Park in Gear
 

Do you park your car in gear?

Never during winter hibernation. I roll the car by hand every month to further eliminate flat spots.

Rarely on my weekend drives, unless I am on a major incline, along with the parking brake.

Not in my garages either. Flat as a board. Cars don't move.

Why do you ask, PL??

Nope! That's why they have parking brakes.

You need a third option, sometimes. I will put it in gear as a backup if parked on an incline.

In Gear
 

I park in gear, but bring it to neutral before staring the car again.

I always park in gear...just good insurance. However, a friend of my father said to park in second gear rather than first to lessen the possibility of a chipped gear tooth in case someone bumps your car while parking.

I typically only park in gear
The Parking brakes can freeze in the winter with wet conditions
In warmer wet weather, they stick because of the minor rusting
On any incline parking, parking brake yes, in gear yes
Level ground In gear yes no parking brake

My mustang GT, in cold weather, was a bear to shift into 2nd until warmed up. I found leaving it parked in 2nd made it a bit easier to shift

Guys,
If you park in gear assuming its a forward gear, and some body hits the car from the front whilst parked, its not just body work you will be replacing....its tranny as well. Parking brakes have been around for a very very long time. Thats what they are for.

I don't think so. I've pushed my car, when in gear (5th), after winter hibernation, just to make sure the engine did not sieze, prior to starting. And to pull a fresh film of oil down. No issues. I don't do this anymore, but did in the past.

Maybe your right. I really don't know. Maybe the difference is pushing the car vs. an abrupt push/bang on the tranny.

Flavour, pushed it forward in 5th I assume.
I'm talk about pushing it in a direction of travel which does not correspond to the gear it's in.
More specifically being aggressively forced in the opposite direction to that of the engaged gear.

I hear what you're saying and I had the same concern but I have to say that this is not necessarily so. Car was parked in 1st gear, no parking brake, rear-ended by car going 45-50mph. Car totaled, engine/transmission is fine and being swapped into another car as we speak.

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/43878-ahhh-my-car-hit-bad-today.html

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-racing-forum/46070-spec-boxster-build.html

This has always been my fear as well. I'm hyper vigilant about the gear box in general. I'd rather fix an e-brake or just keep a chock in the trunk or the passenger footwell.

I once had my car towed in NYC ($350). Somebody said to me "Dude you scewed up, you must not have parked it in gear, you made it too easy for them".
My first thought was "good thing I didn't have it in gear with these tow truck clowns."

T-man,
Your car was rear ended and it was in 1st.
I would not expect damage to the tranny.
What I'm saying if you are parked in 1st and the car gets slammed in the front. The car will be forced back...and the tranny will be toast.

Ahh! Yes, I went back and re-read your post and I missed that. Sorry. :cheers:

I have suffered the dreaded frozen brakes problem on different cars, so I try and park in opposite gear as much as possible.

If someone does end up crashing into me that hard I would not want to drive it again anyway, take the insurance payout and purchase another.

True, in the winter I don't use it on cars with drum-style parking brakes.

I don't put the car in gear, just not a habit of mine, and if I started doing it I'd have several instances of forgetting that I did so when I start the car. If I had to park on a steep enough incline I may do so along with the e-brake. Or if I went to a track day of some sort where the brakes are going to be blazing hot when I stop running, I'd put it in gear to park it instead of using the e-brake, but that's about it.

My mechanic parks in gear, he did me the favor of leaving the car out since I was coming over after they closed. I got into the car when it was pitch dark out, it lurched foward and scratched the front bumper against the bumper of an old Cadillac or something. Not going to buff out but I'm do for a respray

At any rate..

bump..

No, not unless parked on a very steep gradient.

Only park in gear, never use the parking brake. I left the parking brake on a VW that I had put away for the winter in the driveway. The pads rusted to the drums and i had to drag the car to break it loose.

If you put on the parking brake after a track session, the same thing happens.

Parking brakes are worthless, unless you are into drifting, to use it to get the rear end to slide going into a corner.

You will never be able to use it an an emergency to slow the car down significantly. Just don't use it.