Do you leave you car in gear when parked

Cookie_Monster

Just looking at a thread over in Learning to Drive about this and the merit there in.

I do out of habit but the girlfriend refuses to for whatever reason. So do you leave / put car in gear when parking?

robbie_998

my car is always left in first or second when i drive but when someone else drives its always bloody neutral :mad:

GavRedKing

Yes I do most of the time, my G/F never does though.

voxpop

I never do - my bro does all the time, said its just in case the handbrake fails !

dudara

I do - think I picked up the habit from my parents. My BF never does though.

Marlow

I leave the car parked in gear at any given time.

In France you never use your handbreak, because people push you a bit to get into their parking space. Using the brake instead of the gear would cause you dents.

With automatic, the "P" gear is practically like parking in gear. The "N" gear is like leaving it in neutral.

On a ferry, you are advised to pull your handbrake and leave it in gear, if it's a petrol, but pull the handbrake and leave it in neutral, if it's a diesel. This is because a warm diesel engine could in theory start from the movement on the ferry.

I also push the clutch, when I start my car, no matter if it's in gear or not. An american version of the BMW M5 can actually not be started, if you don't push the clutch.

/M

Zube

On a steep hill, I might. I always check before starting, at least.

R.O.R

Voted no as I rarely do, but if I'm on a steep hill I'll leave it in 2nd incase the handbrake fails.

If you have a full garage and have to move cars, it's great if the handbrake has been left off, and the car out of gear, so you can push stuff out of the way rather than having to run upstairs for the keys.

R.O.R

Marlow wrote: »

I also push the clutch, when I start my car,

A large proportion of new cars cannot be started unless your foot is on the clutch or brake. All BMW's/Audi's/Volkswagens I've driven recently.

Alanstrainor

Yeah when i'm driving a manual i'll leave it in gear when parked. And when ever i start the car i'll put my foot on the clutch. Just out of habit. I've seen too many people jump into a car, start it, only to have the car jump forward a few feet, because they never took it out of gear.

thebiglad

Only on a hill and obviously select gear depending on which way don't want car to roll.

I would have thought leaving car in gear without handbrake would put a serious strain on the drive bits...

Other option not discussed is to turn wheels to the kerb, then it cannot roll either - think this is for really steep hills though.

Alun

robbie_998 wrote: »

my car is always left in first or second when i drive but when someone else drives its always bloody neutral :mad:

My car is always left in neutral when I drive but when someone else drives its always in bloody first or second :mad:

Alun

R.O.R wrote: »

A large proportion of new cars cannot be started unless your foot is on the clutch or brake. All BMW's/Audi's/Volkswagens I've driven recently.

That's a particularly annoying feature that up till now I've only come across in American cars. Grrrr.

robbie_998

Alun wrote: »

My car is always left in neutral when I drive but when someone else drives its always in bloody first or second :mad:

GTFO :mad:

Marlow

R.O.R wrote: »

A large proportion of new cars cannot be started unless your foot is on the clutch or brake. All BMW's/Audi's/Volkswagens I've driven recently.

Well, certainly for manual cars on the american market, as americans can't be trusted with a manual. But it is a good habbit to have anyway.

/M

the_one_&_only

I always leave it in gear but my girlfriend never does. So when she hops into my car or into her own after me she starts the car without her foot on the clutch so the car jumps

MarkN

Marlow wrote: »

IAn american version of the BMW M5 can actually not be started, if you don't push the clutch.

/M

Don't think this is just American, I'd an Audi S3 that wouldn't start without the clutch, the E92 M3 also won't start unless you press the clutch. It's a good safety feature if it is left in gear and you're not the usual driver.

What's the deal with your car being shunted while it's in gear - any risk to the running gear etc?

Anan1

MarkN wrote: »

What's the deal with your car being shunted while it's in gear - any risk to the running gear etc?

I can't imagine a hard shove from the front being good if it's left in 1st, as the engine would be forced to turn a bit backwards. That said, I don't know how big a deal it'd be.

seamus

Nope, leave it out of gear unless I'm parked on a slant, in which case I leave in it first/reverse (depending on which way I'm pointing).

Always press the clutch before starting though.

Holsten

Yep.

SV

In gear, handbrake up and wheels pointed at the curb.

congo_90

never in gear unless on a steep hill. I don't see any reason to when the handbrake is holding the car just fine.

I also turn wheels to face kerb when on a steep slope incase it fails so the car won't move much. Just make me look like a bad parker lol

leeroybrown

I always park my car in gear. More importantly, I always shift to neutral and push in the clutch before starting regardless of what car I'm driving.

I'm reminded of a thread that was on Motors years ago where a guy came on having a rant about this topic. His wife had driven his car, parked it in gear (as she always does) at the bottom of their driveway behind her own. He then came out sat in and started his car with it still in gear without pushing the clutch in. The weak handbrake slipped resulting in him smashing the two cars into each other. He lost his head and tore his wife a new one before coming on here for a big rant about how people who left their car in gear were stupid and how it was all his wife's fault. I think that the moral of the story is regardless of which way you park you should always make sure that you push in the clutch at a minimum before starting your car.

roosterman71

I always leave it in first, and the handbrake on. I always start the car (or anything I drive) with my foot on the clutch too. My father used to always tell me to leave it in gear because back in the day, it was easy to snip the handbrake cable and ya could tow away the car!!

My GF always leaves her car in neutral. She gets some shock when she hops in after I've driven it. I tell her to put her foot on the clutch all the time anyway, but I suspect, as with most GFs, she doesn't listen.

Anan1

leeroybrown wrote: »

I think that the moral of the story is regardless of which way you park you should always make sure that you push in the clutch at a minimum before starting your car.

+1, i'd imagine it makes life easier on the battery & starter motor too.

leeroybrown

Anan1 wrote: »

+1, i'd imagine it makes life easier on the battery & starter motor too.

That's what I tell people who don't do it when I try to get them to start doing it.

biko

I leave it in first with no handbrake.
Always start with foot on clutch (and the other on the brake), even if I know a car is in neutral.

irisheddie85

I always park in gear as do all my family and taught the girlfriend to do this. Have driven too many cars with a bad handbrake. But my girlfriends parents always leave them out of gear. They are never impressed when they get into a car after me.
I just cant turn the key without my foot on the clutch its something I've always done and you had to to start our tractors at home.

ianobrien

Always leave the car in first, except if the car has a limo - Then Neutral.

Sometimes, I'd leave the car in First with no handbrake on if the car was on the flat.

On a side note - There are documented cases of cars parked on hills, in Neutral with the handbrake on, and after 20 minutes, the car rolls down the hill with the handbrake on. The reason - the hot brake disc has cooled and contracted, and the brakes are no longer clamping the disc. (I can't find the links at the moment)

Martron

never leave it in gear.

always press the clutch before i start out of habit and always check if its in nuetral.

dont see the difference either way. unless i was on an extremly steep incline. then i would probably leave it in a gear

Midnight_EG

In second while on a flat or hill facing up, reverse if facing down a hill

peasant

always in gear, handbrake only on when really needed, always start pressing the clutch (so the starter doesn't have to turn the gearbox as well)

Tipsy Mac

Always in gear, I have spotted lots of cars in car parks adrift where the ground appeared more or less level.

stevenmu

Always leave it in gear, and I have to admit coming back to the car once and pushing in the clutch and going to neutral before starting and the car started to roll a little, I'd completely forgotten the handbrake.

bazzachazza

No.

Unless parked on a slope.

L1011

If on a slant, yes. If on what seems like flat ground, no.

I don't drive a 1980s British Leyland, I trust the handbrake enough... although I've heard some horror stories about handbrakes that act on rear discs being disengaged if the discs cool down a lot, its never happened to me!

evolving_doors

What's the point of leaving it in gear? handbrake on is enough...shur why dont ya put bleedin chocks under it while yissr at it...buncha nerds..

daca88

i don't leave it in gear ever. my father does when he drives my car and i always forget to put it in neutral before i start up so it jerks forward:mad:

SV

Armelodie wrote: »

What's the point of leaving it in gear? handbrake on is enough...shur why dont ya put bleedin chocks under it while yissr at it...buncha nerds..

Congratulations.
You've been awarded the stupidest post for today

Handbrake on and always in gear when parking. I just got into a habit of doing it and now I do it without even thinking. For starting always put it in neutral but keep my foot on the clutch again this is just a routine I got into and now do it without thinking.

Greenmachine

Always park in nuetral with the handbrake on. Use start the car with the clutch in caught a couple of times after services etc where the car was left in gear and was in a hurry. Annoys me then.

Cookie_Monster

Armelodie wrote: »

What's the point of leaving it in gear? handbrake on is enough...shur why dont ya put bleedin chocks under it while yissr at it...buncha nerds..

Boo2009

I always leave the car in neutral when I park it but anyone else who parks it seems to leave it in gear.

Smokerkl

Always in gear with handbrake on and always sart in gear with clutch in obviously!! What about the theory of parking in reverse or first depending on up r downhill I mean whats the point? The point of leaving it in gear is its not gonna engage and roll off..I never park in revesre is what i mean like..
S..

Carstuck

I always leave it in foirst gear when parked & put it in neutral before I start the car.

robbie_998

Carstuck wrote: »

I always leave it in foirst gear when parked & put it in neutral before I start the car.

loike i totally get what you mean, loike :rolleyes:

Johnny Utah

Always in neutral (unless parked on a hill/slope) and handbrake always on. Never had any problems so far, and besides, it's too risky if another person is going to drive the car as it could jump forward into a car/wall/lamppost etc. Therefore, neutral is the best choice.

dazzerb

always leave in gear for some reason out of habit. Not sure why - must not trust the hand break! My car will not start unless you depress the clutch which is obviously a safety mechanism for all of us folks who leave cars in gear.

limericklassy

Always...

pcardin

I always leave it in the gear + handbrake. Just double secure.

Seillejet

Very educational thread for me. Voted no as never do and never entered my head of hand brake failing.