What gear do you park your MT car in

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Neutral on flat ground, 1st on a hill, always with e-brake.

I can't stand it when the dealer or anyone else leaves my car in gear after working on it, you leave the car the way it was when it came in.
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: 97 GTP
Remember hand brakes can freeze in the winter, seen it many times.
I have never seen it happen nor had it happen to me. And that includes going into a touchless car wash in Chicago in -25°C weather and parking only a few km down the road. My considerably biased opinion is that if you don't use it consistently, every single time, it could freeze up on you. But if you do use it every single time you park, it almost certainly won't freeze up. The only people I have heard anecdotally say the parking brake froze up on someone they knew was because it wasn't used frequently.
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I always use mine and mine always works.

The parking brake is also part of the rear brake self adjusting mechanism in many cars, mine included.



A friend of mine in early 90's, during a real cold winter, drove through a large puddle and then parked the car for several hours with the e-brake on. When we came out the car would drag the rear wheels (front wheel drive). He left his car there for several days until it thawed out. Since then I was more conscience using the hand brake in the winter months.
 
I always use my hand brake and have had it freeze many times.

To the point where my right rear was locked up in the garage and I backed out of the garage to the street and left a skid mark all the way down.

2 years later I still can see parts of the skid.

To answer the question, 1st gear.

Bill
 
I hardly ever use my hand brake since the button broke and the spring popped out, but since its been said you use it or lose it, I'll get to getting some use of it. Before that I would always use it and stick neutral.

1st if leaving forward, R if exiting back.


Thats also interesting about the safety interlock. I always just thought it was inconvenient. Didnt know it actually accelerated wear.

Aint it grand we learn here from the silliest of threads!?
 
Originally Posted By: sxg6
I can't stand it when the dealer or anyone else leaves my car in gear after working on it, you leave the car the way it was when it came in.


You need to leave a sticker on the windscreen telling them how you want your car left at the end.

I expect mechanics not to change my radio station, or seat position (except the obvious forwards or backwards, but to expect them to remember that the car was/wasn't in gear, and that the wheel needs to be at 13 minutes past 3 o'clock...

the mechanics I worked with in the 80s (one a MB factory dude) expected two forms of retardation when the car was parked. Handbrake and Park, or Handbrake and in gear when the car is left. They weren't that keen on being rolled over by an unsecured vehicle.
 
In every workshop I've worked in you never leave a vehicle in gear - someone flicks the key to turn it over and it lurches forward....and if it's a diesel it's a runner.Many stories of mechanics being squashed against workbenches or cars smashing through walls or into other cars.Never leave them in gear is just a basic safety rule.
 
I always leave it in gear, unless I want to roll it by hand.

after reading this thread, I might use nuetral for a few reasons...

and install a neat little switch......

I'll try to bypass the clutch interlock by routing it to a switch, the car will only start without the clutch pushed in if you are pushing down the button. This will keep it safer for unknowing drivers, or not paying attention. Yet you can still work it like the stock configuration as well without using the button.
;-)
 
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I don't make a habit of one way or the other. 1st or neutral. I do always use some tension on the brake, and they are alomst always parked on level ground.
 
If I pull nose-in to a parking spot, I leave the tranny in Reverse.

If I back in, then I leave it in First.

I always set the parking brake... force of habit. I figure if I am going to have habits then at least some of them should be good ones.
 
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