THIS is the Poll How do you Park

[Paul in NZ]

Manual box users

[javoresku]

First gear, hadbrake and wheels turned slightly towards the curb.

[BillionPa]

i would hope to god that neutral + handbrake is the majority vote

[Morgenster]

i would hope to god that neutral + handbrake is the majority vote

So it seems, and rightly so. Why risk the damage?

[Podmore]

So are we talking just manual or automatic? Same principle applies - car in first gear, handbrake on. No different level ground to on a slope except wheels turned toward the kerb on a slope. If you just trust your handbrake, you'd better pull it on hard enough to stretch the cable (which you will eventually ...) ... if you think you're risking damage to the engine or gearbox in the event of a rear end shunt with the car in gear, I think you're missing the point a little ....

[Dave M]

I'm the Leave car in neutral with no handbrake(gulp) and being quite honest. MOst of the time this is how she's left. I almost never park on a street, in a parking lot or other busy area. You could park ten semi-trucks outside my office and it hits the garage when it gets home. Elsewhere, I just throw it in first, no handbrake.
My no hand brake rule stems from bush work in the winter. You want a smelly ride home? Put a parking on in a filthy bush truck, them let it sit at -40. Old habits die hard i guess ;)

Dave

[yaofeng]

I'm the Leave car in neutral with no handbrake(gulp) and being quite honest. MOst of the time this is how she's left. I almost never park on a street, in a parking lot or other busy area. You could park ten semi-trucks outside my office and it hits the garage when it gets home. Elsewhere, I just throw it in first, no handbrake.
My no hand brake rule stems from bush work in the winter. You want a smelly ride home? Put a parking on in a filthy bush truck, them let it sit at -40. Old habits die hard i guess ;)

Dave

After several incidents of having the car slowly rolled off to a different spot, I stop that practice. At least I would leave the car in gear. One time the car rolled from the driveway back to the street. Our neighbor alerted us.

[Fetch]

Neutral with handbreak, no question.

[txp135]

Neutral with handbrake, since I'm parking on level ground most of the time. If I park uphill or downhill, then I put in gear to be safe and pull extra on the handbrake.

[t.wak]

With my auto (haha), I find I leave it in neutral with the hand brake... I'm beginning to notice some extra slack in the hand brake though, so I am beginning to use P... Which makes more sense.

[markus]

reverse and handbrake was how i did it when i had a 5-speed.

[Ferret]

When I had a manual box car it was always handbrake+gear.

On my auto it's always 'P' with no handbrake unless on a hill.

[andmd]

When I had a manual box car it was always handbrake+gear.

On my auto it's always 'P' with no handbrake unless on a hill.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing holding the car in 'P' is the nylon pull rod in the selector handle, right? I guess it doesn't matter too much on level ground, unless someone hits the car, but after having my rod broken I don't trust it too much. For me, it's park and handbrake.

[Zeuk in Oz]

I would qualify my poll response (handbrake on and in gear) by saying that when in sub zero temperatures (-5C and below) I never use the handbrake.

[repenttokyo]

why no handbrake in sub-zero?

[GoldenOne]

I usually do neutral and handbrake but my handbrake needs to be adjusted because its rather weak now so I leave it in first if im on some sort of incline..

[JerseySi]

With a manual, I always leave it in 1st & use the handbrake..
With my auto, I apply handbrake first then put it in park.. If I put it in park on a slope, the car rolls a little & makes a nasty 'clonk' when taken out of park again, so handbrake first stops it locking itself up :D

[CharlesAFerg]

With a manual, I always leave it in 1st & use the handbrake..
With my auto, I apply handbrake first then put it in park.. If I put it in park on a slope, the car rolls a little & makes a nasty 'clonk' when taken out of park again, so handbrake first stops it locking itself up :D

Yep, I've got an auto and I do the same thing - it's a nasty sound isn't it. I learned that pretty quick.

ps. I'm assuming that decided to keep your trim? I never heard back...

[Anton CH.]

I wouldn't trust just the handbrake thing. Cables do break occasionally.

[Johntee540]

It really depends. When I am at the track I dont use the handbrake at all! - JT

[SharkmanBMW]

Embarrassing story...
I bought a new car when I was 21... forgot the handbrake and the car rolled down my friend's driveway, across the road and into the ditch!

NO damage but damn, did I learn a lesson!

[BuckNaked]

1st gear with hand brake.
What are the issues associated with this practice?
I could not in good conscience leave a car in neutral without at least the handbrake.

[rob101]

what damage could be done? i don't understand it! Its not as if the engine gearbox differential etc. aren't meant to turn besides the fact that i think you'll find that the tyres might break grip before you turn over the engine.

[Guapo]

It really depends. When I am at the track I dont use the handbrake at all! - JT

LOL, agreed. I've slapped student's hands that were reaching for the handbrake when returning to the paddock.

[repenttokyo]

LOL, agreed. I've slapped student's hands that were reaching for the handbrake when returning to the paddock.


why?

[Zeuk in Oz]

why no handbrake in sub-zero?
I've always been told that brake shoes can freeze to drums etc at really low temps - always never used it when cold so don't really know.

[Paul in NZ]

i have always used my handbrake and in all seasons.I have never had any problems.mind you it doesnt get that cold here...the occasional frst or low temps with big wind chill factors is as bad as it gets here

[genphreak]

I have to say that I trust my handbrake, I never operate it on the catches, so I know the feel. I guess if you bother to change the shoes you can rely on it. I've never pulled it on hard enough to stretch the cable. Nothing like if you had to do a 'handbrake assisted' turn anyway. Mine is always rock solid and holds the car no matter what. On the flat I only throw a car in gear if I am worried the pads might be warm and might loosen as they cool, or if the hand brake is 'untrusted'- which is the case in every car other than the one I own. I simply don't risk it if there's a chance of disaster- the pain/potential for trouble is just too great.
Hills = hand brake+in gear/park, always.

[zhandax]

When I had the 528, i was in the 1st gear only camp unless on a hill and that was to me just mental insurance. Never really trusted a handbrake. 540 has an automatic.

[Ferret]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only thing holding the car in 'P' is the nylon pull rod in the selector handle, right? I guess it doesn't matter too much on level ground, unless someone hits the car, but after having my rod broken I don't trust it too much. For me, it's park and handbrake.

Lol, I only leave it in just P when the vehicles on level ground - more as a deterrant against people leaning on it and pushing it out of its parking space.

If there's an incline or anything like that - that applies force to the vehicle I'll leave the handbrake on.

[Jon K]

Neutral and wheelchocks

[Qube]

Gear & Handbrake. If I'm leaving it for more than 4-5 days, no handbrake... last thing I want is it stuck or somehow rusted together.

[repenttokyo]

I've always been told that brake shoes can freeze to drums etc at really low temps - always never used it when cold so don't really know.


I use mine regularly at -40C, no ill effects :)

[brick8]

My 525it has an automatic, so I use Park plus the hand brake. With my Saab, which has a 5 speed, it is necessary to put it in reverse to get the key out. My previous car (b4 the 525it) was an Audi 100CSq with a 5 speed. Audis have crappy parking brakes, so I just left it in gear. Don't see how one can go wrong leaving the car in gear unless there is a compression problem.

[Dave M]

I've always been told that brake shoes can freeze to drums etc at really low temps - always never used it when cold so don't really know.


I use mine regularly at -40C, no ill effects :)

It normally takes frozen, muddy, dirty balls of joy you might pick up driving really shitty roads to freeze a parking brake.

[Guapo]

why?

Because at the track, the brakes become very, very hot. You want to keep the friction material away from the rotor as much as possible until it cools. After the cooldown lap, we usually let the car sit for a few minutes, then roll it back a foot or two to place the pad at a different point on the rotor.

[Podmore]

Aawww, c'mon Zeuk! Where in Oz are we gunna find sub-zero temperatures which last long enough to freeze the brakes on? And anyway - when did you last drive a bimmer with drum brakes ....... LOL

[ILoveMPower]

I put it in whichever gear I need to leave my parking spot (R,1) and use the handbrake

On flats just put it in gear

[attack eagle]

Neutral with handbreak, no question.

Uphill downhill or flat land, I 've always parked with the car in neutral with handbrake. After years of having a turbo timer, a super heavy clutch, and the clutch switch bypassed it seems silly to leave a car in gear.

If your car can be pushed or moved, then you need to fix you handbrake.

[rob101]

Because at the track, the brakes become very, very hot. You want to keep the friction material away from the rotor as much as possible until it cools. After the cooldown lap, we usually let the car sit for a few minutes, then roll it back a foot or two to place the pad at a different point on the rotor.
um I thought the handbrake operates a drum on the inside of the rear brake disc. In which case it wouldn't matter if had the hand brake on. so long as you moved it after a couple of minutes.

edit: hmm I suppose it wouldn't be too great on the hand brake shoes though.

[skr]

everybody leaves it in first??? i find it more confortable to leave it in third. i don't have to grab the shifter, i just wack it forward...

[Guapo]

um I thought the handbrake operates a drum on the inside of the rear brake disc. In which case it wouldn't matter if had the hand brake on. so long as you moved it after a couple of minutes.

edit: hmm I suppose it wouldn't be too great on the hand brake shoes though.

Typically, yes, but that is a part of the rotor assembly, and like you said, that wouldn't fare so well on the shoes either.

[632 Regal]

1st gear gives more resistance to rolling cause the engine has to turn faster if it rolls than say 3rd gear.


everybody leaves it in first??? i find it more confortable to leave it in third. i don't have to grab the shifter, i just wack it forward...

[whiskychaser]

Driving a manual its in gear and handbrake on. In my auto its in park AND handbrake on. Must be a belt and braces kind of guy. Even do the handbrake on and into neutral bit at a red light:-)

[indierthanthou]

I don't know for sure on bmw boxes, but on all other transmissions I have torn apart it had a parking pawl inside which stopped the car from rolling. I may not be right in saying this, but I highly doubt that BMW would use a nylon rod anywhere to stop the car from rolling.

[SC David]

1st + handbrake + curbed wheels when I drive manual.

[BillionPa]

Driving a manual its in gear and handbrake on. In my auto its in park AND handbrake on. Must be a belt and braces kind of guy. Even do the handbrake on and into neutral bit at a red light:-)

yeah i do that too, too much brake pedal effort to overcome V8 torque!