Parking on a grade... Should we leave it in 1st or R? Is it bad for the tranny to have a load on the gears? Manual says on uphill grade place in 1st downhill in R? Any thoughts?

 

This is considered Standard procedure when driving a manual transmission vehicle. Don't want your car rolling off by itself and getting damaged do you?[img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img] Will not affect the transmission, unless of course some tow truck tries to tow you off, while the "G" is still in gear.[img]/w3timages/icons/frown.gif[/img]
1st or R matters, depending on if your nose is pointing uphill or downhill. Nose pointed uphill= 1st Nose pointed downhill= R
You would also turn the steering wheel so that if the car starts rolling it runs up onto the curb and stops.

Merlin.

 

Don't leave it in gear, if someone bumps you, all the "SHOCK"
goes right to the trans. I reccomend parking brake only to my clients. The parking brake is strong enough to hold the car in most any situation.
After driving/braking hard give the rotors some cool down time
before setting the parking brake to avoid the pads pinching a hot rotor.

INFINITI service consultant

 

...and, of course, ALWAYS use the parking brake in an auto trans for the same reason, plus it helps keep the "D" engagement smooth since the car isn't "resting on the trans".

INFINITI service consultant

 

That is very interesting. I have always heard to put it in gear. I just got my G35 and think my parking brake needs to much pressure to be effective. I wasn't on too big a hill and I needed to raise the brake, I think as high as it would go. Is this normal?

 

When it comes down to it it all depends on what you are more worried about....your car or other ppls cars or even other ppl. It's true that if someone bumps your car while it's in gear it will put a lot of strain on your transmission...but on the other hand there is the danger that your brake alone won't hold and then say bye bye and possibly bang bang/ow ow.

Red/Canadian

 

I have always been instructed to put it in neutral and use the parking brake only.... I think the parking brake was designed to hold the car on a hill, so there should be no problem....

also, for auto tranny, I always engage neutral, engage parking brake, let go of foot brake and let the parking brake get a hold, then I engage P..... that way when you shift out of P, the gears are not in contact so you don't "GRIND" them apart.....

 

The parking brake is sufficient if you pull it far enough up. I know a few people who only engage it 3-4 clicks. That will do nothing on an incline.

 

I usually reverse and parking brake

During winter, reverse only. If necessary, chock the wheels. If it's wet and freezing avoid using the parking brake because the cables may freeze (not a pretty situation).

Question to Learn2turn: Due to the "shock" situation, or being towed, a parallel question is, for automatics does this mean people should leave it in nuetral and use the parking brake as well?

02 Golf TDI

 

The "shock" factor might be over rated. For decades this has been the correct way to park, now we are supposed to worry about shock? Funny how all the cars of yesteryears seemed to do just fine.

 

I park mine in gear.
Always been doing that... w/o any problem.
*knock on wood*

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2003 Nissan 350Z Touring 6MT
-Silverstone/Burnt orange-