Gear or neutral at park?

Rincewind said:
Always put the car in gear when parking, mostly because of the gear lock
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My previous car's gear lock reminded me to always park in gear, but would do so anyway to prevent the car from rolling away if the parking brake fails. Now it's a habit (I also tend to start the car with my foot on the clutch).
 
dj_jyno said:
My previous car's gear lock reminded me to always park in gear, but would do so anyway to prevent the car from rolling away if the parking brake fails. Now it's a habit (I also tend to start the car with my foot on the clutch).
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also pulling the hand break all the way up stretches the cable and then one day all the way up does not cut it anymore
 
You have to have the clutch in to start my car's engine, so I just leave the car in the gear I'm going to use when I drive again.

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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Yeah, that's the first thing that caught my attention.

Rincewind said:
also pulling the hand break all the way up stretches the cable and then one day all the way up does not cut it anymore
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The dealership "resets" (forgot what they called it on the invoice) the handbrake when the car gets serviced. It's really noticeable how far it gets stretched.
 
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Fro said:
You have to have the clutch in to start my car's engine, so I just leave the car in the gear I'm going to use when I drive again.



Yeah, that's the first thing that caught my attention.



The dealership "resets" (forgot what they called it on the invoice) the handbrake when the car gets serviced. It's really noticeable how far it gets stretched.
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Same
 
It's not the cable stretching. It's the drum shoes wearing thinner.

Also as for the parking on a hill, don't forget to turn the steering wheel so if the car does roll it rolls into the kerb and thus stops.
 
In gear and handbrake up, it's how I was taught. Leaving a car in neutral just doesn't feel right, should be illegal.

My car requires me to put the clutch in anyway before I push to start, so makes sense to leave it in gear. Also, the handbrake only needs to be up to the point where it holds the car confidently, pulling it all the way all the time may one day result in a nasty snap, then you can say bye bye handbrake and you'll really have to leave your car in gear and never park on inclines.
 
Always leave the car in gear no matter where it's parked, and no matter how old it is or how well the handbrake works. Usually 1st. If it's a really steep hill and my handbrake is loose, I'll turn the steering wheel so that if it does roll, it'll stop when the wheels hit the kerb, but that's extremely rare.
 
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?
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It's good practice.

Just in-case the handbrake should fail.
 
I leave my car in first...its the shortest strongest gear - avoid using the handbrake if i can.
Reverse gear is a little bit longer than 1st - hence not as strong as first. (My wife argues this)

I try not to use my handbrake as it stretches the cable - so when you do need it in an emergency - the chances are its not going to work because you have stretched the cable so badly it doesn't engage anymore.

The nissan np200 - left in gear - those gearboxes are so week, it just rolls on the slightest incline, engage handbrake.
 
I've always treated the parking brake as a supplement to gear/compression/Park parking, level or incline. On a level park at say mall parking I sometimes don't even use the handbrake, just gear. In a manual, gear is opposite to incline, so reverse when pointing nose-down, and 1st when pointing nose-up. Also on rare occasions useful for fun handbrake turns when accelerator turns become boring when dicking around on dust roads.
 
Sinbad said:
It's not the cable stretching. It's the drum shoes wearing thinner.

Also as for the parking on a hill, don't forget to turn the steering wheel so if the car does roll it rolls into the kerb and thus stops.
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Was going to post the same. This is the safest way.
 
When I worked in Munich, our apartment block (I actually lived in the same block as the Munich shooter) was short of parking and it was quite common to "bumper-park" - i.e. all cars out of gear and no handbrake and people "just made space" - although not quite as extreme as this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsK5C8m44JY
 
HapticSimian said:
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...?
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Putting the car in reverse gear will not make the engine turn the other direction. :p
 
thehuman said:
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 .
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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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Dad being the only one I know, well and gf's bf. So it's quite widespread/normal.
 
Tsepz_011 said:
In gear and handbrake up, it's how I was taught. Leaving a car in neutral just doesn't feel right, should be illegal.

My car requires me to put the clutch in anyway before I push to start, so makes sense to leave it in gear. Also, the handbrake only needs to be up to the point where it holds the car confidently, pulling it all the way all the time may one day result in a nasty snap, then you can say bye bye handbrake and you'll really have to leave your car in gear and never park on inclines.
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It actually requires you to press the brake which means the car shouldn’t be left in gear. :)
 
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