What gear do you park your MT car in

[GTO52]

On my 95 Toyota Hilux pickup I have to leave it in reverse so I can attach the Gear lock so they cannot steal it!
Toyotas especially the older ones are very popular with car theives here in South Africa.
I heard the other day on a local radio station that a 95 Hilux(that has tracking device fitted) similar to my one has been stolen and recovered 9 times!
Probably a world record?
I have gear lock and tracking device fitted and it is parked in a locked garage at night.
If I parked it on the street at night I would give it a week or so before they steal it!

 

[Silk]

Workshop rules are never to leave a car in gear,so I never leave a manual trans in gear,park brake only.

 

[Scott_Tucker]

Using 1st or reverse is probably the best idea. When you park on a hill in gear and your parking brake fails the wheels will try to drive the engine and transmission. If you are in first gear the rpm required to reach a certain speed is higher than if you were in, say, 5th gear. Owing the the higher friction at higher rpm and the increase in pumping losses it will be harder to sppin the engine when it is in a low gear or reverse. It does not matter if it is in 1st or reverse, the friction should be about the same.

If the total ratio from the flywheel to the wheels was 4:1 (engine turns 4 times for every one time the wheels turn)in first gear, then the wheels would drive the engine at four times whatever the rpm is at the wheels. If the total ratio in fifth gear was 1:1 then the wheels would only have to turn the engine over once for every revolution. Therefore, the added resistance of having it in 1st or reverse prevents the car from rolling better.

 

[Shannow]

1st gear, and handbrake on.

Double contingency failure required to allow it to roll.

 

[Gary Allan]

On the wife's jeep I usually use 1st. It doesn't matter what gear it's in, it cannot hold on an incline. I think it's the cam overlap (no Egr). I have to apply the parking brake if there's any slope at all. It chugged backwards at the dealer into a new car and damaged the bumper. I was in side getting parts.

This has done this from new and it's the only time I've ever experienced this from any vehicle.

 

[Vilan]

Neutral with e-brake on. Every time, all the time.

 

[river_rat]

R in the garage. No e-brake because it's level and I had a car rust the pad to the rotor from sitting more than once. (often drive the old van or my wife's car, so it might sit a few days and Iowa is humid) ...R because if my foot slips off the clutch, I'd rather shoot out the door than hit the wall.
Everywhere else, 1st with e-brake on.

My old neighbors, on the other hand, N with no e-brake.
Twice in about five years one or the other of their cars rolled. Once I was outside, saw it start to go, and caught it. The other time it made a mad dash for the street and ended up in a front yard across the street.
Nice people...but you's think they'd learn after the first time.

 

[Shannow]

I like to make in gear and handbrake on non conditional when I teach people to drive.

Workmate has a wife who uses a variety of Drive/Neutral, Handbrake on/off scenarios depending on whether at work, home, etc. and has been disastrous (at home) on a couple of occasions.

 

[chad8]

First gear always because my e-brake is loose and will not hold the car by itself. On hills the car will roll a bit so i use the e-brake too.
I have a question. If you have to push the clutch in to start the car , do you either slide the shifter in neutral first so if your foot slips you won't hit something? same question about the e-brake. When do you release it. If you are in a sloped driveway ,do you start the car first in neutral , then release the brake ? This sounds like too much work. I just push the clutch in and go , or if in need reverse , I push the clutch in , start the car, hit reverse , and go.

 

[Shannow]

Having pulled apart engines, plus seen the work on Michel and hist thrust bearings (google kingsbury bearing), I refuse to start an engine with the clutch depressed (unless the electrics won't let that happen).

I always start by checking the lever crosses all the gates, then start in neutral.

Was looking at a Wrangler some time ago, and was seriously turned off by a clutch in start.

 

[demarpaint]

First with the E-brake. If I'm on an incline or decline I will turn the wheels so that they lock the car to the curb.

 

[Shannow]

That's a point I usually forget...

 

[PF52]

Almost always First with no emergency brake.

If I have to park on a slope (rare around here), I'll choose a spot with a curb either in front or to the side so I can place the wheel accordingly to keep it from rolling.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
Parking your car in gear will still allow it to roll if the emergency brake is not applied whether in first or reverse.


Yes, but he asked what gear, not if you use the e-brake

 

[Axe Man]

1st gear, e-brake all the time. Unless the vehicle will be parked for an extensive period of time. Then it's level surface, 1st gear, e-brake off. I've seen e-brake cables rust and hang up resulting in a mess.

 

[Axe Man]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Having pulled apart engines, plus seen the work on Michel and hist thrust bearings (google kingsbury bearing), I refuse to start an engine with the clutch depressed (unless the electrics won't let that happen).

I always start by checking the lever crosses all the gates, then start in neutral.

Was looking at a Wrangler some time ago, and was seriously turned off by a clutch in start.



Can't do that here in North America. All manual transmission vehicles have a clutch interlock out of liability concerns. But it is easily bypassed by pulling the connector off the switch on the clutch pedal and installing a jumper wire.

 

[eljefino]

I've chirped the tires roll starting in 2nd. Compression is a handy brake. This is not to say a substitute. I park on a nearly flat dirt driveway and after shutting the motor off I sit with my foot on the clutch to see if some pebble is holding it. Usually, there is! That's enough for me and 1st/reverse to keep it for sure.

In the winter, slush ruts hold the car great, especially if they freeze. Don't need the parking brake jamming too.

My dad parked his ford fairmont standard shift on a significant angle, and used a wheel chock to back things up. Swore off the e-brake when it jammed annually. Sometimes would gun the gas downhill when he forgot about the chock.

 

[Paul B.]

My Saab must be in reverse or you can't remove the key. You have to warn anyone unfamilair with it or they will break something trying to remove the key.

 

[scurvy]

Never in gear, only with the parking brake and the wheels turned toward the curb. Not using the parking brake is what makes it not work - use it or lose it!

Originally Posted By: Shannow
I always start by checking the lever crosses all the gates, then start in neutral.
Same here. I've bypassed my clutch interlock as well. I don't like unlubricated thrust bearings being loaded either.

 

[mechtech2]

1rst - it has the most resistance -5th would be easy to roll.
But reverse should have more, now that I think about it.

I used the parking brakes all the time, but after they froze/locked in 0 F weather, I just don't trust them, even though they seem fine now.