Leaving car in gear when parked
Discussion
I recall being told that the car should be left in gear when parked in case the handbrake fails.
If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
mawallace said:
I recall being told that the car should be left in gear when parked in case the handbrake fails.
If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
I always leave it in gear. First or reverse - whatever would make the engine try to turn in reverse if the handbrake failed... My driving instructor taught me to do this. But then, if the hill's really steep I seem to be one of the few that will still park with the front wheels turned (and turned so the car would run onto the pavement rather than into the road...)If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
I ALWAYS leave my vehicle's in 1st or Reverse with the hand brake applied.
In the last six weeks whilst on the school run we've had two runaways when handbrakes have failed.
Each time was within a few minutes of them being parked up.
One was a Micra that very gently rolled into Berlingo, causing a bemused dad to side step to avoid being caught between them.
Last one was a small Renault that gently rolled out of it's space as the car park attendant walked by. Fortunately it came to rest against the curb as it was at the top of a steep car park.
In the last six weeks whilst on the school run we've had two runaways when handbrakes have failed.
Each time was within a few minutes of them being parked up.
One was a Micra that very gently rolled into Berlingo, causing a bemused dad to side step to avoid being caught between them.
Last one was a small Renault that gently rolled out of it's space as the car park attendant walked by. Fortunately it came to rest against the curb as it was at the top of a steep car park.
Edited by cologne2792 on Monday 25th June 10:54
I always park in gear as well as park brake (when it works!)
On a steep hill I'll even select low range. (in Discovery)
Facing uphill it's in first, facing downhill in reverse.
I usually let the car settle in gear before applying the brake.
But in an auto I prefer to put the handbrake on before releasing the foot-brake in Park.
On a steep hill I'll even select low range. (in Discovery)
Facing uphill it's in first, facing downhill in reverse.
I usually let the car settle in gear before applying the brake.
But in an auto I prefer to put the handbrake on before releasing the foot-brake in Park.
dxg said:
mawallace said:
I recall being told that the car should be left in gear when parked in case the handbrake fails.
If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
I always leave it in gear. First or reverse - whatever would make the engine try to turn in reverse if the handbrake failed... My driving instructor taught me to do this. But then, if the hill's really steep I seem to be one of the few that will still park with the front wheels turned (and turned so the car would run onto the pavement rather than into the road...)If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
Also, it is not at all unusual for people to turn the wheels, I guess it depends if you live in a hilly area, and whether you are old enough to have been taught properly how to drive and park. Judging by how instructors drive when in their school car on their own, I don’t think they always practise what they should be preaching.
I always park in reverse gear. But then, my current car is a Saab so I have no choice in the matter!
In other cars I frequently* park in first or reverse. Either gear will provide a good hold with engine compression; which one I choose is governed by what would happen if someone failed to take it into neutral before operating the starter - I try to decide which direction would be safer and/or less damaging when the car lurches forward or backward on the starter. Of course, this is unlikely to be an issue if the person starting it is me, because I always check neutral and always have my foot on the clutch when starting, but you never know if someone else might have to start your car.
* Make that “always” in the TVR, because its handbrake is crap.
In other cars I frequently* park in first or reverse. Either gear will provide a good hold with engine compression; which one I choose is governed by what would happen if someone failed to take it into neutral before operating the starter - I try to decide which direction would be safer and/or less damaging when the car lurches forward or backward on the starter. Of course, this is unlikely to be an issue if the person starting it is me, because I always check neutral and always have my foot on the clutch when starting, but you never know if someone else might have to start your car.
* Make that “always” in the TVR, because its handbrake is crap.
I always leave our manual cars parked in gear. Especially important in my old Land Rover as the handbrake ratchet pawl is a bit worn after over half a century of applications, I wouldn't trust it to stay applied. Although the poster above with the Discovery mentioning low range, that's a good shout, I may steal that idea for when parking on steeper inclines. My ex-daily-driver-now-garage-dust-gather has one of those electric handbrake thingies, it applies automatically when you switch off the engine but I always leave the car in gear, just in case.
I remember a little Daihatsu hire car in Greece many years ago... ended up down a dirt track (not a euphemism, honest), one rear wheel was in the air so I got out to take a photo. Left it in gear but because of the gradient and small engine it turned over - (un)fortunately it just turned once, otherwise the then-girlfriend would have become part of yet another wreck at the bottom of a Greek hillside!
dxg said:
mawallace said:
I recall being told that the car should be left in gear when parked in case the handbrake fails.
If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
I always leave it in gear. First or reverse - whatever would make the engine try to turn in reverse if the handbrake failed... My driving instructor taught me to do this. But then, if the hill's really steep I seem to be one of the few that will still park with the front wheels turned (and turned so the car would run onto the pavement rather than into the road...)If that's the case does it differ if the car is uphill or downhill.
Is this the same idea as turning wheels towards the pavement
Just wondering what people are doing these days with modern cars.
alabbasi said:
Leaving it in gear will mean that the engine will need to turn for the wheels to move which is hard to do and should prevent it from rolling unless the engine has seriously low compression. Pointing the wheels towards the curb is always good practice.
I've been driving 40 years & have always left the car in gear. This weekend for the first time ever I parked on a hill steep enough to overcome the friction/compression in the engine. It was quite a strange sensation!Yes leave in gear, if facing up hill put in first, if facing downhill in reverse. I learnt my lesson the hard way not doing this, I had driven a couple of hours up the motorway and got to a hotel parked outside for the hotel people to park it, hotel was on a steep hill in Bath with cars parked either side. Twenty mins later I get a call in the room from reception telling me they had gone out to my car and found it had 'rolled' down the hill and had made 'contact with other cars' ..... I went to the car and indeed it had hit a number of cars but the handbrake was still on and well pulled up, I was told what most likely happened were the brakes were hot when I parked up and as they cooled down they contracted and the break pads lost full grip on the break disk causing it to roll.
I learnt the hard way. I never used to park in gear until one day at work where a couple of hours into the shift, a collague and I got pulled into the car park and to my horror my car had rolled into the back of his. He was parked directly in front of me on flat even ground so there wasn’t much chance of my car picking up any serious speed to cause any damage thank god. I was mortified and of course offered to pay for any damages. Thankfully there was no damage to either car but after I ALWAYS leave it in gear now.
dxg said:
I always leave it in gear. First or reverse - whatever would make the engine try to turn in reverse if the handbrake failed... My driving instructor taught me to do this. But then, if the hill's really steep I seem to be one of the few that will still park with the front wheels turned (and turned so the car would run onto the pavement rather than into the road...)
This. First if the car could roll backwards, reverse if it could roll forwards. I know the chances or a handbrake failure is minuscule, but it takes me all of 2 seconds to do and there is no harm in doing it. In all my years I've seen one actual handbrake failure (my mum's VL Commo), I suspect most failures are people who forget or neglect to put them on. With electronic handbrakes becoming more popular I think we're going to get more owners forgetting to put the handbrake on.
IIRC, auto's do the same thing when in P so the car doesn't move if you haven't engaged the hand brake.
As a matter of habit I always leave a car in gear. Couple of years ago IO started sharing a car with the wife and it infuriated her that I did this and she didn't see the point no matter how hard I tried to explain my reasoning.
Couple of months in she parked on slope in a rush and failed to pull the handbrake up fully. She returned to the car after it had rolled into another causing damage.
She learned her lesson the hard way and does it always now too. It was a massive I told you so moment for me!!! She was honest too and and left a note on the car she hit... cost a few hundred quid to sort, but at least there's no guilt.
Couple of months in she parked on slope in a rush and failed to pull the handbrake up fully. She returned to the car after it had rolled into another causing damage.
She learned her lesson the hard way and does it always now too. It was a massive I told you so moment for me!!! She was honest too and and left a note on the car she hit... cost a few hundred quid to sort, but at least there's no guilt.
RobXjcoupe said:
I put my car in gear instead of the handbrake when parking overnight as I find the brake pads stick to the rear discs when hot. When handbrake is released the stuck pads have bits pulled off by the disc when driven.
That can bite you in the arse one day, timing chains can slip a tooth if the engine gets turned backwards.Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff