standard guys... do you leave it in 1st when parked? or neutral + ebrake?

oilhammer

oilhammer

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Dec 11, 2001
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outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Parking brake always on, 1st or reverse, depending on which way the car is aimed if it is on a hill. But I always make sure the brake is holding before I put it in gear, same for my automatics.

I have the clutch "safety" switch disabled on any of my manuals that had them, and start the car in neutral with my foot OFF the clutch pedal. Something about starting an engine with the crankshaft thrust bearings dry doesn't set well with me. Old habit from my air cooled days, I guess, when you could see how bad the thrust was pounded on in cars with manual gearboxes, whereas the automatics had virtually no thrust wear ever of any kind.
 
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I

IndigoBlueWagon

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Aug 16, 2004
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South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Part of my problem with parking brakes is I learned to drive on British cars, and the parking brakes either didn't work or didn't release. So I learned to avoid them. It's been a difficult habit to break.
 
spokes

spokes

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Mar 22, 2015
Location
Hamilton, ON, Canada
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2006 MKIV Wagon - 5spd, 2012 Passat NMS TDI - DSG
neutral and parking brake, even on inclines. Hasn't been a problem yet.... however based off responses maybe I should leave it in gear as well.
 
W

whitedog

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Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
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2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Old habits are hard to break. I was learned in the Army to put the Duece in Neutral and set the parking brake. Because it was a mechanical shut-down, if it was left in gear and was bumped, it could start and drive off.

And that's what I still do even though it's not relevant.

Old habits...
 
Victor Ward

Victor Ward

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Jul 23, 2013
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Blaine
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2013 Jetta 6MT
Im in the minority of putting it in N and using the hand brake 100% of the time. If I were on a good slope I would feel compelled to put it in gear though, hasen't happend yet.

The Jeep I sold six months ago I would always put in gear because the hand brake was shot and the adjustment hardware was corroded enough that I didn't want to bother with it.
 
VeeDubTDI

VeeDubTDI

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Neutral + brake for me. If the hill is very steep, I'll put it in 1st or reverse depending on which way the vehicle is facing.
 
J

JLMurphy

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May 16, 2007
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Huntingtown, MD
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2010 Golf 6MT, 2001 Golf 5MT
Glad to see the E-brake + Neutral crowd chime in, after reading the first page or so I was worried I was in the minority.

My wife oh the other hand, tends to leave it in gear, so I have to pay attention when starting her car. :D
 
supton

supton

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May 25, 2004
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Central NH (USA)
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'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
We always leave ours in gear; but the clutch interlock switch is unmolested, so no biggie.

But I drive my wife up the wall: I leave it in 1st or reverse, whatever I was using last. She leaves it in the gear she will need to use next. I generally shift to neutral after starting, or at least row through some gears and "make sure" I'm in 1st.
 
N

naturist

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Apr 2, 2001
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Bro Jerry's hometown, Virginia
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2001 Jetta TDI, 2005 Jeep Libby CRD, 2012 BMW X5 35d
Click and Clack, the tappet brothers, always said that you should leave it in gear with the parking/emergency brake off, unless parked on a steep hill, where the brake is actually needed. They ALSO said that the choice of first or reverse is a function of whether the car is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Their reasoning was that in either gear, it isn't going to roll away by itself, but in the event the car gets towed, if it is a front wheel drive vehicle and you left it nosed into the space from which it is towed, you want the lazy ass truck driver who just grabs and runs to NOT run the engine backward as it gets dragged down the street. So front wheel drive cars get left in reverse, rear wheel drive cars get left in first.

They also said that the reason they do not recommend leaving it parked with the brake on is that most of them are cable operated, and should there be a bit of water in the cable and it freezes or rusts, you don't want the e-brake unable to release.

Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.
 
Chris

Chris

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Jan 27, 2000
Location
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA
In my experience it's the people who never use their parking brake who are at greatest risk of having it stick on in the rare occasion that they need it.


[Edit: And I *always* apply the brake and leave it in gear]
 
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whitedog

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Bend, Oregon
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2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
naturist said:
Click and Clack, the tappet brothers, always said that you should leave it in gear with the parking/emergency brake off, unless parked on a steep hill, where the brake is actually needed. They ALSO said that the choice of first or reverse is a function of whether the car is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Their reasoning was that in either gear, it isn't going to roll away by itself, but in the event the car gets towed, if it is a front wheel drive vehicle and you left it nosed into the space from which it is towed, you want the lazy ass truck driver who just grabs and runs to NOT run the engine backward as it gets dragged down the street. So front wheel drive cars get left in reverse, rear wheel drive cars get left in first.

They also said that the reason they do not recommend leaving it parked with the brake on is that most of them are cable operated, and should there be a bit of water in the cable and it freezes or rusts, you don't want the e-brake unable to release.

Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.
Click to expand...
C&C were entertaining, but I don't trust most of what they said. I lost that trust when a guy asked why his wife's brakes wore out in under 10,000 miles. Their only answer was that it was caused by her driving. Lots of other things could be going on, but they ignored that completely. I think that was the last time I listened to them.
 
turbobrick240

turbobrick240

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maine
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I agree that C&C were very entertaining. They were very bright guys. I'm a bit shocked they would recommend NOT using the parking brake. I am one of the heretics that uses neutral and brake on flat surfaces. Have had many pickups where i used the trans. and a block of wood behind the tire.
 
supton

supton

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Central NH (USA)
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'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
Seen too many cases where the parking brake doesn't work well enough (like my Toyotas, but also others).

Also had the parking brake freeze on my car this winter, and had it go too in past winters, despite habitual usage. I'll still use it, but am thinking of using it less now as a result.
 
dogdots

dogdots

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Kansas City
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I leave mine in first or reverse (depending on which one is geared lower) depending on which vehicle I am parking, along with setting the parking brake. My lower driveway is somewhat steep and the driveway on the other side of my house is much steeper.

My powerstroke 6 speed has a very low "1st" so that's the gear it gets parked in. I have to use the parking brake with my all original '29 Ford Model A Tudor, because the grade of my driveway overcomes the compression of the engine.

My '02 Jetta that I bought new now has a spoiler because when it was 3 months old, my wife left it idling in neutral with the parking brake set, ran into the house to grab something, and the brake lever released itself and took out the neighbor's mail box and the Jetta deck lid. The ratchet mechanism has lost its grip 3 times since in the last 320k miles, luckily with no rolling events.

In college, I once left my Mustang idling in my dorm parking lot when I ran up to my room to grab something, when I came back out, I found my car rolling off the edge of the parking lot retaining wall, when it came to rest it was teetering on the retaining wall :eek: Lucky for me no one was in the way and the only damage was to the dual exhaust. The parking brake was set then too, but the ratchet had decided to let go.

I will not park a manual or auto trans car without the parking brake. The auto's parking pall takes quite a beating when folks do not apply the parking brake before putting the car into park on an incline.
 
swetbak

swetbak

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03 Jetta Wagon, 2010 BMW 335d
JLMurphy said:
Glad to see the E-brake + Neutral crowd chime in, after reading the first page or so I was worried I was in the minority.

My wife oh the other hand, tends to leave it in gear, so I have to pay attention when starting her car. :D
Click to expand...
+1 on e-brake and neutral.
 
swetbak

swetbak

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03 Jetta Wagon, 2010 BMW 335d
naturist said:
Click and Clack, the tappet brothers, always said that you should leave it in gear with the parking/emergency brake off, unless parked on a steep hill, where the brake is actually needed. They ALSO said that the choice of first or reverse is a function of whether the car is front wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Their reasoning was that in either gear, it isn't going to roll away by itself, but in the event the car gets towed, if it is a front wheel drive vehicle and you left it nosed into the space from which it is towed, you want the lazy ass truck driver who just grabs and runs to NOT run the engine backward as it gets dragged down the street. So front wheel drive cars get left in reverse, rear wheel drive cars get left in first.

They also said that the reason they do not recommend leaving it parked with the brake on is that most of them are cable operated, and should there be a bit of water in the cable and it freezes or rusts, you don't want the e-brake unable to release.
Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.
Click to expand...
C &C were usually caller specific. Hill vs Dale; Snow vs Sun; etc..
Not much chance of an ebrake cable freezing in FL
 
4

[486]

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Mar 1, 2014
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MN
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02 golf ALH
I put it in fifth
so that it slowly plooks its way down my driveway on its own
 
jimbote

jimbote

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spiral arm, milky way (aka central NC)
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impossible for the synchros to be damaged from a "bump" while in gear parked ... same for engine damage if reversed unless car happens to be pushed at high speed somehow ... ideally you want to use the lowest gear available when parking, which in almost all cars is reverse, although first is "gudnuf" ... click and clack, while fun to listen to, were so off base on so many answers i would find myself yelling at the radio ... their advice on not using parking brakes is akin to the joke about the brothers where one runs red lights and the other stops on every green for fear of colliding with his red light running sibling...:rolleyes:
 
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J

jjblbi

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lbi, nj
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2014 Passat SEL TDI
E brake only for me, maybe in gear on a steep hill. I have been auto since 2001. I also only start manuals (cars and motorcycles) in neutral with the clutch out. I drove an early '70s diesel International and the owner's manual specifically said do not leave the truck parked in gear, it could bump start when hot. I guess computers and electronic fuel shut-offs have negate this. YMMV, John
 
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