Gear or neutral at park?

NeonNinja

NeonNinja

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So my dad's always inculcated that car facing uphill, leave in gear 1. Facing downhill, reverse.

Never did this for 4 years.

Is it a precaution should handbrake fail?
 
It's habit for those who have driven without handbrake :D
Always leave mine in gear too fro the same reason. Never bother with reverse though, but if the hill is steep enough, I may be fussy.
 
It is indeed largely a holdover from days gone by when cars' handbrakes were a little more prone to failure than today, but it's not a bad habit to have. As hot bits cool down after a drive, and even more so as a car gets older and more temperamental, there is always the chance that something can let go under strain.
 
Our parking home is an incline. Always left it neutral when I'm home. Pull handbrake to max.

When he drives, leaves in gear 1. When I start the car, it always stalls :D

Now he's patronizing me about this.
 
HapticSimian said:
It is indeed largely a holdover from days gone by when cars' handbrakes were a little more prone to failure than today, but it's not a bad habit to have. As hot bits cool down after a drive, and even more so as a car gets older and more temperamental, there is always the chance that something can let go under strain.
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Nicely summed up

My old man to this day does that as well.
 
You should always pull up the handbrake before releasing the clutch when leaving a car in gear anyway, so the handbrake takes the strain. It shouldn't ever matter but unforeseen things do happen, and if a quick fiddle can potentially save you from accident or tragedy, why not?

Listen to your dad...
 
Bond said:
So my dad's always inculcated that car facing uphill, leave in gear 1. Facing downhill, reverse.

Never did this for 4 years.

Is it a precaution should handbrake fail?
Click to expand...

I can't see why it should make any difference whether you leave the car in 1st gear or reverse. A gear is a gear. At the end of the day it's the compression of the engine that stops the car from moving if it's in gear. What gear it's in shouldn't make any difference if the car is stationary.
 
thechamp said:
Yes, I always do this when parked on a slope.
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I'm pretty sure they teach this when you do your licence. Only a fool would park their car on a slope and not leave it in gear. I'm really shocked to hear that people don't do this.
 
On a severe enough slope there does seem to be a difference for whatever reason. I've experienced cars still able to kinda hop forward against compression when the gear matches the incline, in other words in reverse on an uphill and 1st on a downhill. Might have to do with an engine being less inclined to turn in the opposite to normal direction...?
 
Guy i knew parked his brand new volvo on an incline in gear no handbrake . Started to run backwards down hill and into a tree .
 
Today said:
I find it a bit concerning that the OP just blindly turns the ignition key and doesn't bother to check that the vehicle is in neutral or depress the clutch.
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And doesn't park his car in gear on an incline. I think someone needs to go do their drivers licence again.
 
Just got my new Focus (back then) back from the dealer after the first service. Parked it in front of the garage, in neutral, handbrake up.

Hour later my kids come in joking that our car "crashed".

Ford_Brakes.jpg

Naturally I was very upset, called the dealer. next thing the dealer principal was here... also started with the leave in 1st gear, etc. and I said that it is not what the Ford manual says (I checked while waiting). Showed it to him. They took it away and repaired the damaged for free.
 
Bond said:
So my dad's always inculcated that car facing uphill, leave in gear 1. Facing downhill, reverse.
Click to expand...
You must do this and not the opposite, or only reverse/1st for either incline. Not sure why but I believe if you do, God kills a kitten.
 
I put it in park and done
Stopped driving stick long ago...

What I have noticed, is park seems to engage some kind of gear. Not sure how/what, but if on a slope and I put the car in park, then release the brake pedal before pulling the handbrake switch, the car engages something or other. Can feel it.
 
Bond said:
Our parking home is an incline. Always left it neutral when I'm home. Pull handbrake to max.

When he drives, leaves in gear 1. When I start the car, it always stalls :D

Now he's patronizing me about this.
Click to expand...

You ever clutch in when starting?


Forceful habit of mine even if in neutral.
 
DominionZA said:
I put it in park and done
Stopped driving stick long ago...

What I have noticed, is park seems to engage some kind of gear. Not sure how/what, but if on a slope and I put the car in park, then release the brake pedal before pulling the handbrake switch, the car engages something or other. Can feel it.
Click to expand...

You should still use your handbrake too, although if you're pulling a switch you are. :) My car also automatically engages an electronic parking brake when I turn off the ignition, so that's probably what you're feeling (and likely hearing).

Park in an auto works by jamming a worryingly tiny pin into the rotating internals of the gearbox. As in the manual scenario it really shouldn't fail, but if it does...
 
DominionZA said:
I put it in park and done
Stopped driving stick long ago...

What I have noticed, is park seems to engage some kind of gear. Not sure how/what, but if on a slope and I put the car in park, then release the brake pedal before pulling the handbrake switch, the car engages something or other. Can feel it.
Click to expand...

Well duh, thats the point of "Park" it locks the output shaft.

shift_brake_park_operation.jpg
 
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