Parking in gear
Re: Parking in gear
Highway code recommends leaving the car in gear when parked on a hill.
iirc reverse gear when facing down and 1st gear when facing up?? or the other way round..
This was commonly quoted by Vauxhall after their series of handbrake failures when people tried to claim for damages due to their crappy vectra handbrake design issue...
iirc reverse gear when facing down and 1st gear when facing up?? or the other way round..
This was commonly quoted by Vauxhall after their series of handbrake failures when people tried to claim for damages due to their crappy vectra handbrake design issue...
Re: Parking in gear
The Police and the IAM teach people to leave the car in gear at all times when parked (and handbrake on). That's what I teach people for there IAM test.
D
D
2009 Mini Cooper, Midnight Black
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
Re: Parking in gear
Im sure when I was learning to drive, my instructor told me to keep the car in neutral at all times but if parking on a hill, to turn the wheels towards the kerb so if the handbrake does fail, it will just roll towards the kerb and (hopefully) nowhere else. Dezzy, is that bit right?
Last edited by jen on Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Parking in gear
Which idiot did that then?!?!?tenkfeet wrote:Is its so VX owners do not mount other Vx's when they start their cars ?![]()
Sorry
- duggiesmith
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Re: Parking in gear
I always park in gear (1st gear if facing uphill and reverse if facing downhill).
I wasn't taught this in my driving test, but took a few advance lessons a number of years ago and they recommened this. They also said you should always start the car with the clutch depressed to protect the engine, which I do out of habit now, but have no idea if it does any good other than stops you accidently starting the car in gear.
I wasn't taught this in my driving test, but took a few advance lessons a number of years ago and they recommened this. They also said you should always start the car with the clutch depressed to protect the engine, which I do out of habit now, but have no idea if it does any good other than stops you accidently starting the car in gear.
Duggie
There are 3 types of people in the world. Those that can add up and those that can't.
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There are 3 types of people in the world. Those that can add up and those that can't.
Aubergine Elise S
Plum Crazy Exige 410 Sport
Re: Parking in gear
ALWAYS leave the Elise in gear, with the handbrake off. If on a hill handbrake on also. I leave the handbrake off whenever possible so the brakes don't bind on (even a day or two leaves a mark on the disc I can feel through the pedal...). Always double/triple check when about to start(something like: open door. lean in and take out of gear. stick key in. wiggle gear stick. turn key 2 clicks to prime fuel pump. wiggle gear stick. start...
). Too many skip/VX stories
.
Volvo is an auto. so handbrake only gets used if on a hill


Volvo is an auto. so handbrake only gets used if on a hill

1995 Volvo 940SE Estate
Re: Parking in gear
Absolutely ditto to wot I do.meatball wrote:When on the flat in the garage, handbrake off and in 1st gear.
Out on the road, handbrake on, in 1st gear.
That is how I was taught and how my employers also taught me.
HTH
Also always depress the clutch when starting. 2 benefits:
- decreases load on starter motor
- guarantees no lurching forward from being started in gear
Don't care what's taught, safety first in my view.
You know the biggest reason for this modern problem? Disc brakes on the rear. As cars have become heavier, drums aren't good enough. Don't believe the problem was as prevalent with drums. As Tut says, discs cool and a lightly applied h'brake which would otherwise hold, just lets go and no more. End result = catastrophe in some cases, witness the TVR that rolled across the KH pitlane at a tracknight IIRC.
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Re: Parking in gear
Exactly what I was going to post. I think I was taught to park in neutral, but then I wasn't explicitly taught not to park in gear if that makes sense.campbell wrote: Absolutely ditto to wot I do.
Also always depress the clutch when starting. 2 benefits:
- decreases load on starter motor
- guarantees no lurching forward from being started in gear
A friendly auto electrician told me it reduces load on the starter years ago and i've never looked back.
Also park with handbrake off if the car is to be left for a period of a week or more to help prevent binding.
I reckon some cars (Hyundai?) required clutch dipping before they even started. Won't swear to it mind.
Chris
'16 MINI Cooper S - Family fun hatch
'98 Lotus Elise - Fun day car
'04 Maserati Coupe GT - Manual, v8, Italian...
'18 Mazda Mx5 - The wife's, so naturally my daily
'19 Ducati Monster 797 - Baby bike bike
'98 Lotus Elise - Fun day car
'04 Maserati Coupe GT - Manual, v8, Italian...
'18 Mazda Mx5 - The wife's, so naturally my daily
'19 Ducati Monster 797 - Baby bike bike
Re: Parking in gear
Yep, that's correct and the IAM also advise that to an extent, but being in gear is the main way of preventing it rolling.jen wrote:Im sure when I was learning to drive, my instructor told me to keep the car in neutral at all times but if parking on a hill, to turn the wheels towards the kerb so if the handbrake does fail, it will just roll towards the kerb and (hopefully) nowhere else. Dezzy, is that bit right?
Campbell, I agree on having the clutch down for starting the engine

D
2009 Mini Cooper, Midnight Black
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
2008 Elise S, Solar Yellow
- Lazydonkey
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Re: Parking in gear
I always park in gear as my first car (Cinq Sporting) had a habit of not being where i'd parked it when i got back. So it's natural for me to leave it in gear and to start every car with my foot on the clutch.
Unfortunately, shelley has recently passed her test and was also told never to leave the car in gear.
Add the two together and everytime she jumps in the panda after i've driven it .......she gets the fright of her life when she starts it with her foot off the clutch.
Currenrly trying to work out if it's less hassle remembering to take it out of gear or teching her to start with her foot on the clutch !
Unfortunately, shelley has recently passed her test and was also told never to leave the car in gear.
Add the two together and everytime she jumps in the panda after i've driven it .......she gets the fright of her life when she starts it with her foot off the clutch.
Currenrly trying to work out if it's less hassle remembering to take it out of gear or teching her to start with her foot on the clutch !

Last edited by Lazydonkey on Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Focus ST estate, i3s and more pushbikes than strictly necessary.
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
Re: Parking in gear
Some cars now wont start without the clutch depressed... (toyotas I thinkCorranga wrote:Exactly what I was going to post. I think I was taught to park in neutral, but then I wasn't explicitly taught not to park in gear if that makes sense.campbell wrote: Absolutely ditto to wot I do.
Also always depress the clutch when starting. 2 benefits:
- decreases load on starter motor
- guarantees no lurching forward from being started in gear
A friendly auto electrician told me it reduces load on the starter years ago and i've never looked back.
Also park with handbrake off if the car is to be left for a period of a week or more to help prevent binding.
I reckon some cars (Hyundai?) required clutch dipping before they even started. Won't swear to it mind.
Chris

Always leave mine in gear. Got out the habit a few years ago, but after the golf going walkies a couple of times (thankfully not far and no damage) I always leave it in gear.
Re: Parking in gear
I always park in reverse gear and never on the handbrake; that is since I owned some SAABS where you had to put the gear in reverse or you could not get the key out !
my technical feeling tells me that parking with handbrake keeps stress on the mechanism, releases when cooling off, rust solid when left longer time, and with thin old disks they could wharp when parked hot.
only thing I have to be carefull about is when I left the car in 1st in stead of reverse, start and drive off instantly --> not back but forward
always start with the clutch in !
I think SAAB cannot be that idiots to have it all wrong ?
my technical feeling tells me that parking with handbrake keeps stress on the mechanism, releases when cooling off, rust solid when left longer time, and with thin old disks they could wharp when parked hot.
only thing I have to be carefull about is when I left the car in 1st in stead of reverse, start and drive off instantly --> not back but forward

always start with the clutch in !
I think SAAB cannot be that idiots to have it all wrong ?
- Lazydonkey
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Re: Parking in gear
I still get flashbacks ever time i park the VX outside jons houserossl wrote:Which idiot did that then?!?!?tenkfeet wrote:Is its so VX owners do not mount other Vx's when they start their cars ?![]()
Sorry

Focus ST estate, i3s and more pushbikes than strictly necessary.
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
....did i ever tell you about the Evora and VX220 i used to own?
Re: Parking in gear
Bob you live in Holland, why do you need handbrakes?Bob vanM wrote:I always park in reverse gear and never on the handbrake; that is since I owned some SAABS where you had to put the gear in reverse or you could not get the key out !
my technical feeling tells me that parking with handbrake keeps stress on the mechanism, releases when cooling off, rust solid when left longer time, and with thin old disks they could wharp when parked hot.
only thing I have to be carefull about is when I left the car in 1st in stead of reverse, start and drive off instantly --> not back but forward![]()
always start with the clutch in !
I think SAAB cannot be that idiots to have it all wrong ?
"Here for a good time not a long time"
Re: Parking in gear
because the car will roll out the street when the chinese opposit the road park behind and hit my car.....
LOL
LOL