What do you do with the transmission when you park? In gear or not?

[Perry]

Couldn't help but notice here and there that some folks seem to have pretty strong opinions about whether to put/leave a car with manual transmission in gear when parking. Thought I'd see if there's a strong trend one way or another.

BTW, FWIW, the owner's manual says this:

To park your vehicle:
1. Press the brake pedal and move the
transmission selector lever to the
neutral position.
2. Fully apply the parking brake, hold the
clutch pedal down, then move the
transmission selector lever to first gear.
3. Switch the ignition off.

 

[airjor13]

I try to place it into 3rd or 4th whenever I can remember

 

[Colin1337]

I never leave it in gear unless I park on a hill.... Just me though.

 

[jcr557]

Never in gear unless on a hill. I got use to it because I've had remote starts on my stick shift cars.

 

[Perry]

Never in gear unless on a hill. I got use to it because I've had remote starts on my stick shift cars.

Obviously an important thing to consider! (The remote start, I mean.) I've always put the vehicle into first and set the parking brake, but at least as much because that's what my Dad taught me when I was a kid as anything else.

 

[MKVIIST]

I normally turn off the car, set the parking brake and put it in first gear.

 

[JP6spd]

I have always left my cars in neutral. Seems like putting it first is the common choice.

 

[DaveSignal]

I always leave it in gear. Its kind of a double security since the car won't roll away if the parking brake fails or if inadvertently forget to set it. But I don't specifically put the car in first, I just am in first already at parking speed and then when I stop the car and turn it off I just leave it where it is. Specifically shifting it to neutral whenever parked would require some extra thinking / more effort.

 

[rodmoe]

Always in first or second the set the Ebrake but not too hard.. Had the ebrake cable on or foot ebrake stick on OLD cars I have owned so force of habit will do that I don't even think about it cuz I have so many cars that rolled away from me LOL
However you do it is fine as long as you take the responsibility for it I don't mind either or anyway ..

 

[Jber]

When parking i normally have clutch in, brake pedal then switch of the car then ebrake. Usually in first or reverse dependin on the incline. Habit since previous car had gear lock

 

[mYsTiCfAc3]

My option is not up there

First gear no parking brake in winter
With in summer

The parking brake stuck up on me once in one of my previous cars so no more hand brake in winter

 

[RefrigeratorST]

^^^ Same

Parking brake on my mustang froze one night while i was working... I wasn't about to wait for a tow truck in possibly the worst part of town, so had to drive home with parking brake on, stopping every mile or so on the side of the highway to let the brakes cool (they were glowing red). Turned around and had to replace pads and rotors the next day, not trying to go through that again, although it seemed to be a known issue for the mustang since there was a tsb on it.. I just dont want to be the one to be the guinea pig on the FiST..

 

[peoples1234]

A few years ago (actually like 12 or so), I went sailing. Like any other ordinary sailing day, I parked my truck at the marina. It was an old 92 Flareside F150, manual.

When I came back, a bunch of people were standing around the parking lot where I parked, pointing down the embankment into the river. My truck wasn't in the parking space anymore and was partially submerged in the river. When I had it pulled out of the water, the first thing the tow driver checked was the parking brake (to release it before pulling up the truck). It was set. I still don't know what happened (i.e. someone backed into me, or the brake did not engage fully, or whatever), but I always leave my cars in gear now as an additonal safety measure. In fact, I am practically neurotic about it.

 

[TheStig]

I never leave it in gear unless I park on a hill.... Just me though.

Im the same way, 99.99% of the time it is in Neutral with the e-brake set.

But its fairly flat where im at.

 

[Matt_FiST]

Depending on an Ascending or Descending Slope, the Parking Brake is set and the Transmission is in 1st or Reverse. Also, the wheels are turned in the appropriate direction, according to the DOT Safety Handbook.

My trailer brakes freeze up quite a bit sitting in the truckstop overnight.

 

[Matt_FiST]

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/rules-regulations.htm

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Rules and Regulations:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu...xt.aspx?reg=393.41&keyword=parking procedures
? 393.41Parking brake system.

(a) Hydraulic-braked vehicles manufactured on or after September 2, 1983. Each truck and bus (other than a school bus) with a GVWR of 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) or less which is subject to this part and school buses with a GVWR greater than 4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) shall be equipped with a parking brake system as required by FMVSS No. 571.105 (S5.2) in effect at the time of manufacture. The parking brake shall be capable of holding the vehicle or combination of vehicles stationary under any condition of loading in which it is found on a public road (free of ice and snow). Hydraulic-braked vehicles which were not subject to the parking brake requirements of FMVSS No. 571.105 (S5.2) must be equipped with a parking brake system that meets the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.





(b) Air-braked power units manufactured on or after March 1, 1975, and air-braked trailers manufactured on or after January 1, 1975. Each air-braked bus, truck and truck tractor manufactured on and after March 1, 1975, and each air-braked trailer except an agricultural commodity trailer, converter dolly, heavy hauler trailer or pulpwood trailer, shall be equipped with a parking brake system as required by FMVSS No. 121 (S5.6) in effect at the time of manufacture. The parking brake shall be capable of holding the vehicle or combination of vehicles stationary under any condition of loading in which it is found on a public road (free of ice and snow). An agricultural commodity trailer, heavy hauler or pulpwood trailer shall carry sufficient chocking blocks to prevent movement when parked.

c) Vehicles not subject to FMVSS Nos. 105 and 121 on the date of manufacture. (1) Each singly driven motor vehicle not subject to parking brake requirements of FMVSS Nos. 105 or 121 at the time of manufacturer, and every combination of motor vehicles must be equipped with a parking brake system adequate to hold the vehicle or combination on any grade on which it is operated, under any condition of loading in which it is found on a public road (free of ice and snow).

(2) The parking brake system shall, at all times, be capable of being applied by either the driver's muscular effort or by spring action. If other energy is used to apply the parking brake, there must be an accumulation of that energy isolated from any common source and used exclusively for the operation of the parking brake.

Exception: This paragraph shall not be applicable to air-applied, mechanically-held parking brake systems which meet the parking brake requirements of FMVSS No. 121 (S5.6).

(3) The parking brake system shall be held in the applied position by energy other than fluid pressure, air pressure, or electric energy. The parking brake system shall not be capable of being released unless adequate energy is available to immediately reapply the parking brake with the required effectiveness.

[70 FR 48048, Aug. 15, 2005]

 

[Kaneda]

Good idea for a poll.

Finding your truck in the river would be brutal. I've seen the odd car that had rolled to the low point in a parking lot or another car but...

 

[aborbs87]

BTW, FWIW, the owner's manual says this:

To park your vehicle:
1. Press the brake pedal and move the
transmission selector lever to the
neutral position.
2. Fully apply the parking brake, hold the
clutch pedal down, then move the
transmission selector lever to first gear.
3. Switch the ignition off.

This is what I do.

 

[gojagz]

The only time I leave it in 1st is when parked on a hill... other than that, it stays in neutral.

 

[RyGuyFIST83]

I always just leave it in neutral with a good tug on the e brake,just something I've always done with my last 5 manual cars. Wouldn't hurt to leave it in 1st though.

-ry