Poll: Leave car in neutral or in gear with handbrake?

[vegaskyle]

And I never start a vehicle without one foot firmly on the brake and the other fully disengaging the clutch. It's a simple safety precaution, just like buckling up.

This.

I don't see how redundancy is a bad thing so I always opt for in gear. My first car was a 72 super beetle, the hand brake hardly worked so that may be where I formed the habit.

[matias88e30]

Handbrake... thats all u need in miami.. sucks lol!

[Thehemiman]

At home I leave it in neutral with no handbrake cause it's not gonna roll anywhere. Other places it's usually it's in gear with no handbrake unless I'm on a decent sized hill.

[maximus_pr]

The gear should only be a backup, maintain your handbrake and it will work properly...

20 years of driving never a single time the hand brake malfunctioned,also agree gear should only be a back up specially on automatics

[Turd]

Only in gear on a hill. Otherwise, my trusty handbrake remains trusty.

[KillaCams]

Mines usually in neutral with the handbrake on, of course when i'm on the hill i load the handbrake then put it in 1st as a backup. Also, anytime i get into my car i made it a habit that before starting i check it's in neutral.

[Hodge]

Any of my cars, 2nd gear and handbrake. No matter what surface I am parked in. The only time I don't use the handbrake is when its in the garage parked.

For auto's, Park and handbrake.


The handbrake is there for a reason.

[KillaCams]

How come some of you guys use 2nd gear? I thought 1st gear had the most resistance which is why it holds the car, wouldn't it be able to roll easier in 2nd?

[nando]

I don't park on hills, no reason to put it in gear.

plus you actually wear on the crank thrust bearing when you start the car in gear and have to push in the clutch. it's a bigger problem if you have a stiffer pressure plate.

[LivingLegend06]

How come some of you guys use 2nd gear? I thought 1st gear had the most resistance which is why it holds the car, wouldn't it be able to roll easier in 2nd?

Correct. I have no idea why you would want to use second. I believe R would give you even more resistance to motion.

Always park with the handbrake and in gear, and I always check that I am in neutral before starting the car (but I don't usually press in the clutch).

A surprising number of cars on the road have almost non functioning handbrakes. My girlfriend texted me this morning and told me the car was driving funny and making a funny noise, turns out she drove for a number of miles with the handbrake on. The handbrake in her car doesn't really work, as a result of this she always get mad at my after I drive the car because she Isn't strong enough to take the parking brake off after I set it.

[VinniE30]

Neutral with handbrake on here. If you take good care of your brake stuffs and make sure your handbrake is properly adjusted you have nothing to worry about. The main reason I do this is because my car does not require the clutch to be depressed to start the car and i'd rather not risk it being turned on while in gear without the clutch disengaged. It just seems safer to me.

Also, i'd rather have the handbrake hold the car in place than the transmission. The car can move if it's in gear too and if it does it's probably going to brake something in the transmission. Seems like it's less stress on the transmission.

If your really worried about the handbrake failing and you're parking on a hill or whatnot then turn the wheels all the way to the left or right. That puts less stress on whatever your using to hold the car weither it's the handbrake or the transmission and if something does come loose the car wont go very far if you turned the wheels towards the side of the road.

[blackhawkimpact]

1st gear, no handbrake.

Hill - 1st gear and handbrake.

[Rennsport]

N with ebrakes cuz i has mad tite remote statts an shiz

Engilsh version: Neutral with hand brake because I have remote start, unless I'm on a really steep hill, then I'll throw it in second and remember not to remote start it.

[Simon S]

i'm in the: first gear/no parking
or
hill = 1st + parking brake
camp.

(have also delt with history of sticky parking brakes)
Basically - exercise the PB periodically - but don't use it day-in/day-out.

[CHIF8008]

i normally just neutral + handbrake. but on hills i feel it slip( i need to tighten) so i put it in gear then