Topic: Parking, handbrake & Leaving car in gear! (Read 17952 times)

Martin (Admin) · « **on:** January 16, 2015, 11:59:15 am »

Nuffink to do with model boats but I've argued for years that you should always leave your car in gear when parked.
Got a Safety Novice from work today advising: 'Always leave your car in car when parked'.
But I didn't know it was actually in the Highway code!

https://www.gov.uk/waiting-and-parking/parking-at-night-248-to-252
Rule 252 Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should:

park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
use ‘park’ if your car has an automatic gearbox.

Highway Code - Rule 252 When Parking Turn Your Wheels Away From The Kerb When Facing Uphill Turn Them Towards The Kerb When Facing Downhill height=250

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2015, 12:14:39 pm »

And then you return to your vehicle, start the engine and the starter motor overcomes the handbrake to hurl you into the car immediately in front. (Or, if you have the wheels pointing towards the kerb you terminate the little old lady who was just passing on the pavement).

Just think! All those years you have been doing it wrong and never caused any problems at all....

Colin

Jonty · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2015, 12:15:50 pm »

Back in the 60s, when American cars had huge steel bumpers, it was nothing unusual to see one lengthening a parking space by nerfing the other cars. Bad enough with manuals, but disastrous if an auto was left in 'Park'.

boatmadman · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2015, 12:28:17 pm »

Quote from: Jonty on January 16, 2015, 12:15:50 pm

Back in the 60s, when American cars had huge steel bumpers, it was nothing unusual to see one lengthening a parking space by nerfing the other cars. Bad enough with manuals, but disastrous if an auto was left in 'Park'.

Huh?
Always leave cars (both automatics) in park and with handbrake on. Neither car will start if drive is selected.

essex2visuvesi · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2015, 12:38:26 pm »

In the scandinavian countries, it is not wise to apply the handbrake during the winter months as it will freeze the the pads/shoes to the disc/drum

mrlownotes · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2015, 01:37:29 pm »

Who needs a handbrake ?
We haven't got any hills in Cambridgeshire.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2015, 03:00:32 pm »

..... we got those drop kerbs!

grasshopper · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2015, 03:27:38 pm »

Quote from: Colin Bishop on January 16, 2015, 12:14:39 pm

And then you return to your vehicle, start the engine and the starter motor overcomes the handbrake to hurl you into the car immediately in front. (Or, if you have the wheels pointing towards the kerb you terminate the little old lady who was just passing on the pavement).

I passed my 1st driving test abroad in 1974, we were always advised to leave a car in gear as well as use the handbrake. At the same time we always told to start the car with the clutch depressed fully.
In 1975 when I passed my test here i was told something similar by the UK driving instructor.

I usually buy Toyota / Lexus cars and all the ones I've had recently (last 6 years) can't be started without the clutch pedal being depressed or if it's an automatic, the brake pedal pressed.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2015, 03:32:16 pm »

They were still saying the same thing in the late 70's.

grasshopper · « **Reply #9 on:** January 16, 2015, 03:39:14 pm »

Glad to see we're singing from the same hymn sheet Martin....

My wife says she knew she'd married 'Mr Right'...just didn't know my first names were 'Always B. Loody' !

dougal99 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2015, 03:52:54 pm »

Policeman father of a past girlfriend advised putting in gear when parked, especially on a hill, as if the handbrake was not fully engaged a passing HGV could cause it to fail - result one car going downhill and out of control - just like my career!

Colin don't you check your car is in neutral before starting?

thegrimreaper · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2015, 06:01:28 pm »

Electronic handbrake on my Audi cant start motor unless foot hard on clutch in gear depends o steepness of hill if on the flat handbrake only

Mark.

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2015, 06:11:23 pm »

Quote

Colin don't you check your car is in neutral before starting?

Yes, I do wiggle the gearstick as it happens, but of course I need to take it out of gear when I stop it so it is usually out of gear when I get back in.

Funnily enough, my current Mazda 6 is the first car I have had which requires the clutch to be depressed before it will start although I have experienced this when hiring cars abroad. I guess you get used to anything really. Quite enjoyed the auto when driving in the USA and Canada but not sure whether it would be responsive enough for typical UK traffic conditions.

Colin

Netleyned · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2015, 06:19:27 pm »

A friend's car in San Diego had a strange anti theft device.
You had to lift your bum off the seat to start it.

Ned

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2015, 06:28:30 pm »

Quote

A friend's car in San Diego had a strange anti theft device.
You had to lift your bum off the seat to start it.

Well that's California for you! Never quite what you expect. I was looking forward to driving 'Ventura Highway' as per the song by America but it's just a boring bit of dual carriageway really. Of course the group never saw it either as they were stationed at US East Anglian airbases in the UK with their parents when they wrote the song which sort of detracts from the romance a bit. Nice songs though.

Colin

meechingman · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:03:17 pm »

I've always parked like this, as my instructor told me to back in the 1970s. I taught my son to do so, though his driving instructor disagreed. (So much for him knowing his Highway Code!

)

But I can recall one official publication telling its readers to 'park pretty', with wheels parallel to the kerb at all times.

Liverbudgie2 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:04:38 pm »

My lady friends Jazz automatic won't start unless you have your foot on the brake; it also stops after a bit if you don't have your seat belt fastened.

Just after Christmas some years ago I was parked in a steep hill in a Cotswold town facing the wrong way. When I returned I noticed a Saab was quite close behind me but I didn't take a lot of notice. There was a large gap in front of me before the next car, as I slowly began to move off and return to the right side of the road I glanced in the mirror and noticed that the Saab was still quite close, I moved a bit more and was just about to accelerate when I just happened to check the mirror again and blow me the Saab was still just as close. So I stopped, got out to find that the Saab was sitting on my bumper! There was no one in the car. Either the hand brake had failed or it had not been applied so every time I move it followed me down the hill. If I had not checked my mirror I hate to think what would happened, it would have been carnage.

LB

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:12:28 pm »

Maybe it just liked you LB...

Colin

grendel · « **Reply #18 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:29:50 pm »

one of my vans, an old v4 transit decided to release its handbrake and run away down a hill once, fortunately there was a skip in the way.
Grendel

grasshopper · « **Reply #19 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:51:18 pm »

Wasn't the old V4 transit THE skip...?

McGherkin · « **Reply #20 on:** January 16, 2015, 09:01:59 pm »

I've seen a few interesting variations on the theme since I started out - most interestingly engaging 5th gear when parked facing downhill! I don't think the driver in question understood much about gear ratios!

grendel · « **Reply #21 on:** January 16, 2015, 10:00:29 pm »

mine was an old ex mot centre parcel van, we figured it had been round the clock 2 maybe 3 times, and it had a tappett that would wander out of adjustment at a whim, I remember pulling up at the side of the road, leaving the engine running and taking the rocker cover off, tweaking the tappett by ear, rocker cover back on and back under way, in less time than it just took to type this.
Grendel

derekwarner · « **Reply #22 on:** January 16, 2015, 10:04:44 pm »

...Grendel..... lets just say you must be a very slow typist of a very quick mechanic......

... Derek

Jonty · « **Reply #23 on:** January 16, 2015, 10:48:36 pm »

The point I was making is that 'Park' physically locks the output side of an auto transmission. If you then force that part of the transmission to move by rotating the driven wheels you can expect major internal damage. Ever tried engaging 'Park' whilst the car is still moving? Makes a very nasty noise.

Sub driver · « **Reply #24 on:** January 16, 2015, 11:26:13 pm »

Hello.
With quite a few modern cars the handbrake operates the foot brake pistons in the rear calipers so when parking up you should actually press and hold the footbrake on and apply the handbrake at the same time otherwise the handbrake holds the pistons on a hot warm disc which then contracts as it cools ant gets thinner but the pistons stay where they were and the grip is lost and the car rolls off if not in gear.
In San Fransisco USA there are officials who go around checking parked cars and if you have not got you wheels turned into the kerb you will get a fine.
Saw that last time i was there.
Regards sub.

News:

Author Topic: Parking, handbrake & Leaving car in gear! (Read 17952 times)