I realize the locking mechanism in “P” prevents the car from moving but how does it move in “D” in the first place? The car is turned off! There is no ignition to the engine!
In: Engineering
P and D are connected to the part of the car that controls how much power is transmitted to the wheels. This part that transmits power is called the transmission and is made up of a number of spinning gears. When you put a car in P, a lever is inserted between the teeth of one of the gears, stopping the transmission from spinning. This lever is called the “pawl”. Since the transmission is what turns the wheels, the wheels cannot move while the pawl is in this locked position. When the car is in D, the pawl is not stuck between the teeth of the gears, so the transmission is free to turn. The wheels can then also rotate and move the car.
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