Going reverse with engine off (did I ruin my car?)

N8N wrote:

> Punch wrote:
>
>>"ozone" > wrote in message
groups.com...
>>
>>>Without turning the engine on, I put it in reverse (it's an
>
> automatic)
>
>>>and rolled down the driveway a bit to... I really can't remember.
>
> It is
>
>>>probably a REALLY stupid thing to do. Ever since then my car can
>
> barely
>
>>>start (it acts like the idle is really low,) but adjusting the idle
>>>doesn't seem to do anything. It works OK when moving, but once I
>
> stop,
>
>>>the engine revvs really slow and sometimes almost stops; once I
>
> start
>
>>>again, it goes really slow until I hear a "POP," like vapors
>
> igniting
>
>>>in the exhaust, and then it accelerates. I am asking whether my car
>>>running worse is a coincidence, or if I broke something really
>>>expensive.
>>>
>>
>>doubt it caused your problem, don't you have "N" on the selector?
>
>
>
> I stand by my previous answer, if he inadvertantly selected "R" and
> rolled *forward* and his car is such that the transmission will drive
> the engine, he could have rolled the engine backwards and jumped time.

I would believe that if it were a manual trans, but every automatic that
I can think of since the very earliest dual-range Hydramatics and the
last 1964 dual-pump Torqueflite will stay in NEUTRAL regardless of where
the selector lever is, provided the engine isn't running. And even in
the case of the dual-pump Torqueflite, you'd have to roll it fast enough
to a) build up enough hydraulic pressure for the transmission to engage,
and b) roll it faster so that the torque convertor would develop enough
torque on the crankshaft to actually turn the engine even if the tranny
DID go into gear. You can actually push-start a dual-pump Torqueflite
car, but you have to get it moving about 15-20 mph to do it.

IOW- I think its 99% certain that its a coincidence....