want to be putting it in a lower gear to engine brake. Don't worry about gas, when engine braking you aren't using it. We're fuel injected not careburated

I like how so many people like to criticize on this forum now while they add nothing to the thread. I think he got it after the first time. Anyway, I have had two misfires and my car is running how you discribed. Your fine.

Originally Posted by kurtnhl

I like how so many people like to criticize on this forum now while they add nothing to the thread. I think he got it after the first time. Anyway, I have had two misfires and my car is running how you discribed. Your fine.

i hope you werent referencing mine? i was being serious lol.. it is good measure for the car

Originally Posted by golf_234

i hope you werent referencing mine? i was being serious lol.. it is good measure for the car

One liners arn't a problem and you had some imput.

Originally Posted by kurtnhl

One liners arn't a problem and you had some imput.

I was thinking about going for my internetz polise certificate too, where did you get yours?

Originally Posted by ac_2007

I was thinking about going for my internetz polise certificate too, where did you get yours?

Do you write your own jokes? Damn that was funny.

Originally Posted by kurtnhl

Do you write your own jokes? Damn that was funny.

Ofcourse, if you ever need help let me know

You do know that you save more gas by downshifting right? Esp since you were going downhill

Originally Posted by xi325xi02

You do know that you save more gas by downshifting right? Esp since you were going downhill

I also heard driving in reverse actually FILLS UP your gas tank because the pistons move in the other direction extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and converting it back into petrolleum

Originally Posted by ac_2007

I also heard driving in reverse actually FILLS UP your gas tank because the pistons move in the other direction extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and converting it back into petrolleum

lol.. if you are developing this you may be a billionaire very soon