# In Gear Or Not When Leaving Your Car



## Bristle Hound (May 31, 2009)

When leaving your car do you leave it gear or not?

Me? Always have done always will

Not unknown for handbrake cables to snap ...


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Depends, if its got a timing chain then not always, we have had a customers car roll down a hill and he had left it in gear, there is no tension on the chain and it can bunch up or jump, this one did and it took the engine with it.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Yes leave in gear and have also depressed clutch when starting regardless of whether in gear or not - I know a lot of modern cars you have to do this now to start the car


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

Always have done in manual cars but no choice in automatics!


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## stonejedi (Feb 2, 2008)

On gradients yes on flat roads not really.SJ.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Not had a manual for a while but yes i used to.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

There should be an option for sometimes because that's what I do, particularly if parked uphill or facing down hill, that when I leave it in gear, other wise usually I don't.


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## JP83 (Mar 6, 2019)

Always left in gear, and always start a car with the clutch depressed.


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## bigfatsi (Apr 15, 2015)

Having driven defenders for a while, I now always leave in gear and wheels turned into the kerb. They have a weird transmission brake that is absolutely fantastic if serviced and and adjusted correctly - Every 20 minutes. If not, they are bloody useless.

Therefore it doesn't matter what I'm driving, I'm just pre-programmed. Just in case. Who starts a car without putting the clutch in anyway?

S


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## garage_dweller (Apr 10, 2018)

Only if I'm parked on a slope. Cars won't start without clutch derpressed anyway so no choice on that one.


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## Philb1965 (Jun 29, 2010)

Yep, always leave mine in gear Just habit.


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## baxlin (Oct 8, 2007)

Andyblue said:


> Yes leave in gear and have also depressed clutch when starting regardless of whether in gear or not - I know a lot of modern cars you have to do this now to start the car


Picked up a company Chrysler yonks ago from Lookers of Leeds. The lady (it had to be!) fleet sales lady insisted on demonstrating the controls to me. The car had been parked rear on to the showroom window. What could possibly go wrong?!?

Yep, she started it up without checking or depressing the clutch. Car leapt backwards, smashing the showroom window, smashing my car's rear light plus small dent and paint damage, but also showering two cars in the showroom with shards of glass, causing quite a lot of damage.

I heard she left her job shortly afterwards....

Back on topic, I leave the Volvo in the gear I'm going to need when I next use it. No reason, just habit.

The JZR though I leave in neutral as it won't start in gear - it's a safety thing as it has a sequential box from the donor bike - fortunately it has a neutral light, so it's easy to find neutral.


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## beatty599 (Sep 18, 2016)

Always parked in gear no matter what, Clutch and brake always depressed on start regardless. Just switch to Automatic and still go for the clutch


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Generally speaking I do. My Megane won't start with the clutch down anyway and in turn I'm in that habit for all manual cars.

My CLS/E Class are both autos so just go into park. Although I put the handbrake on in neutral first, then put it in park. Just so I know it's resting on the handbrake. Never just leave it in P. :thumb:


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## gargreen7 (Apr 12, 2009)

Always in gear. The lad next door however didn’t do this nd subsequently rolled into his garage door.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Can’t, has an electronic handbrake and if you turn the engine off it auto applies it.


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## pt1 (Feb 8, 2014)

Always... Better safe than sorry

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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Always leave manuals in gear and always start with clutch flat to the floor as well. Habit from driving heavier vehicles.


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## Jack R (Dec 15, 2014)

Only on a slope in the Astra, all of the autos went only into park and handbrake only used if it did so it’s self!


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## Cyclonetog (Jul 22, 2018)

muzzer said:


> Can't, has an electronic handbrake and if you turn the engine off it auto applies it.


You can't put the car in gear with the handbrake on?

Personally, always in gear every time.

A car rolled off a sloping driveway when I was walking past once, if I hadn't heard the tyres rolling it would have killed me. It parked itself on a neighbours front lawn about 3 inches from a tree


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

I've shared this one before, but it was a lesson for us.

That is my wife's car parked nicely in one of my neighbour's garages.










Cooks

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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Cyclonetog said:


> You can't put the car in gear with the handbrake on?
> 
> Personally, always in gear every time.
> 
> A car rolled off a sloping driveway when I was walking past once, if I hadn't heard the tyres rolling it would have killed me. It parked itself on a neighbours front lawn about 3 inches from a tree


Yes but the second you turn the ignition off the hand brake is automatically applied.


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

muzzer said:


> Yes but the second you turn the ignition off the hand brake is automatically applied.


Surely that doesn't take your car out of gear though?


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

Jack R said:


> Only on a slope in the Astra, all of the autos went only into park and handbrake only used if it did so it's self!


Me too, can't see the handbrake giving much protection to the gearbox if the car gets dunted.


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## pxr5 (Feb 13, 2012)

I always leave a car in gear. First normally, on the flat or facing uphill - reverse when facing downhill. I also turn the wheels to the kerb when parking on slope.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Never, habitual from driving heavy vehicles (can’t press the clutch if the air is down, and there is no way to get it out gear) 
Also when I started driving, it was not very good for your crankshaft thrust bearings to hold the clutch down, and put pressure on them while there was no oil pressure or oil film.(this was early 80’s) 
Later you had to press the clutch to enable the starter motor, my Toyota had a button to override that.

The other reason if they bump your car, they can do an awful lot of damage to gearbox, drive shafts and engine. 
If I am on a steep hill, park French, wheels turned to the pavement and a rock (if you can find one) in front of the opesite wheel.

The Lexus put the gearbox in Park when you switch the ignition off.


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## dhali (Mar 12, 2006)

Cookies said:


> I've shared this one before, but it was a lesson for us.
> 
> That is my wife's car parked nicely in one of my neighbour's garages.
> 
> ...


Wish my neighbour had learnt his lesson the first time !!
Wrote of my daughters car the first time and a year later caused 5.5k damage on her replacement car


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

dhali said:


> Wish my neighbour had learnt his lesson the first time !!
> 
> Wrote of my daughters car the first time and a year later caused 5.5k damage on her replacement car


I bet that was an interesting conversation!!!!

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## NeilG40 (Jan 1, 2009)

I voted yes because mines electric so is always in gear but all my previous cars I used to leave in gear.


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## staffordian (May 2, 2012)

Always, handbrake on and in gear. We have a drive which slopes up from the road. I reverse onto it and leave it in reverse.

What I would say is that when I had a car small enough to fit in my garage, I always left it in gear but handbrake off. If a car is left too long with the handbrake on, it can bind.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Nope, however if parking on a slope will turn wheels into the kerb etc


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

Never have never will


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## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

Always in gear, partly habit as that's what I was taught and partly because when I park at home I park on gravel so can safely leave it in gear with the handbrake off. When I leave it at the park and ride I let it roll back against the kerb and leave it in gear with the handbrake off.


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

I've always parked my cars in gear, and still do, but .......... my car was written off 2 years ago, hit when parked (in gear) and the front left of the car took most of the impact and my car was pushed back 10 metres. CV joints were destroyed, it looks like the wheels had turned from being pushed, but the engine/gear said ..... access denied  30mph zone too!

When the police showed up they recommended that cars are not parked in gear, and should not be in gear when waiting in traffic as the engine/gearbox can be damaged if hit. Maybe it's a good thing the car was in gear as it probably would have travelled much further.


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## Fairtony (Mar 12, 2018)

Im amazed just how many people leave their cars in gear. Are cars fleeing of their own accord really that common? Ive never heard of anyone loosing a car that way, and of the stories I have heard, its been from them getting out without applying the handbrake at all!


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Fairtony said:


> Im amazed just how many people leave their cars in gear. Are cars fleeing of their own accord really that common? Ive never heard of anyone loosing a car that way, and of the stories I have heard, its been from them getting out without applying the handbrake at all!


Have a look at my post (#21) above. The car was in the driveway (on a gradient) for about 20 minutes before the handbrake failed. The only explanation we could come up with was down to contraction of the metal with cooling, as the handbrake was still actually on when I got over to the car.

Having experienced that, and the cost of the damage (financial and relationship wise) we always leave our cars in gear. Better safe than (very) sorry I reckon.

Cooks

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## Cyclonetog (Jul 22, 2018)

Fairtony said:


> Im amazed just how many people leave their cars in gear. Are cars fleeing of their own accord really that common? Ive never heard of anyone loosing a car that way, and of the stories I have heard, its been from them getting out without applying the handbrake at all!


Also have a look at my post no.20, I'm lucky to be here to tell the story. The car was sat on its drive doing nothing when I walked past then headed for the piece of pavement I walked on 3 seconds earlier.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Cars rolling away with the handbrake “properly “ on? 
I have heard about it, my colleague found his wife’s car in the living room.
But up to now it only involved French cars. 
Don’t know if that is coincidence? 
Never had a handbrake cable snapped on me, and I use to drive some old crab in my twenties. 
And I would give the handbrake some abuse that time.

Replaced plenty because they are seized and people don’t use it enough.

I seen the damage (write off for engine and gearbox damage) after a car got pushed forward in an parking slot, gearbox was in reverse.


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## Jack R (Dec 15, 2014)

Caledoniandream said:


> Cars rolling away with the handbrake "properly " on?
> I have heard about it, my colleague found his wife's car in the living room.
> But up to now it only involved French cars.
> Don't know if that is coincidence?
> ...


VW/Audi had issues a few years back with there electronic handbrake releasing when parked although I never had this issue as I had an auto. An ex colleague had one as a hire car and when he came out to it in the morning it a rolled down the hill and into someones front room.


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## Radish293 (Mar 16, 2012)

Always taught to put it in third.
Citroen Xantia were notorious for it the handbrake worked on the front wheels. If the discs were hot when applied it was less effective as everything cooled. Loads rolled away. 


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## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

If on a hill then yes if on flat ground then Handbrake is good enough

Just think if someone crashes in to you and you've got your engine engaged then its by bye engine, however when I used to live at my dads A car rolled down the hill and crashed in to the car the opposite side of the road from my dads car all because the handbrake dident hold it, recently my partners aunts handbrake failed and her car rolled in to a wall, it was a write of !


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## DrH (Oct 25, 2015)

I always leave it in gear.
My Mrs did not and one of the cars rolled off the drive and paid a visit to my neighbours over the other side of the road.

Main car is an Auto now so in Park it is


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## ganwilliams (Jun 15, 2015)

Car is auto so it is always in Park- aka in gear. My other half’s Manual- I only put in gear on noticeable slopes/hills and steer wheels towards the kerb otherwise 95% of time it is generally left in neutral (we do live in relatively flat london mind you - back home in hilly Scotland might be more inclined to leave in gear on... ehm... inclines!


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Yep, electric handbrake so always on but put in first or reverse depending on slope.
My first car a Viva back in late 80s I found embedded in the back of a land rover upon returning to a car park. Handbrake was on just not that good!! Oh land rover turned out to belong to someone from work as well!!!


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## techtim (Apr 2, 2010)

I've always left mine in gear when parked. Extra bit of security knowing it shouldn't roll away in the event of a cable failure.


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## Clarkey-88 (Apr 29, 2014)

It seems to me that the older blokes only seem to do it. Whenever I use one of their vans at work they've always left it in gear. I've always thought that maybe handbrakes were naff back in the day so they do it out of habit lol


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