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Leaving Car In Gear


tomo91
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Allright chaps, basically I've always wondered the reason behind leaving the car in gear when your park up? I presume it puts less of a strain on the handbrake for when you park on hills and slopes? I've never done it before and was just wandering if it's actually worth me doing so? Does it not ruin the gearbox leaving it in gear? Cheers for any advice and help, just never really known the reason!

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Normally with older cars u should allways leave ur car in gear so if the handbreak failed then ur car wouldn't roll away. I do it even with my 58 plate focus ST. Better safe than sorry. And no it won't damage the gearbox at all! Just remember to take it out if gear befor u start the engine

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Allright chaps, basically I've always wondered the reason behind leaving the car in gear when your park up? I presume it puts less of a strain on the handbrake for when you park on hills and slopes? I've never done it before and was just wandering if it's actually worth me doing so? Does it not ruin the gearbox leaving it in gear? Cheers for any advice and help, just never really known the reason!

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC mobile app

Try this - Stop your car. Turn off the engine. Put the car in gear, the release the brake. How far will you go? Not very far. Always leave it in 1st. If you left it in 3rd, and it rolled, there's a chance that the engine could start (although I don't think that's very likely to happen on a modern car with an immobiliser and electronically controlled fuel injection).

So yeah, it's just to give a bit of extra security incase the handbrake fails. It also won't harm your gearbox at all, because all the gears in the gearbox are constantly meshed anyway.

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First gear facing uphill and obviously reverse when facing downhill.

I always do this, also stops someone cutting your handbrake cables and rolling your car away.

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There is no strain put on the gearbox if the handbrake is holding the car anyway.

It is simply a backup measure, which I always do parked on a hill. Stick it in the opposite gear to the way it will want to roll, as Stoney says.

You can also turn your wheels into the curb so you have another bit of protection. Downhill point wheels towards curb, uphill point them away.

Another reason is to save your brakes sticking. If you have rear discs and the car is likely to be parked for a while (on a flat), then you can leave it in gear, with the handbrake off.

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Believe me when I say always leave it in gear. I learnt the hard way a few weeks ago when my car toddled off on its own after being parked up for 20 minutes, into a Transit that was parked opposite. When the brakes cool down they contract and reduce the tension applied. If you have rear disks this tends to be worse.

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its standard on vauxhalls now theres a sticker inside the car telling you to leave it in gear after many handbrakes went faulty and cars started rolling away lol

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First gear for me whatever way the car is facing.

Trust vauxhall to come out with that!

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flip down the front drivers visor and boom there it is after searching why it was on the cars it turned out there was loads of faulty handbrakes cars rolling away and hitting other cars etc so they put it on as standard quite frankly its a vauxhall wrecking it is probably for the best

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First gear every time. Started doing this a few years back when my car at the time had a dodgy handbrake. Once you get in the habit you'll just do it by instinct.

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It's great doing it to someone that doesn't leave theirs in gear!

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Me too always have left my cars in gear even on the flat , Habit :)

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I have always left mine in 1st gear when parking. My daughter had a Y reg Astra and her handbrake failed twice in a couple of weeks. I found it hard to beleive until I googled the problem, lesson learnt.

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Leaving the car in 1st gear was also a primative security device for old Minis as if any thieving toe-rag decided to open the bonnet and attempt to start the car by using a screw driver across the back the starter solenoid then the car would jump forward and either break one (or more legs) or run them over.

Of course stiff or seized handbrake sector arms were never conducive to an efficient handbrake ....

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Yep I agree, leaving it in gear is always a good idea. No over strain placed on the gearbox.

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been doing it for 50 years...................just incase

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