Using the parking brake
- Thread starter mclasser
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Yep, I do it every time like second nature. I hear it's good to keep the mechanism moving, versus it never being used for years.
On level ground, I engage the Park position of the transmission after the car's come to a full stop. No need to use the hand brake unless I'm on an incline. And I never engage the hand brake if the brakes are very hot.
Originally Posted By: mongo161
On an incline....or decline....after I pull into a parking space, I put the transmission into neutral, engage the emergency brake and then shift into park. When I leave the parking space on the incline or decline....I start up the car, shift into neutral from park and with my foot on the brake, release the emergency brake before shifting into drive.
IMO....this takes a lot of pressure off of the transmission by avoiding the clunks and bangs in the automatic when shifting.
That's what I do,
When I release the Parking Brake, the vehicle should coast down hill.
showing me the Parking Brake is not hanging up.
On an incline....or decline....after I pull into a parking space, I put the transmission into neutral, engage the emergency brake and then shift into park. When I leave the parking space on the incline or decline....I start up the car, shift into neutral from park and with my foot on the brake, release the emergency brake before shifting into drive.
IMO....this takes a lot of pressure off of the transmission by avoiding the clunks and bangs in the automatic when shifting.
That's what I do,
When I release the Parking Brake, the vehicle should coast down hill.
showing me the Parking Brake is not hanging up.
Depends-in a manual equipped, every time. In an auto, on steep hills, or if I can't use the curb, or a parking bumper as a stop in a lot. I'll always let it rest against the curb, then put it in park, & then engage the brake too if there's enough slope underneath.
Originally Posted By: 79sunrunner
Originally Posted By: supton
I like to shift into neutral and let the vehicle relax before engaging park.
+1!!
I do the same thing. I also come to a complete stop, then pause for a second or two in N before shifting into reverse, or shifting from reverse to drive. I get a kick out of people who are rolling forward and shift into reverse, or rolling backwards and shift into drive. Those are people I wouldn't buy a car from.
Originally Posted By: supton
I like to shift into neutral and let the vehicle relax before engaging park.
+1!!
I do the same thing. I also come to a complete stop, then pause for a second or two in N before shifting into reverse, or shifting from reverse to drive. I get a kick out of people who are rolling forward and shift into reverse, or rolling backwards and shift into drive. Those are people I wouldn't buy a car from.
I set the parking brake most of the time and my wife used to do it, but then the parking brake was sticking on our Mazda 3, so I told her not to engage it. Her logic is that she drove the whole winter without the need to use the parking brake, so there is no reason to use it now that it is fixed.
I, quite frankly, stopped worrying about such trivial things.
I, quite frankly, stopped worrying about such trivial things.
The parking brake on the 4Runner in my sig is useless.
Oh do on my vehicles ... when the parking brake is working. I used to ONLY use the parking brake on automatics (manual can be shut off in gear without damaging anything) until I had the Focus roll away and down the hill where I worked. It was in 3rd gear, not 1st gear apparently.
The Taurus used to get stuck in park if the parking brake wasnt applied and there was pressure on the prawl.
The Taurus used to get stuck in park if the parking brake wasnt applied and there was pressure on the prawl.
If you regularly use the parking brake, you typically won't have issues with the mechanism. If you don't, then on those rare occasions where you do engage it, you get issues more often.
A working parking brake is required to pass a Safety; may as well use it and insure everything engages and disengages like it should.
A working parking brake is required to pass a Safety; may as well use it and insure everything engages and disengages like it should.
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
The parking brake on the 4Runner in my sig is useless.
Then I would seriously recommend that you get it fixed!
My 4 Runner uses the parking brake to adjust the rear drums, but yours are discs, right? The parking brake on mine works great, no reason yours can't as well...
The parking brake on the 4Runner in my sig is useless.
Then I would seriously recommend that you get it fixed!
My 4 Runner uses the parking brake to adjust the rear drums, but yours are discs, right? The parking brake on mine works great, no reason yours can't as well...
I never use it. Its too flat around here. Think I'm worried about pawl (or tranny) damage? Not a chance.
Last stick-shift vehicle I owned came to me well-used and abused. I didn't want to find out the hard way if the parking brake didn't work, so I used the old turn-the-wheel-against-the-curb method on the very rare occasions I parked anywhere I had any worries about rolling away. They still teach this don't they?
Last stick-shift vehicle I owned came to me well-used and abused. I didn't want to find out the hard way if the parking brake didn't work, so I used the old turn-the-wheel-against-the-curb method on the very rare occasions I parked anywhere I had any worries about rolling away. They still teach this don't they?
On my manual - of course!
On the automatic, very rarely, only on a steep incline or if towing.
On the automatic, very rarely, only on a steep incline or if towing.
Originally Posted By: css9450
I never use it. Its too flat around here. Think I'm worried about pawl (or tranny) damage? Not a chance.
Last stick-shift vehicle I owned came to me well-used and abused. I didn't want to find out the hard way if the parking brake didn't work, so I used the old turn-the-wheel-against-the-curb method on the very rare occasions I parked anywhere I had any worries about rolling away. They still teach this don't they?
Apparently not -- at least in Denver during the '90s. When I lived there, I, the expatriate flatlander, was the only one I saw who turned his wheels in to the curb when parking on a downhill slope, and out from the curb on the uphill slope (plus parking brake). I didn't need it often -- primarily when I visited Golden or other hilly towns.
Now, in Da Flat Swamp, I put the electric brake on if I'm parking on any sort of incline. Otherwise, no.
By the way: it's "pawl," isn't it, not "prawl" or "prowl"?
I never use it. Its too flat around here. Think I'm worried about pawl (or tranny) damage? Not a chance.
Last stick-shift vehicle I owned came to me well-used and abused. I didn't want to find out the hard way if the parking brake didn't work, so I used the old turn-the-wheel-against-the-curb method on the very rare occasions I parked anywhere I had any worries about rolling away. They still teach this don't they?
Apparently not -- at least in Denver during the '90s. When I lived there, I, the expatriate flatlander, was the only one I saw who turned his wheels in to the curb when parking on a downhill slope, and out from the curb on the uphill slope (plus parking brake). I didn't need it often -- primarily when I visited Golden or other hilly towns.
Now, in Da Flat Swamp, I put the electric brake on if I'm parking on any sort of incline. Otherwise, no.
By the way: it's "pawl," isn't it, not "prawl" or "prowl"?
Originally Posted By: stockrex
after I saw this image, I always engage the parking brake in any kind of incline
look how flimsy the gear/lock is.
In almost 49 years of vehicle ownership, buying/reselling and a couple car lot stints, I am yet to see a trans with a internal parking pawl problem... Seen plenty that would not engage or sometimes slip out of park(all the Fords of '60s/'70s), but it was a linkage design and never a broken pawl inside the transmission...
I suppose one could be busted by shoving it in park while moving, but ones I've observed that happening to just went Grrrr and when pawl dropped in place, tires locked and slid to a stop...
after I saw this image, I always engage the parking brake in any kind of incline
look how flimsy the gear/lock is.
In almost 49 years of vehicle ownership, buying/reselling and a couple car lot stints, I am yet to see a trans with a internal parking pawl problem... Seen plenty that would not engage or sometimes slip out of park(all the Fords of '60s/'70s), but it was a linkage design and never a broken pawl inside the transmission...
I suppose one could be busted by shoving it in park while moving, but ones I've observed that happening to just went Grrrr and when pawl dropped in place, tires locked and slid to a stop...
A woman in out state is dead because she failed to engage the parking brake and her truck ran over her when she tried to get back in it as it rolled away.
I use the parking brake every single time.
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