Q: Accidentally forgot to turn engine on before switching gears and reversing car
I accidentally managed to change the car's gears and begin reversing before I even turned on the engine. The keys were in the ignition but the engine was not turned on. As I was reversing, the steering wheel became stiff and the car slowed completely and I realized what happened. I couldn't move the keys so I changed the gear back into park. After that I was then able to turn the engine on with no problems. The wheel felt a tad loose (but I think it's probably because I was struggling to move the wheel earlier, and thought it felt loose in comparison to the stiff wheel) however I was able to safely make it home. The entire situation lasted about 20 seconds. Do there seem to be any issues that might arise because of this (particularly with the steering)?
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Your car is designed to react exactly the way it did as a result of the safety features built into it. You should not have any issues related to steering as a result of this. I would recommend starting your car and driving it as normal, checking the functionality of steering.
If you do notice anything out of the ordinary, I would recommend having an expert mechanic, like one from Your Mechanic, come to your home to diagnose your steering problem and suggest an accurate fix. Best of luck.
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