CVT transmission : Does Shift Release Button usage cause any damage

I always press the Shift Release Button regardless to which mode I am shifting. For ex. even while shifting to D from S I press the Shift Release Button.

BHPian sreerknair recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I drive a Honda City 5th Gen CVT transmission and 95% of the time I drive it in the D mode. But in the remaining 5%, I need to shift to P, R, N, or S. While I shift to P, R and N only when the car is completely stopped, I shift between S and D even when the car is in motion.

My query is - What damage may I cause to the CVT transmission if I press the Shift Release Button ALWAYS while shifting between drive modes?

Honda manual mentions few scenarios where NOT to press the Shift Release Button. But this pattern is not intuitive for me and I can't recall it while driving.

So I always press the Shift Release Button regardless to which mode I am shifting. For ex. even while shifting to D from S I press the Shift Release Button. But manual says, do so WITHOUT pressing Shift release button. Below is what Honda manual says on the Shift Release Button usage:

Here's what BHPian varunsangal had to say on the matter:

Short answer: Nothing.

Long Answer: The Shift release button is like a mechanical brake (a cog) to prevent the car from slipping into an incorrect gear, Like D to R/P. This provides some amount of operational safety and also protects the engine/transmission from having to deal with incorrect commands.

My 2004 Honda City CVT had similar directions. I also used the shift release all the time between D, S, never faced any issues in 12 years and 100k kms. Back then there was an L mode as well to lock the car into 1st gear for steep inclines, that worked only with shift release.

Here's what BHPian MotoBlip had to say on the matter:

None. Shifting between S and D without using the release button is also perfectly fine. As long as you don't do that while the accelerator is floored, and even then it should be safe as the computers are smart enough to accept changes without damaging the transmission itself. If your car allows you to do it, it's safe.

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