Major Problem

[SD1]

So I was backing out of a driveway and at the end of my reversing I tapped the brake and selected "D" looked ahead but the truck kept going in reverse and struck a parked car. The gear selector was blinking and there was a message to apply the brake and select a gear, something like that.

It seems like this condition is a combo of a quick brake tap while changing gears. I am curious if anyone else has experienced this "problem" I have filed a complaint with NHTSA due to the fact that this issue caused an accident.

Otherwise I have been happy with the truck. It is a 2014 1500 quad cab hemi 2wd with 9500 miles.

 

[adrianp89]

Why would you tap the brake, change gears and assume right away it is in the right gear? It sounds like this all happened in a second or two.

I always wait a second and slowly let off the brake and wait to hit the gas to just to make sure I am in the right gear. That way I don't end up inside an Applebees. I don't know but that just sounds like bad driving to me.

Car runs over patron, crashes into Applebee's

 

[EagleChief]

Can't say I really get the tappin' the break either. But, it happened and it really sucks. I don't think the NHTSA is going to do anything about it, except say that it was driver error.

Sucks that it happened. Keep us posted on what happens next.

 

[Booms]

I don't end up inside an Applebees.......

 

[clh1220]

Sounds like driver error to me.

 

[Rzrman328]

Sounds like driver error to me.

^^^this.

 

[SD1]

Yeah I am sure its driver error, get a clue, the problem is that I have been driving the car for over a year now and I know when you click the dial to D, that is as far as it goes, you cannot Mis-select a gear going all the way to the right, it does not require you to LOOK at the rotary dial or another instrument??? While the incident did not happen at my residence, I do the exact thing EVERY time I drive the truck. It acts the same EVERY time, there is a slight roll backward before the gear catches. What happened is the D was selected, but somehow the trans did not engage into the forward gear even though both the rotary switch and the illumated light indicated it was in D. I am saying the system should not illuminate the "D" when it is not actually IN DRIVE. I am sure if your truck acted in a way contrary to the way you were expecting it to based on the fact that it did it the same way the first 100x what bother you too. I am a long time mechanic and enthusiast, I know the difference between me backing into a post, and "Oh ****, what was that?" I am just curious if others have selected D, R, or P, if the system ever "farted" and not properly selected the gear or given you the warning, "apply brake and select gear" if you want to make fun of me, you already know you are a **** and dont need me to tell you.

 

[adrianp89]

What your saying can very well be true. I've seen cases of people being at fault and in their mind they did everything right, but eventually proven wrong, they just didn't realize they had a lapse in judgement and don't remember it at all. I could see you tapped the brake, quickly shifting gears, but because of the tap it stopped in neutral, the tap wasn't enough to stop the truck completely, and it continued the momentum from reverse into the car.

Honestly though if you had enough time to see the car was in "D", you probably had enough time to realize you were still going backwards before you hit the gas.

Or this is a very serious problem.

 

[Rzrman328]

Yeah I am sure its driver error, get a clue, the problem is that I have been driving the car for over a year now and I know when you click the dial to D, that is as far as it goes, you cannot Mis-select a gear going all the way to the right, it does not require you to LOOK at the rotary dial or another instrument??? While the incident did not happen at my residence, I do the exact thing EVERY time I drive the truck. It acts the same EVERY time, there is a slight roll backward before the gear catches. What happened is the D was selected, but somehow the trans did not engage into the forward gear even though both the rotary switch and the illumated light indicated it was in D. I am saying the system should not illuminate the "D" when it is not actually IN DRIVE. I am sure if your truck acted in a way contrary to the way you were expecting it to based on the fact that it did it the same way the first 100x what bother you too. I am a long time mechanic and enthusiast, I know the difference between me backing into a post, and "Oh ****, what was that?" I am just curious if others have selected D, R, or P, if the system ever "farted" and not properly selected the gear or given you the warning, "apply brake and select gear" if you want to make fun of me, you already know you are a **** and dont need me to tell you.

Easy killer....the way you described the incident sounds like it was a quick shift and you didn't give it time to fully engage. That's how your description came off APPARENTLY to everyone.

Welcome to ram forums by the way.

 

[SilverStreak88]

You may know your truck, but you need to fully understand it.

 

[SD1]

What your saying can very well be true. I've seen cases of people being at fault and in their mind they did everything right, but eventually proven wrong, they just didn't realize they had a lapse in judgement and don't remember it at all. I could see you tapped the brake, quickly shifting gears, but because of the tap it stopped in neutral, the tap wasn't enough to stop the truck completely, and it continued the momentum from reverse into the car.

Honestly though if you had enough time to see the car was in "D", you probably had enough time to realize you were still going backwards before you hit the gas.

Or this is a very serious problem.

I understand this, yes it was my fault, I should have come to a complete stop, should have caught it when the gear didnt engage, so yes the bottom line, it was my fault. The point I am making is that the system allowed me to believe (if even for just an instant) that the truck was engaging "D" and I lifted the brake long enough to allow the car to roll back (I did not hit the accelerator) . It was that momentary deception that the car was AND SHOULD HAVE engaged drive. Trust me, it was weird, it would throw any of you off.

Also, once I hit the other car, (it was VERY minor btw) I put my hand back on the dial THINKING I must have been in REVERSE, but the rotary dial was in "D" and the light was illuminated and blinking and the message to "apply brake and select gear" was in the display.

 

[SilverStreak88]

You know another thread was just started also about this issue stating that he set it to P and it was still in R, this was dash knob though.

 

[Hemifatboy]

Sounds like your telling the truth to me , I don't have that shifter so can't help but have you look on the web to see if anyone else had the same issue?
Ps I thought his was the dash knob

 

[SD1]

You know another thread was just started also about this issue stating that he set it to P and it was still in R, this was dash knob though.

Yes I have the dash knob. If this is true can a mod merge the threads? Thanks

 

[SilverStreak88]

Here's the thread...........

http://www.ramforum.com/f38/rotary_shifter_stopping_r-74462/

 

[SD1]

Thanks for posting that. Sounds like he is just not used to using his.

 

[adrianp89]

Thanks for posting that. Sounds like he is just not used to using his.

I am still getting used to mine. Sometimes I go for Reverse and spin to far and end up in park.

 

[JUICEBOX]

I am no help here, but reading your post i couldnt help but to say "thats what she said" a few times. ****** thing to happen, but **** does happen.

 

[LoneStarHemi]

My first thought is that the truck wants you to have your foot on the brake when you shift from reverse to drive regardless of if you were at a complete stop or just nearly stopped but still moving.

This is a situation where personal driving habits conflicting with the electronic nanny stuff. Just recently I had turned on to a street from a parking lot and was immediately coasting in drive to a red light at a low speed. The engine braking that the 8 speed does was slowing me down a little more than if I was in more typical vehicle transmission so I dialed it into neutral to coast more freely as I was anticipating the light. When the light turned green I dialed it back to drive but it did not go into drive and the truck EVIC wanted me to apply the brake. I did this and it went into drive, never coming to a complete stop.

Another time I was in a drive-thru lane, in drive, just barely moving to where you place your order. A couple of feet short and still just barely moving, while in drive, I killed the engine so not to have any noise. The truck immediately threw itself into park and lurched to a stop! Never expected that but now I know!

 

[TRCM]

I had an issue with mine, but I have a shifter.

Mine said it was in park, shifter was locked in park, but when you let off the brake, it started backing up, and even the backup camera came on.

When I turned it off, it would not let me start the truck again because it was in reverse, even with the shifter in park.

I had to pop the little access plate out and use my key to over-ride the park lock to put it in neutral to start it up.

Dealer said it was a bad shifter, and they replaced it. Who knows, but it hasn't happened again.