Technical Ignition Key Removal 2020 Autobox

[slowdriver]

Just been searching through the forum to see if there were any previous posts on this – there don't appear to be.
I have a 2020 Ducato Campervan on a Maxi chassis with the new ZF (I think) auto-box. The general advice on the Camper forums when mothballing the van for the winter is to leave the handbrake off, to avoid the brakes seizing, and the gearbox in Neutral, rather than Park, because pin that locks the auto-box when in Park is prone to failure if left for long periods.
(I have no idea if this is correct or not)

When I tried to do this yesterday, it appears that the ignition key can only be removed on an auto when the gearbox is in Park and that therefore the general advice to leave in Neutral rather than Park cannot actually be followed, at least no as far as a modern auto-box is concerned.

Is this correct? Have I missed something?

 

[portland_bill]

Modern autos are electronically controlled, and with this has come the ability to lock the key in until the gearbox is safe. This will probably be mentioned somewhere in the depths of the handbook, but may have lost something in translation.

Park is a physical peg into a gear ring. There is no reason for it to fail, or be weak, unless the vehicle is moved when park is engaged. Just sitting there should not cause it to fail, even if resting on it on a slope. My guess is that these stories come from people who have physically dragged their vehicle from a parking place, without removing it from park first. Or perhaps selecting park whilst still moving. That should cause a ratcheting mechanism to rattle and protect the box, but if the pin engages, it can break the gearbox casing.

If laying the vehicle up, my concerns would be tyres and gearbox seals, rather than the park pin. The vehicle should be lifted off its wheels, and the tyres pumped up a little higher than normal, to keep them round. Protecting them from the sun's UV rays is a good idea too.
Autoboxes have lots of tiny seals inside, which are kept flexible by the oil circulating. If they dry out, more likely the external seals at torque converter and output shafts, they leak, and an overhaul is expensive. Using it regularly is a better idea.

Whilst it may not be suitable for shopping trips or the school run, giving it a reasonable outing once a month will do more good than any storage precautions.