Should i keep it in neturel or put in in 1st when parked?

 

As a matter of principle, I always put it in gear. This particularly so on a grade: 1st gear if it can roll down backwards, reverse if it can roll forward...

 

Depending on the position of the car, I would put it in 1st or reverse. NEVER nuetral. :smile:

 

Usually I park on a level surface and put it in 1st gear with parking brake up.

 

I always leave it in 1st every time I park, but don’t always use the hand break.

 

:smile: I always leave it in 1st or 2nd - neutral can be a bad thing - on any manual car...

Chow!

Donna

 

PUT IT IN GEAR!!! Our MINI has rolled off when left in neutral with just the parking brake on.

 

>>PUT IT IN GEAR!!! Our MINI has rolled off when left in neutral with just the parking brake on.

 

Well there are no hills in Miami, but regardless I always leave the car in 1st gear (Not reverse like some people do) and apply the hand brake.

 

>>As a matter of principle, I always put it in gear. This particularly so on a grade: 1st gear if it can roll down backwards, reverse if it can roll forward...

Okay, so let me ask this...

Why would you put the car in gear so that the transmission would be loading up the engine counter to its direction of rotation? I've heard this advocated before. Wouldn't it make sense to put it in reverse if it can roll backwards, and first if it rolls forwards?

I'm sure the answer is blindingly obivous, but it's one of those things that just makes me think "why?"

 

>>Well there are no hills in Miami, but regardless I always leave the car in 1st gear (Not reverse like some people do) and apply the hand brake.

Yes ... Much like a Halibut Miami is flat, but no matter you should leave the car in gear and if on a hill you should turn your wheels into the curbside. (this cover any catastrophic failures of your handbreak and the car poping out of gear because it got hit by Lord Butthead while he is trying parallel park).


Cheers

 

On the flat I'm in neutral with the p-brake. Never seen the need (the p-brake on the MINI is the best I've had) for putting it in gear. Esp. if you think there's a chance you'd get hit.

On a grade I always put it in gear, and usually in the direction that I'm travelling (1st or 2nd pointed downhill, rev. pointed up.) I've never really considered what'd happen if you did it the other way. If it's really, really steep, turn the wheels into the curb. Only had to do this a handful of times in my life.

As for rolling off with the p-brake on, how? Interesting...

I did have a buddy years ago who let his car roll down the hill with a big pot of baked beans in the passenger seat (going to a family picnic.) You can guess what it looked like inside when it finally came to rest in some woods.

Jeff

 

I always put it in gear and use the ebrake...my mini has rolled away on me before!

When on a canyon run or racing I just put it gear when I park...I heard the rotors could melt if you use the ebrake after heavy motoring.

 

>>>>As a matter of principle, I always put it in gear. This particularly so on a grade: 1st gear if it can roll down backwards, reverse if it can roll forward...
>>
>>Okay, so let me ask this...
>>
>>Why would you put the car in gear so that the transmission would be loading up the engine counter to its direction of rotation? I've heard this advocated before. Wouldn't it make sense to put it in reverse if it can roll backwards, and first if it rolls forwards?
>>
>>I'm sure the answer is blindingly obivous, but it's one of those things that just makes me think "why?"

Can't say I was ever told or taught to do so. It just seems to make some sense. We leave it in gear, a low one, so as to add one more means to prevent her from rolling. It seems logical to leave it in one contrary to the direction of possible motion. If such loading on the engine is a valid concern in this application, I would do the e-brake first, and once the load is on it, then pop her into the contrary direction gear (first or reverse)...

 

after driving in snow, i usually just put her in 1st and no e-brake.
but otherwise, its 1st and e-brake.

 

i always leave her in gear

 

Having once had a car damaged when the parking brake failed on a grade, I always use BOTH the parking brake and leave the vehicle in gear. Anything less is just too risky.

ps turn the wheels toward the curb in the direction the car would roll if everything else fails.

 

This is fascinating.......i NEVER leave my car in gear. Always in neutral and with with e-brake (which is excellent) and if on a hill, I turn the wheels accordingly. In England where I grew up and learned how to drive, I remember everyone always putting their cars in neutral. In fact, even on the hellish driving test they have, neutral was the way to go.

I can probably explain the British reasoning behind it. You see, over there, manual cars will start WITHOUT you having to press the clutch. With that being the case, why on earth would anyone there leave there car in gear? It would be silly.

I'm just curious as to what character deeming it necessary to have the clutch engaged to start a car.

haf :smile:

 

>>Having once had a car damaged when the parking brake failed on a grade, I always use BOTH the parking brake and leave the vehicle in gear. Anything less is just too risky.
>>
>>ps turn the wheels toward the curb in the direction the car would roll if everything else fails.
>>
>>
yes,yes always cut the wheels to the crub (even in an automatic)

 

Why no e-brake after driving in snow/frigid conditions? Is it because there is a chance the Ebrake can freeze stuck? I know that when it has rained, and I put the ebrake on, the next morning the rear brakes seem to "snap" off the rear discs...I guess the water causes rust (yes, even in the span of 8-12 hours) that "locks" the pad onto the rotor. With the extremely frigid air we're supposed to get here in the NE...I wonder if it would be a good idea to NOT use the e-brake to curtail any freezing of the pads to the rotor...can the ebrake cable "freeze" in the "locked" position? I remember this was a problem with mid 90s Ford Probes...the rear ebrake would not disengage, causing the rotor to glow red hot, and eventually causing the brake fluid to boil, which inturn caused partial loss of braking power...and a VERY warped rear rotor...

-MB

 

>>I always leave it in 1st every time I park, but don’t always use the hand break.
>>>
hey sndwave....it's flat where your at.....no hills, no mountains, no twisties

_________________

 

>>I'm just curious as to what character deeming it necessary to have the clutch engaged to start a car.
>>
I think this is an artifact of the infamous Audi "problem" where cars would suddenly lurch forward in gear...several people were killed or injured, including a minister. After 60 Minutes here in the US did a piece on it, Audi sales dropped like a lead balloon and the company almost went the way of Peugot in the US market. Audi, in their arrogance (whether right or wrong, they should have taken Marketing 101) blamed the user, it "couldn't have been the equipment" and so from that point on our illustrious Dept. of Transportation deemed that all cars shall have a safety interlock, e.g. on manuals the clutch has to be fully depressed and on autos the brake pedal has to be fully depressed, or the car won't start. I think the Audi problem was the late 70's or early 80's.

 

A few owners have had their MINI's roll off on them with just the e-brake engaged (my wife included!) check out this thread on it.

Don't get complacent, Miami is not completely flat (it only seems that way) our car was in a mall parking lot with no noticeable grade and it rolled off...

 

Good points about extremely hot (autoXing) or cold (freezing the pads) conditions. I never use the ebrake after a lap, and if you've ever had an old air-cooled VW, you know what can happen if you leave the ebrake for too long!

On the subject of Audi, they researched it rigorously and never were able to duplicate the problem. I read a great article about some independent testing done that also concluded that the users were at fault.

I can't remember Audi's response, and it may have been callous, but I do remember the hack journalism of 60 minutes on the subject. Haven't watched it since!

Jeff in ATL

ps: Notice ya can't lock the doors when the driver's door is open? grrrr....