ToXIcG Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Im interested to see what you guys do when you park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JW1982 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 I always leave my car in 1st gear when parked. I only use the parking brake on steep hills (which are very rare where I live). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 I pull the handbrake up 2 notches and leave it in 1st gear. (2 notches because if it’s raining, if I pull it another notch, when I try to move off, the rear brakes stick and you hear them ‘crack’ off) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomsFocus Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Handbrake only unless it's a steep hill for me. If someone bumps the car while parking it can turn the engine the wrong way and on some engines knock the timing off. Plus, despite usually starting with the clutch down, I'm always worried I'd jump in and start with it in gear lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke4efc Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 You don't really need to leave it in gear anymore, handbrakes are much less prone to failure nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie eastwood Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 My driveway slopes towards the road, I reverse onto it and leave it in reverse with handbrake on most of the way up. I recall a neighbor,s handbrake freezing stuck in the bad weather a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philf1 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Always leave mine in gear since I saw someone at work car roll down the car park as the hand break slowly let go as the discs cooled down and contracted. It was pretty funny [emoji23] mind you and made me change what I do Sent from my iPhone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stef123 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 I'm actually surprised by the figures so far - I know its early days yet with only a few votes but I did think it would be much more towards a 'yes' vote. I always leave a car in gear after I've parked it. Much more fun when it's the car of someone who doesn't leave it in gear Get called for all sorts when they go lurching forward. I view it as a fail safe in some respect. A handbrake is only as good as the 2 or 3 cables that make up the system. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turvey Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 No, when parked on the flat. Yes, when parked on a slope. 1st if facing uphill, reverse when facing downhill. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 No, when parked on the flat. Yes, when parked on a slope. 1st if facing uphill, reverse when facing downhill. Likewise.Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turvey Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 11 minutes ago, Stoney871 said: Likewise. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk That moment when you get a notification that a serving police officer has quoted you in a post regarding driving and you wonder if you're doing it right!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoney871 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Tbh, it's a sensible precaution.I've seen plenty of roll away incidents and prevention is definitely better than cure.Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_60 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 No If in doubt get the handbrake adjusted. I do point the wheels toward the kerb though Jamie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stef123 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 1 hour ago, james_60 said: No If in doubt get the handbrake adjusted. I do point the wheels toward the kerb though Jamie Ok, handbrake correctly adjusted then. But one day centre cable snaps, what now? Lol. It does happen. I'd rather put my car in gear than be caught with a red face if it were my motor that went for a roll down a hill lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_K Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 I used to always leave mine in gear but my last car and the focus have much better handbrakes so not any more. But I may still leave it if I’m parked on a steep hill. I sometimes leave it in gear with no handbrake if it’s getting icy. My vans rear brakes froze on when it was particularly cold down here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAIDER32 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 There are very few places I park that are completely flat, I always put it in the opposite gear to the direction of slope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biff55 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 in san francisco where the residential streets are so mind bogglingly steep , its actually a traffic violation not to leave your steering on full lock with wheels pointing towards the kerb when you park up. ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zain611 Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 How does it help leaving the car in gear when it's parked? Just curious. I always put the handbrake up whenever I park. With autos I think the gearbox can get damaged if someone bumps into the car whilst it's in park. With my dad's auto car I leave it in neutral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 Doesn’t an automatic still have the P Gear For ‘park’? (Haven’t driven my dad’s in a while) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomsFocus Posted December 18, 2017 Share Posted December 18, 2017 With the car in gear, the drivetrain is locked together, so it would try to turn the engine over against its compression to roll anywhere. Out of gear you're just turning the diff and output shaft which are all on smooth bearings. Problem is, turning the engine backwards can break it, lots of VAG timing chains jump a tooth like that if they get bumped while parking. Autos should be left in Park, this locks the gearbox...but if someone bumps the car, that can damage the gearbox as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansallis Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 Yes I do. I am surprised at these results, I thought most would also be a 'yes'. I got into the habit because my two previous cars both had the handbrake cable snap. Luckily my first car was on a dead level drive and didn't roll anywhere (plus it was only a Vauxhall). My old Focus rolled a couple of inches forward into the kerb in front of my parking space (thank god for bay parking!). Its a good feature on almost all new cars nowadays that force you to press the clutch before the car will start. No more fender benders because you forgot to put the clutch down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frembrit Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 On 12/17/2017 at 6:01 PM, Philf1 said: Always leave mine in gear since I saw someone at work car roll down the car park as the hand break slowly let go as the discs cooled down and contracted. It was pretty funny mind you and made me change what I do That's exactly what happened to my ST24 when my brother owned it before me. Now, I press the brake pedal and then pull the hand brake up and leave it in gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomsFocus Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 People aren't applying the handbrake properly if it's letting off due to the pads contracting... It's purely mechanical, needs actual force put into it, unlike everything else that's power assisted these days lol. I've also never seen a cable snap on its own, how would it take the strain of application then just snap hours afterwards? I've snapped several while applying the handbrake though, which is fine on a diesel, but hill starts on a cold petrol with no handbake is interesting without a 3rd foot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zain611 Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 9 hours ago, TomsFocus said: People aren't applying the handbrake properly if it's letting off due to the pads contracting... It's purely mechanical, needs actual force put into it, unlike everything else that's power assisted these days lol. I've also never seen a cable snap on its own, how would it take the strain of application then just snap hours afterwards? I've snapped several while applying the handbrake though, which is fine on a diesel, but hill starts on a cold petrol with no handbake is interesting without a 3rd foot! I think heel toe probably is the best way unless just getting to the bitting point and quickly releasing the brake and press the accelerator. I thought the only way breaking the handbrake cable is by doing handbrake turns or applying it whilst the car is moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stef123 Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 1 hour ago, zain611 said: I think heel toe probably is the best way unless just getting to the bitting point and quickly releasing the brake and press the accelerator. I thought the only way breaking the handbrake cable is by doing handbrake turns or applying it whilst the car is moving. I have been out to fix handbrake cables which have just snapped whilst the car was parked a couple of times. applying the handbrake when the car is moving shouldn't make any odds, still applying the same force. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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