[Poll] How do you park on an incline (hill) ?

[lozina]

A friend of mine criticized me for the way I park when I'm on an incline so I'm wondering if you guys think it's wrong too... What I do is I first apply the emergency brake (hand brake) and then I slowly release the brake peddle and my car moves a little until the emergency brake catches- only once that brake is holding my car do I then put my transmission into Park. I always figured it was better for the transmission but I can't explain why it would be... does anyone know what's better for the car? or if it even makes a difference?

 

[lokiju]

Put in park then apply parking break.

 

[pulse8]

I put my foot on the brake, use the hand brake and then put the car in first.

 

[Heisenberg]

I put the parking brake on first and then put it in Park to avoid binding the transmission (assuming you mean automatic transmissions).

 

[Pacemaker]

If you live where it gets cold don't use your e-brake it can stick on you and then you will have fun getting around.

Ok well basically the parking brake locks the front tires, the e-brake locks the back. The order is pretty irrelevent. Now keep in mind the second question is a little ambigous, because you angle your tires in such a way that if the car were to roll it hits the curb and (hopefully) stops the car. This can be toward or away depending on which way the incline is.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Stop making it harder than it really is.

1)brake, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left (incline)
2)put your car in park (automatic trans.), 1st gear if you're on a manual
3)pull the e-brake.
4)turn off car.

 

[AsianriceX]

Originally posted by: Cloud Strife
Stop making it harder than it really is.

1)brake, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left (incline)
2)put your car in park (automatic trans.), 1st gear if you're on a manual
3)pull the e-brake.
4)turn off car.

I know some people that actually prefer to allow the car to roll backwards after step 1 so as to make sure the wheel catches the curb and ensure secure contact, but really that's personal preference.

As for me, I don't really care since I live in the plains.

 

[lozina]

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
If you live where it gets cold don't use your e-brake it can stick on you and then you will have fun getting around.

Ok well basically the parking brake locks the front tires, the e-brake locks the back. The order is pretty irrelevent. Now keep in mind the second question is a little ambigous, because you angle your tires in such a way that if the car were to roll it hits the curb and (hopefully) stops the car. This can be toward or away depending on which way the incline is.

Ah, good points there!

Is that how all auto tranny cars are? parking brake for front tires e-brake for rear? so it makes no difference if the weight of your car is resting on the parking brake or the e-brake?

well i guess then the best would be to apply both brake at the same time, then release the brake pedal, so hopefully the weight of the car is evenly distributed to all 4 brakes?

yeah that's something I didn't know about with the curb thing... I thought it was an absolute rule (towards curb or away) I didn't think that one through... See I never do that I just leave my tires straight =\

 

[Cloud Strife]

Parking brake on an auto only locks the transmission with a "pin". I'm pretty sure it doesn't lock the front brakes. Why else would you car roll back a little when you release your brakes?

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: lozina
yeah that's something I didn't know about with the curb thing... I thought it was an absolute rule (towards curb or away) I didn't think that one through... See I never do that I just leave my tires straight =\

Yes, just think it true. Imagine if you were parked facing downhill, and have your front tires facing the center of the road. Now imagine that your breaks fail and/or you are hit from behind. What will happen to your car? It'll start moving downhill right into the middle of the road. That is not where you want an out-of-control car.

Now imagine the same thing with your wheels facing the curb. Your car will try to drive over the curb, the curb will stop your car (hopefully), and there is much less chance of further problems.

Reverse everything if you are parking uphill.

 

[duragezic]

I kind of wondered what is the correct way/best way for your auto tranny.

I pull to the spot and may or may not turn my wheels to the curb, then shift to Park, release brake pedal, then apply handbrake. But I don't like that when you are in Park and release the brake pedal that it jumps forward a bit. From what I remember on how the Park gear mechanism looked, you don't want a whole lot of force or it could wear away the stops.

But it seems if you pulled the handbrake as you were holding the brake pedal, then shifted into park, all of the force/weight would be on the handbrake (unless it slipped a little bit and the Park caught/engaged) mechanism.

Also, your poll is a little confusing. The first option should read Parking gear or just Park. Handbrake, parking brake, e-brake are the same thing AFAIK.

 

[Pacemaker]

Originally posted by: Cloud Strife
Parking brake on an auto only locks the transmission with a "pin". I'm pretty sure it doesn't lock the front brakes. Why else would you car roll back a little when you release your brakes?

You are correct, I was assuming a Front wheel drive car (as most are now). The e-brake physically engages the brakes (which can be an issue in winter weather). So if you are paranoid about your transmission you can go ahead and do the e-brake first. Although, I have never heard of anyone actually hurting their transmission in this way.

BTW if you notice I said, "Locks the tires" not "locks the brakes" in my previous post.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: lozina

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
If you live where it gets cold don't use your e-brake it can stick on you and then you will have fun getting around.

Ok well basically the parking brake locks the front tires, the e-brake locks the back. The order is pretty irrelevent. Now keep in mind the second question is a little ambigous, because you angle your tires in such a way that if the car were to roll it hits the curb and (hopefully) stops the car. This can be toward or away depending on which way the incline is.

Ah, good points there!

Is that how all auto tranny cars are? parking brake for front tires e-brake for rear? so it makes no difference if the weight of your car is resting on the parking brake or the e-brake?

It depends if your car is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. The parking brake always engages the rear brakes. The Park in an auto tranny doesn't have anything to do with the brakes, front or rear. What is does is engage a parking pawl into a gear inside the transmission that keeps the drive wheels from turning. However, putting a great deal of force on the parking pawl isn't the best of ideas, which is why I always use the parking brake on inclines.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I drive stick, so I curb the wheels, apply the parking brake, turn the car off, put it in gear (reverse if I'm pointing downhill, first if uphill), then remove my foot from the brakes.

With an automatic, I put the car in Park, curb my wheels, apply the parking brake, turn the car off, then remove my foot from the brake.

Your second question seems misinformed - you turn the wheels away from the curb when you're parked uphill, and toward the curb when your car is pointing downhill. Accordingly, I can't really answer that poll.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Originally posted by: duragezic
I kind of wondered what is the correct way/best way for your auto tranny.

I pull to the spot and may or may not turn my wheels to the curb, then shift to Park, release brake pedal, then apply handbrake. But I don't like that when you are in Park and release the brake pedal that it jumps forward a bit. From what I remember on how the Park gear mechanism looked, you don't want a whole lot of force or it could wear away the stops.

But it seems if you pulled the handbrake as you were holding the brake pedal, then shifted into park, all of the force/weight would be on the handbrake (unless it slipped a little bit and the Park caught/engaged) mechanism.

Also, your poll is a little confusing. The first option should read Parking gear or just Park. Handbrake, parking brake, e-brake are the same thing AFAIK.

Your 4 way brake pedal should be the last thing you release. This will avoid any jerking when you release the brakes.

 

[walkur]

I think I do it
-Brake
-E-brake
-Neutral

Allthough it's been a while since I parked on an incline, living in the netherlands and all.

 

[FoBoT]

not really any hills around here. not many anyway and i don't park near them

 

[Cloud Strife]

Just remember the saying, "up up and away" when parking on inclines.

 

[Pacemaker]

Oh yeah something I forgot, if there is no curb you are supposed to reverse the direction you turn the wheel so your car rolls into the ditch and not into the street

 

[MotionMan]

I learned to drive and park in San Francisco, the master training area for hill parking. Both my parents were born and raised in San Francisco, so I learned from the best.

1. You should engage the parking gear (or first/reverse for manual) and let the car roll onto it a bit, then engage the emergency brake. The point it to make sure that the car stays put, and the tranny does a much better job of that than the brakes (and it less likely to fail). Being concerned about the wear on the tranny when parking is a little over the top.

2. You should ALWAYS turn your front wheels so that, if the brake and tranny gives out, you will roll into the curb (i.e., if you are facing up hill, your turn the wheels left; if you are facing downhill, you turn the wheels to the right).

MotionMan

 

[duragezic]

Originally posted by: Cloud Strife

Originally posted by: duragezic
I kind of wondered what is the correct way/best way for your auto tranny.

I pull to the spot and may or may not turn my wheels to the curb, then shift to Park, release brake pedal, then apply handbrake. But I don't like that when you are in Park and release the brake pedal that it jumps forward a bit. From what I remember on how the Park gear mechanism looked, you don't want a whole lot of force or it could wear away the stops.

But it seems if you pulled the handbrake as you were holding the brake pedal, then shifted into park, all of the force/weight would be on the handbrake (unless it slipped a little bit and the Park caught/engaged) mechanism.

Also, your poll is a little confusing. The first option should read Parking gear or just Park. Handbrake, parking brake, e-brake are the same thing AFAIK.

Your 4 way brake pedal should be the last thing you release. This will avoid any jerking when you release the brakes.

If I held the brake pedal the whole time, I'd shift to park, pull the hand brake, then release but all of the weight/force is going to be on the hand brake. The Park mechanism usually needs a couple of inches of travel to hit the next stop and lock the wheels.

So it seems I have been doing it the right way, and that tranny damage from this isn't really a problem (though its not only the tranny, its whatever the circular thing is that has "knobs" around it to lock the wheels when placed in Park. I guess they can get wore when abused like not fully stopped before placing into park. Parking on an incline and letting it jerk forward is pretty much the same thing). I guess I'll just release the brake pedal very slowly so it doesnt jerk forward really hard, and sort of eases into the stop/lock.

If you engage the hand brake first with the brake pedal depressed, unless it isn't tight enough to let it slip forward/backward a few inches and let Park lock the wheels, that's a lot of weight to trust the handbrake with. If it gives the car is gonna jerk hard anyway until its locked by Park.

 

[habib89]

auto:
park
e-brake

manual:
nuetral
e-brake
shut off car
put into first

edit: my mom has actually gotten a ticket for not curbing her tires