[jellisfeingold]

Sorry if this has already been covered...

The P button seems awfully vulnerable to being hit while underway, causing a major transmission detonation, and I can imagine possibly selecting R, as well. The Giulia guide and manual don't really address this, other than issuing dire warnings about not engaging P or R except when stopped and the foot is on the brake.

So I asked Miller Motorcars, my dealer. Here is their response (short answer is, no, you can't shift into P or R at speed):

>>You cannot put the car into Park above about 2 MPH. Reverse, I believe is higher, maybe 3 MPH. Both are disabled above those speeds. The shifter is purely electronic (“Shift by Wire”), and there is NO mechanical connection between the shifter and the transmission, so there is no way to accidentally put the car in Park or Reverse while driving above 3 MPH. Below is specific technical information you can review.<<

TRANSMISSION SHIFTER

DESCRIPTION

A significant innovation is represented by the shift-by-wire shift engagement control, which means:

• There is no mechanical connection between the transmission and the shift lever.
• The shift lever is a device that detects the driver’s requests.
• There is no mechanical backup.
• The hydraulically actuated parking lock is managed by the Transmission Control Module (TCM).
• There is always a backup device for manually unlocking it so that the vehicle can be moved if necessary.

Using a shift-by-wire device simplifies the control installation and assembly, improving the passenger compartment sound proofing thanks to the lack of connection cables between the transmission and the shift lever.

The transmission control consists of the shift lever and the Automatic Gearbox Shifter Module (AGSM). The TCM and AGSM both communicate on the Controlled Area Network (CAN) bus.

OPERATION

With the shift-by-wire technology the shift lever is no longer forced to follow a selection grid to achieve a given transmission condition but, not unlike a joystick, always returns to the starting position, named “Central Position”. This behavior means that the shift lever position and the gearbox condition no longer correspond. To allow the shift control to be used intuitively, a logical control system that refers to the classic R, N, D, TIP selection grid was developed. From the Central Position the shift lever may move at most two positions forwards and at most two positions backwards. The shift lever has an ergonomic design and it has three key elements built into the top for gear shift management and driver information:

• Lever release button.
• Parking lock release button.
• Transmission gear indicator.

For the following shifts, you must press the brake pedal and/or the release button:

• From P to D: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From D to R: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From R to P: Brake pedal + parking lock engagement button.
• From N to D: Brake pedal.
• From N to R: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From D to N: Movement allowed without any additional operations.

NOTE:
For safety reasons, between the speeds of 2.5 km/h to 5 km/h (1.5 mph to 3 mph), it is possible to shift from R to D and vice versa without pressing the brake pedal. The D or R icon will start to flash and the gear will be engaged as soon as the vehicle speed is below the threshold of approximately 2.5 km/h (1.5 mph).

 

[Alfa in Vegas]

Good to know! I, too, was worried about hitting it accidentally while reaching for my phone or something in the cup holders. Also drive my better half's 2013 Honda Pilot on occasion. I can tell you it is very easy to hit the transmission lever because of where it sticks out of the dash and more than once I've knocked it into N while at speed.

 

[SoopirV]

Great timing on this- I was fooling around day before yesterday, trying to figure out how to get it into Neutral from Drive, and (while going very slow) accidentally engaged reverse...scared the **** out of me, but didn't notice any adverse effects.

 

[Termolise]

I did it today. I'm a cretino. Accidentally hit the P button while in drive at about 30mph in my 5 day old 2017 Giulia. The car seemed to stall for about 2 seconds while my dash blew up with transmission errors along with a yellow check engine light. Also the white LED on the shift knob went into a blinking pattern. The car continued to drive but the DNA selection became unavailable. Seemed to be stuck in the blue N mode even though I was driving in the A green mode.
Other lights on like the start/stop disabled. I drove 2 more miles to pull over. Performed a shutoff and restart. Check engine did not clear. Drove another 20 miles and parked in my driveway. Went back out after 20 min and started car. All errors and check engine cleared. Car operating normal.

Based on the above info it seems there are controls in place to not blow up the tranny with the 2 and 3 mph limits. If that is correct the car should be fine

Perhaps Alfa needs to rethink the design of that shift knob. And/ Or allow for not throwing all those error lights in such a benign event to panic the driver. Too easy to hit that P while driving.

 

[Adz3000]

I did it today. I'm a cretino. Accidentally hit the P button while in drive at about 30mph in my 5 day old 2017 Giulia. The car seemed to stall for about 2 seconds while my dash blew up with transmission errors along with a yellow check engine light. Also the white LED on the shift knob went into a blinking pattern. The car continued to drive but the DNA selection became unavailable. Seemed to be stuck in the blue N mode even though I was driving in the A green mode.
Other lights on like the start/stop disabled. I drove 2 more miles to pull over. Performed a shutoff and restart. Check engine did not clear. Drove another 20 miles and parked in my driveway. Went back out after 20 min and started car. All errors and check engine cleared. Car operating normal.

Based on the above info it seems there are controls in place to not blow up the tranny with the 2 and 3 mph limits. If that is correct the car should be fine

Perhaps Alfa needs to rethink the design of that shift knob. And/ Or allow for not throwing all those error lights in such a benign event to panic the driver. Too easy to hit that P while driving.

Out of curiosity, did the car apply the brakes?

 

[Termolise]

The brakes did not apply..

 

[lockem]

• The hydraulically actuated parking lock is managed by the Transmission Control Module (TCM).
• There is always a backup device for manually unlocking it so that the vehicle can be moved if necessary.

Multiple people have had a need for said backup device for getting the transmission out of park when the vehicle stalled on the road and would not start. Does anybody know how this works?

 

[lockem]

I did it today. I'm a cretino. Accidentally hit the P button while in drive at about 30mph in my 5 day old 2017 Giulia. The car seemed to stall for about 2 seconds while my dash blew up with transmission errors along with a yellow check engine light. Also the white LED on the shift knob went into a blinking pattern. The car continued to drive but the DNA selection became unavailable. Seemed to be stuck in the blue N mode even though I was driving in the A green mode.
Other lights on like the start/stop disabled. I drove 2 more miles to pull over. Performed a shutoff and restart. Check engine did not clear. Drove another 20 miles and parked in my driveway. Went back out after 20 min and started car. All errors and check engine cleared. Car operating normal.

Based on the above info it seems there are controls in place to not blow up the tranny with the 2 and 3 mph limits. If that is correct the car should be fine

Perhaps Alfa needs to rethink the design of that shift knob. And/ Or allow for not throwing all those error lights in such a benign event to panic the driver. Too easy to hit that P while driving.

This is re-enforcing my thought that replacing the shifter with push buttons would be an improvement. Push buttons seem more straightforward to use, lighter, more compact; besides being non-traditional I don't see the downside. I wonder if it is possible to rig up something?

 

[nfl707]

Even mechanical sifters can not be forced into reverse or park while driving at speed. I saw it on mythbusters &#55357;&#56841;

If you had the auto parking break on would this cause any additional problems or trouble lights if you accidentally parked it while going point 5 past light speed?

 

[chaadster]

I did it today. I'm a cretino. Accidentally hit the P button while in drive at about 30mph in my 5 day old 2017 Giulia. The car seemed to stall for about 2 seconds while my dash blew up with transmission errors along with a yellow check engine light. Also the white LED on the shift knob went into a blinking pattern. The car continued to drive but the DNA selection became unavailable. Seemed to be stuck in the blue N mode even though I was driving in the A green mode.
Other lights on like the start/stop disabled. I drove 2 more miles to pull over. Performed a shutoff and restart. Check engine did not clear. Drove another 20 miles and parked in my driveway. Went back out after 20 min and started car. All errors and check engine cleared. Car operating normal.

Based on the above info it seems there are controls in place to not blow up the tranny with the 2 and 3 mph limits. If that is correct the car should be fine

Perhaps Alfa needs to rethink the design of that shift knob. And/ Or allow for not throwing all those error lights in such a benign event to panic the driver. Too easy to hit that P while driving.

I don't think that should happen. My car ignores such shifter inputs at those speeds; if I tap park while I'm cruising down the road, nothing happens. No stumbling, no MILs (malfunction indicator light).

Have you checked that all the applicable updates have been applied to your car? There was quite a host of them for MY17s, addressing a wide range of issues and potential issues.

 

[lockem]

Even mechanical sifters can not be forced into reverse or park while driving at speed. I saw it on mythbusters ��

If you had the auto parking break on would this cause any additional problems or trouble lights if you accidentally parked it while going point 5 past light speed?

Depends on the model year. 1956 Oldsmobile would go into park or reverse while still moving forward and would allow "dropping into gear" with the engine revved up while the transmission was in neutral.

 

[hypersloth]

Sorry if this has already been covered...

The P button seems awfully vulnerable to being hit while underway, causing a major transmission detonation, and I can imagine possibly selecting R, as well. The Giulia guide and manual don't really address this, other than issuing dire warnings about not engaging P or R except when stopped and the foot is on the brake.

So I asked Miller Motorcars, my dealer. Here is their response (short answer is, no, you can't shift into P or R at speed):

>>You cannot put the car into Park above about 2 MPH. Reverse, I believe is higher, maybe 3 MPH. Both are disabled above those speeds. The shifter is purely electronic (“Shift by Wire”), and there is NO mechanical connection between the shifter and the transmission, so there is no way to accidentally put the car in Park or Reverse while driving above 3 MPH. Below is specific technical information you can review.<<

TRANSMISSION SHIFTER

DESCRIPTION

A significant innovation is represented by the shift-by-wire shift engagement control, which means:

• There is no mechanical connection between the transmission and the shift lever.
• The shift lever is a device that detects the driver’s requests.
• There is no mechanical backup.
• The hydraulically actuated parking lock is managed by the Transmission Control Module (TCM).
• There is always a backup device for manually unlocking it so that the vehicle can be moved if necessary.

Using a shift-by-wire device simplifies the control installation and assembly, improving the passenger compartment sound proofing thanks to the lack of connection cables between the transmission and the shift lever.

The transmission control consists of the shift lever and the Automatic Gearbox Shifter Module (AGSM). The TCM and AGSM both communicate on the Controlled Area Network (CAN) bus.

OPERATION

With the shift-by-wire technology the shift lever is no longer forced to follow a selection grid to achieve a given transmission condition but, not unlike a joystick, always returns to the starting position, named “Central Position”. This behavior means that the shift lever position and the gearbox condition no longer correspond. To allow the shift control to be used intuitively, a logical control system that refers to the classic R, N, D, TIP selection grid was developed. From the Central Position the shift lever may move at most two positions forwards and at most two positions backwards. The shift lever has an ergonomic design and it has three key elements built into the top for gear shift management and driver information:

• Lever release button.
• Parking lock release button.
• Transmission gear indicator.

For the following shifts, you must press the brake pedal and/or the release button:

• From P to D: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From D to R: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From R to P: Brake pedal + parking lock engagement button.
• From N to D: Brake pedal.
• From N to R: Brake pedal + lever release button.
• From D to N: Movement allowed without any additional operations.

NOTE:
For safety reasons, between the speeds of 2.5 km/h to 5 km/h (1.5 mph to 3 mph), it is possible to shift from R to D and vice versa without pressing the brake pedal. The D or R icon will start to flash and the gear will be engaged as soon as the vehicle speed is below the threshold of approximately 2.5 km/h (1.5 mph).

wait you got all of that from your dealer? Amazing the disparity between one dealer and another. Had I visited and talked with my service dept before buying my car I would have likely walked away from Alfa.