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Starting a car: Handbrake or Drive first? POLL

A

Alphazero

Golden Member
When starting a car (automatic), do you lower the handbrake before shifting to Drive, or put it in Drive first? Any special reason? How about when parking?
 
Me no use handbrake on automatic transmission equipped vehicles (in park). There's no reason, afaict.

If the handbrake was engaged for some reason, then I'd disengage it first (becuase my foot is on the brake pedal anyway). Then I'd switch to R or D and go where I'm going.

Unless I didn't know the handbrake was engaged--for example, someone borrowed my car and applied the handbrake before giving me the keys back. In that case, I'd put my foot back on the brake pedal, then release the handbrake, and then go.

On my manual transmission vehicle I release the brake while my foot is on the brake pedal. Then I do the go stuff.
 
i don't use the handbreak in my car because it has frozen one too many times for my liking.
((unless im parking on a huge hill and then i shift into drive and then do the parking break as per my driving instructor taught me))
 
To those who don't use the handbrake - are you sure that's a good idea? I know it works, but it might not be healthy for your transmission. If you park on a hill, for example, there is quite a bit of pressure on the transmission. Wouldn't it be better to lock the wheels with the handbrake rather than the transmission?

As for manuals - that's a no-brainer. The car is in gear when you start it up, usually....


<---- (Relatively) new driver, enlighten me.
 
when I park my car, I put it in neutral, engage the handbrake, take my foot off the brake, then put it in park.

When I start it, I put my foot on the brake, release the handbrake, then put it in Reverse (I have to back out of my driveway 🙂 )
 
Originally posted by: Alphazero
To those who don't use the handbrake - are you sure that's a good idea? I know it works, but it might not be healthy for your transmission. If you park on a hill, for example, there is quite a bit of pressure on the transmission. Wouldn't it be better to lock the wheels with the handbrake rather than the transmission?
I guess it would be a good idea, but, no hills in S.FL and that's where I've drivin 99.9% of my life, so, hasn't been an issue. Haven't really parked on any hills during my travels, but, I guess it could be difficult to shift out of park if you did park on a hill and didn't set the brake.
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I take it off first but it doesn't matter in the least. In both manual and automatic cars I always use the handbrake/emergency brake, as well as leave it in gear (on a manual).
 
Originally posted by: Alphazero
To those who don't use the handbrake - are you sure that's a good idea? I know it works, but it might not be healthy for your transmission. If you park on a hill, for example, there is quite a bit of pressure on the transmission. Wouldn't it be better to lock the wheels with the handbrake rather than the transmission?

As for manuals - that's a no-brainer. The car is in gear when you start it up, usually....


<---- (Relatively) new driver, enlighten me.
Click to expand...


It is not a good idea not to use the parking brake. In a car with an automatic transmission, you will put unnecessary pressure on the transmission by not using it. This may not hurt the transmission, but the transmission will transmit that force into your engine mounts, and you will wear out your engine mounts faster. Especially if you park on a hill without the parking brake. Also, if you never use it, then it will never work when you need it to, and even worse, it won't release when you need it to, and then you are screwed. If you use it, it will work.

 
Shouldn't matter, your foot should be on the brake anyways meaning that the car is both in drive and off the ebrake before you start moving.
 
I NEVER use a parking brake, not even on manual transmission cars, and have never had any problems. Just leave the car in first or reverse for manual or Park for automatics and you're all set. It's not like a car is ever going to go anywhere sitting in a flat parking lot or garage doing nothing.
 
Originally posted by: BillGates
I NEVER use a parking brake, not even on manual transmission cars, and have never had any problems. Just leave the car in first or reverse for manual or Park for automatics and you're all set. It's not like a car is ever going to go anywhere sitting in a flat parking lot or garage doing nothing.
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You can always tell when people are from plains states like kansas or michigan or somewhere...

Those of us living in states w/ mountains prefer NOT to have our cars roll away when we park them on hills 🙂
 
The ebrake/parking brake/handbrake also calibrates the rear breaks to help keep them in good working order. So even though there aren't many hills in central Indiana I always put on my parking brake.


Lethal
 
I always use my parking brake (aka e-brake, aka handbrake) when I park a car. Doesn't matter if it's a standard or an automatic. My little routine:

Automatic: Sit down, buckle up, press down on service brake, start engine, release parking brake, shift out of park.
Standard: Sit down, buckle up, press down on service brake, select neutral, start engine, release parking brake, depress clutch, select gear (1st or revesre).

If it's really cold out (low 20's in F.), I'll depress the clutch before starting a standard, but most of the time I don't bother. As long as the car is in neutral you don't need to depress the clutch when starting the car.

ZV

EDIT: To those who are worried about the parking brake seizing, the only time I have ever seen a parking brake freeze is when it's not used. If you always use the parking brake, it's not going to seize.
 
Originally posted by: Alphazero
To those who don't use the handbrake - are you sure that's a good idea? I know it works, but it might not be healthy for your transmission. If you park on a hill, for example, there is quite a bit of pressure on the transmission. Wouldn't it be better to lock the wheels with the handbrake rather than the transmission?

As for manuals - that's a no-brainer. The car is in gear when you start it up, usually....


<---- (Relatively) new driver, enlighten me.
Click to expand...

My car is in neutral with the clutch down when I start it.
 
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