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I am the type to read the owners manual of everything I buy. I am a new driver and I have just read my owner's manual. As the questions says, it's telling me not to instantly shift to revers when I have just driven forward. I understand that I have to be at full stop to shift to reverse. (as it also said, and at least that part makes sense) but why wait for a few seconds in neutral to shift into reverse?

I drive a 5 speed Manual 1.5 Gasoline.

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This is to protect the transmission. I don't know if your vehicle is automatic or reverse, but in either case it is good practice to completely stop the vehicle before going from one direction to the other. By telling you to stop the vehicle for several seconds, it ensures you are completely stopped. Even rolling a little can cause damage as it puts a high amount of stress on the internals.

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  • So it's just so they make sure I'm on a stop then?
    – Jomar Sevillejo
    Feb 11, 2016 at 0:06
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    @JomarSevillejo - There may be some other obtuse reason, but I think this would be the major one.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Feb 11, 2016 at 0:11
  • This may not be the case on your vehicle, but I've owned vehicles that didn't have synchros on reverse. If you didn't let it sit for a second, it would grind as it went into reverse.
    – rpmerf
    Feb 12, 2016 at 15:00

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