Parking with car in gear vs. Handbrake

[Rase]

Incline or no incline Pull the HB up so the car doesn’t roll at all then chuck it into P so it doesn’t have any pressure on the gears what so ever but incase the handbrake for whatever reason fails it will lock into P

I heard a lot of Transmission specialist say it doesn’t really matter nor does it damage the gears at all if you have it on a incline on P only!

[Dazza XLT]

I keep it in Neutral, and put the handbrake on.

[alesia]

ive always been taught in a Manual to park in gear and with the handbrake (in my car i do it without thinking)

[Deadman]

Originally Posted by davway

parking it in gear is like extra security that the car isnt going to roll into something else.
would you park an auto in neutral as well instead of park?

says it all really

[XRchic]

Manuals - leave in gear with handbrake on.

Autos - dont drive them.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Abacus

.......I just pull on the handbrake, chuck it in park, turn off the engine and climb out the door. That's complex enough for me.

Me too - except I find that by opening the door first, it make egress that little bit easier. LOL.

[Abacus]

Originally Posted by Rase

I heard a lot of Transmission specialist say it doesn’t really matter nor does it damage the gears at all if you have it on a incline on P only!

I have heard that in the US this is the norm.

[Abacus]

Originally Posted by JC

Me too - except I find that by opening the door first, it make egress that little bit easier. LOL.

LOL - So that's what I've been doing wrong!!

[troppo]

Always park in gear. If you're driving an unfamiliar car or share it (for work), always hit the clutch before you turn the key.

[anakha]

A work Lantra I had the displeasure of driving some years back required you to depress the clutch when you started it.

I recall firing up my car while at a car show a few years back, forgetting I had it in gear at the time. The club member looking into the engine bay almost dropped a load when the car tried to launch itself at him.

[Sloth]

I always leave my EB 5 spd in neutral with the handbrake on. I hardly ever park on an incline but if I do I leave it in the appropriate gear with the wheels turned as I was taught.

I drove a petrol hiace over a few days for work once requires you to press the clutch when you start it. It threw me when I first tried to start it as you dont have to in diesel hiaces. Anyway, I got into the habit of always starting with the clutch in as my dad always leaves my car in gear if he moves it.

[M14A-Mclaren]

I park in neutral. I think its probably because I work in a workshop and usually put cars in the workshop in neutral with no handbrake on in case it quickly need to be pushed forward so I've probably formed a habit of just using the handbrake.

[Ultimate]

Under qld law your car isnt parked with hand brake on and in gear there is 2 seperate fines now. Also i would of failured my test for my p's if i didnt do it also the accessor said.

Jeff

[blownba]

All nice and well. do as you please. BUT When you drop your car off at your mechanic and you park in the driveway in the way PLEASE, PLEASE, leave it out of gear. My boss and my apprentice have both leaned in and turned the key..... Need I say more?
Touch wood I haven't had it happen, but I can see how easy it is, you come in with a noise and wan't someone to listen to it the first thing a mechanic wants to do is start it to listen to it. The problem is most mechanics wont check if its in gear or not.

[Ultimate]

Maybe they need to check these things before starting car.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by blownba

The problem is most mechanics wont check if its in gear or not.

Not sure what to say to this other then find a new mechanic. If he or they don't know enough to check that a manual car is out of gear then they shouldn't be working in this field. I would be looking at the office wall for cornflake packets.

[blownba]

ha yeah good points I'd say the same things too if I haven't seen the accidents that happen from time to time even to the most experienced and respected of mechanics. I should of said a small number of mechanics not most. Are you a mechanic? Do you work on thousands of cars a year? Haven't you ever made a mistake at work? What i'm saying is it shouldn't happen you'd think its common sense not to let it happen, but it does. And yeah I know I work with dickheads but what doesn't happen to me is always a good thing.
Anyway i got off the topic of the thread I don't like to park in gear myself. I can't understand why it would be on offence to not do so. Can someone explain this to me????

[Full Spectrum]

Always use a handbrake safest way.

My bloody mechanic has a bad habit of when he goes on a test drive when he gets back he turns the car of moving and still in D. I told him off last week said mate at least knock it in N and stop first i don't like that.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by blownba

ha yeah good points I'd say the same things too if I haven't seen the accidents that happen from time to time even to the most experienced and respected of mechanics. I should of said a small number of mechanics not most. Are you a mechanic? Do you work on thousands of cars a year? Haven't you ever made a mistake at work? What i'm saying is it shouldn't happen you'd think its common sense not to let it happen, but it does. And yeah I know I work with dickheads but what doesn't happen to me is always a good thing.
Anyway i got off the topic of the thread I don't like to park in gear myself. I can't understand why it would be on offence to not do so. Can someone explain this to me????

No I am not a mechanic; my farther is or was as he is retired now. I have been around cars all my life to the point where cars are my life. If I were to make a similar mistake at my work someone would be dead or the damage bill would run into hundreds of thousands or more. Duty of care basically doesn't accept mistakes without sever consequences and repercussions. There is no such thing as 'we had a little accident with your car, nothing serious just a small dent" without what seems like a federal inquiry. What would be regarded as a scratched hand turns into 20 pages of paper work to eliminate it from happening again. A "near miss" isn't lucky, that cause for protracted investigation. Large business is living in another world. If these practises get into small business to the same extent I don’t see much future for them. The cost is prohibitive but worker safety and attitude to eradicating accidents isn't considered a luxury anymore. Two months ago we sacked two people for safety breaches. No one was hurt and no one came close to getting hurt but the breaches showed complete disregard for procedures and respect for their own safety let alone those around them.


This thread is about getting into to a habit or technique more then anything else so that you repeat the one procedure on instinct. I no longer service my cars because they have got away from me technology wise and as I own both manuals and automatics I learnt a long time ago how easy it is to forget where one is. But to be in this trade and repeat what is a basic error for the sake of time well that’s not smart. If these people haven't learnt from one mistake they aren't good mechanics. We are talking about people that are entrusted to fix cars not hand them back with damage or to have caused bodily harm while the car was in their care. These are mechanically minded and trained professionals. I am glad you quantified it as a small number. Working on thousands of cars should mean this sort of thing never happens more then once. Might sound unrealistic and harsh and perhaps it is but that’s the world and age we are moving into. If I was you custom and that got back to me then you aren’t taking enough care with my cars and that is something I don’t tolerate. You would be down one customer. Work load is no justification to a reduction in duty of care and that is the bottom line. You have to always be thinking and make sure mistakes are learnt from not tolerated as part of life.

[blownba]

ohhh my head hurts. Please forgive me. I wish i could unpost.
I could say more but I think Ive had enough of making myself look like an idiot.
I am obviously living in a dream land.

[Boss 290]

i havent read through all the pages so mabey someone has said it but i was told when the car has worked hard out you should just park it on a flat spot with it in gear but not to put the handbrake up unless your on a slope...its said to burn through the brakes...anyways i always park it in gear and with the hand brake up, its what i was taught. if i do prk it with out the handbrake its usually only for a minute and has to be flat ground

[Boss 290]

i hve just read through the posts and im shocked to hear that the ba has a bad hand brake...i have never had a problem with my car it worked fine...i must be one of the lucky ones

[red_hotxr6]

I park the car, put the cark into park and put the handbrake on.

[needaXYGT]

well im guessing the question is aimed at just manuals cause when parking an auto, the intellignet thing to do would park it P (park). wouldnt park it in neutral in my dads AU cause the handbrake cable doesnt stop stretching for some reason.
for a manual, i park in 1st with handbrake on.

[Cam]

its all about repitition, My AU's handbrake wasn't working for a while, i got out of the habit of pulling it up, it took me a few days to remember to pull it up, but now i do it as habit.

But on topic, manual car, unless i am on a steep incline i leave it in N, for anyone who has gotten up at 5am and made the mistake of starting a car in gear in a garage and having it launch though the bedroom wall will no doubt agree! But we all make mistakes.

Anither thing, sometime ago before i got a new box for my AU and when the handbrake was gone i used to park it in P on a steel driveway, i'd slowly engage the brakes and let it slowly drop its weight on the gear, but it stayed there no worries, and no that wasn't what killed the box, i blame the touque

Cam

[DEVL-XR]

i ALWAYS park my manual EB in gear. it was the way i was taught and i always do it. it dosent do any harm being in gear so why not give the car an extra brake? if im facing uphill i put it in 1st and if im facing downhill i put in reverse. i always use the handbrake too.

i was mucking around with a mates car and flicking through the gears (manual) and i left it in first, because thats where i leave my car in, well my mate went to start the car and because he always leaves it in neatual he didnt bother to make sure it wasnt in gear, he turned the key and the car jumped up on the right angled gutter and was inches away from hitting a light post! he managed to turn it off in time and jump on the brake, mind you he was standing next to the car, not sitting in it!!!

[XW Boy]

Mine's always in gear, cos the handbrake doesnt work

[angelwithinvisiblewings]

Originally Posted by fat289

You " NEVER " park a truck in gear !!!!!!!

Why? Just curious.

[angelwithinvisiblewings]

Originally Posted by angelwithinvisiblewings

Why? Just curious.

Never mind just worked it out myself...

[the_scotsman]

On an incline, in 1st or reverse (depending on slope) and handbrake (letting weight shift first as said by others).
Otherwise...handbrake only...always have...always will...