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Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:24 pm
by StressedDave
Of course, you don't get to pick which gear you leave the car in. So if you live in San Francisco, I presume there's a lot of U-turning involved.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:38 pm
by TheInsanity1234
trashbat wrote:
Mark of the IAM wrote:β€˜On an uphill incline turn the wheels away from the kerb and leave the vehicle in first gear. Similarly when facing downhill, the vehicle may be left in reverse and the wheels turned towards the kerb.’

My bold. There's no meaningful difference, is there?

I'd do it the other way around. If the car is facing uphill, put the car into reverse, and if it's facing downhill, put it into first.

Basically, put it into whichever gear matches the direction the car would roll in if nothing was stopping it.

I just don't like the idea of an engine being made to turn in the opposite direction it was designed to go.

I have to confess to never bothering to 'kerb' the wheels when on inclines. I probably should though.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:25 pm
by Bumblebee16
sussex2 wrote:I angle the wheels on hills and am generally amazed by the lack of this in towns such as Brighton; a town full of steep hills.


I work in Brighton and that's where we have the problem!
Also, my daughter lives on a steep hill in Brighton and her flat was involved in a collision with a runaway car a few years ago:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9314439. ... ront_wall/

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:53 am
by Pyrolol
jont- wrote:
chriskay wrote:
Mark of the IAM wrote:β€˜...]and the wheels turned towards the kerb.’

If you fail to do this in San Francisco, you get a ticket. Of course, they have some fearsome hills there.

Presumably you mean in Park though, since most of them are autos?


Yes, people here are very good at steering towards the kerb: where vehicles are parked parallel on the steeper streets I think at least 3/4 cars is steered appropriately. Quite a few of the really steep hills are 90 degree parking anyway (for extra easy door opening / closing... not). I have also heard that the city are very big on parking tickets.

Like some here, I've always gone for the gear of the direction the car will roll for similar engine rotating backwards paranoia.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 7:18 am
by Astraist
I think it's worth a mention that it doesn't take all that much steering for a rolling car to be braked by the kerb.

If anything, turn the wheel too much and it might manage to mount it.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 7:56 am
by TripleS
WhoseGeneration wrote:Belt and braces, a backup system is always a good idea.
However, if leaving a car parked up for a long time, in a garage for example and the floor is levelish, I leave in gear without the handbrake applied.


Same here.

One of the arguments used to be that leaving a car parked for long periods with the handbrake firmly applied could cause the handbrake cables to stretch, leading to a need for handbrake adjustment.

I don't know if this is a factor that actually affects many models, but I seem to recall a time when the Citroen Xantia was said to suffer from this problem.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:02 pm
by Discov8
I'm not a fan of electronic parking brakes, so I would also leave in gear. Old fashioned cable operated handbrake I've never known a complete failure, stretched cable making the brake less effective, yes. But we should be keeping our vehicles up to scratch. Plus you get that resistance as the cable tensions so you know if you'll need two hands to get the handbrake off after a days rock climbing!!
So on the flat I just use the handbrake, on a steep hill also in gear with wheels turned to the kerb.
Long term parking no hand brake, just gear and chock a wheel if feeling paranoid.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:40 pm
by jont-
Currently finding 4 axle stands with the wheels off and piled in the corner of the garage is a very effective way to stop the caterham moving :cry:

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:43 pm
by StressedDave
Just be grateful that it doesn't need a 'long front'... When Huge rebuilt his the long front started at the rear number plate carrier.

Re: Leaving your car in gear when parked

Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:16 am
by michael769
TripleS wrote:I don't know if this is a factor that actually affects many models, but I seem to recall a time when the Citroen Xantia was said to suffer from this problem.


The Xantia's had a different problem, where the handbrake operated the front disc brakes.

The problem was that if the discs were hot enough then when they cooled and contracted the brake could let go.