[BAC5.2]

For you MT owners, what gear do you leave the transmission in when you park?

For years and years, I've always put the transmission in 2nd and set the parking brake when I park the car. I don't know why I chose 2nd gear, I guess I just arbitrarily chose a gear when parking and made it a habit over the years.

What do you guys do?

 

[shalootm]

need an option for neutral ... some people must

 

[BAC5.2]

I added neutral as an option. Though, in an effort to maintain safety, you REALLY should not park the car in neutral. That is horrifically dangerous.

 

[wakeabyss]

I marked 1st, but it depends on my speed at the time I'm parking. In my garage I leave it in 1st because I have to take the curb to the driveway slow to prevent scraping. Everywhere else I leave it in 2nd, put in the clutch and coast into the parking space.

 

[Muddy]

I guess I try to put it in either first or reverse depending on whether I'm up or dowhill... but on flat ground I put it in reverse. I read somewhere that reverse is the strongest since it's straight cut rather than helical, but I don't really know if that applies to the Forester... I guess force of habit then...

 

[BAC5.2]

Reverse is straight cut... sort of.

Reverse works by sliding an idler gear between a straight-cut portion of the input shaft, and the 1st/2nd shift collar. So while it IS straight cut, the total gear width is a little under 1/2 an inch. MUCH narrower than any of the other gears.

Straight cut, yes. Stronger? Most definitely not.

 

[BAC5.2]

Two people so far put Neutral. Can I ask why?

 

[lh0628]

I put neutral. What is wrong with that? I only park on flat surfaces.

 

[shalootm]

always use the ebrake too (though my car is auto now)

 

[thebeephaha]

I put neutral. What is wrong with that? I only park on flat surfaces.

What if someone accidentally leaned on your car and it rolled a little bit (could happen), or your car was hit by another sending yours rolling hitting something else.

 

[Vinnyd]

no option for 6th?

 

[lh0628]

What if someone accidentally leaned on your car and it rolled a little bit (could happen), or your car was hit by another sending yours rolling hitting something else.

Isn't that what the ebrake is for?

 

[dpm]

Handbrake on at all times, plus (generally) 1st. Pointing steeply downhill I will hang it in reverse, tho.

/and at 16.5:1 compression, it aint going anywhere...

 

[Al Exus]

If I park on a very steep hill - then first or reverse depending on the car location (direction).
If I park on a flat ground - mostly in neutral as long as my handbrake can keep the car from going even on steep hill and I still have an ability to remote start it.

 

[BAC5.2]

The handbrake isn't an end-all-be-all for stopping the car. There have been plenty of times when people have reported normally-functioning hand brakes have failed to actually arrest a car. If the car is hit while parked, the handbrake will do very little to keep it from moving.

 

[adc]

The handbrake isn't an end-all-be-all for stopping the car. There have been plenty of times when people have reported normally-functioning hand brakes have failed to actually arrest a car. If the car is hit while parked, the handbrake will do very little to keep it from moving.

I almost never use handbrake (for auto) If I have to park on a hill which is very rare, I try to park against a curb. Or as a last resort I will use the E-Brake.

 

[Cuddles]

Usually I'm on flats (voted neutral), but yeah, sure...anything could happen. When I'm on a hill I put it in first and point the tires towards the curb (if there is one). When I was in blacksburg area (mountains) I actually drove into the curb so if anything failed the car wouldn't have any momentum to hop up over it. All my friends looked at me weird, but I'm not trying to have a run away ride.

 

[bbottomley]

How about an option for "whatever gear it happens to be in at the time"? (not neutral)

It's not something I usually think too hard about. I use the hand brake most of the time anyway, except in winter. In winter I'll leave the brake off to prevent freezing up, unless I'm on a steep hill. I'll put the car in first or reverse, depending on which direction I intend to go when I start it up again.

 

[Duderotomy]

1st gear with parking brake engaged on my Forester...
Neutral with parking brake engaged on my Skyline, because the turbo timer doesn't work if the car is left in gear.

 

[skullmurdoc]

I leave it in neutral, never really thought about it. But I live and work in the suburb and almost always have a parking spot in a parking lot.