Automatic parking tip

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jez
  • Start date Start date

Jez

Jez

Jez

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
33,073
What is best for my automatic merc when parking on a sloped surface (my drive, so is there for long periods of time)

1) Put in park, leave it, it seems to roll in park for a couple of inches then "settle" and not move.

2) Stop with footbrake, engage parking brake, then put in park (car stays solid on the parking brake)

Thanks, not sure whats best for the car, simply dropping it into park kind of feels like its resting on the gearbox somehow with the way it kind of settles into position.
 
That explains the "settling" bit then :) Whats actually better for my car though in the long term?
 
probably using the parking brake, but i've never heard of a failed parking mechanism. Most of my dads cars were auto and he never used the handbrake/parking brake and never had an issue with any of them. What I will say however though is that it is a good idea to apply the parking brake once every now and again otherwise you may find it no longer works when it comes to MOT time (assuming it operates a drum brake that is). Oh yeah, and don't ever put it in park while still moving, this is bad mmkay.
 
Last edited:
No clue what it operates :) Think i will use the parking brake at home to keep it going, and then not use it elsewhere (its parked daily all over the country for work)
 
I was under the impression that "Park" on autos was basically the same as leaving a manual car in gear...ie, the gearbox is engaged so the car wont roll.
 
Conscript said:
I was under the impression that "Park" on autos was basically the same as leaving a manual car in gear...ie, the gearbox is engaged so the car wont roll.
Click to expand...

No, as can be seen in the howstuffworks link above, park in an auto physically locks the output shaft of the transmission, not a cat in hells chance of moving the car with it engaged. Leaving a manual in gear will stop the car from moving but this only happens because of the engines compression, if you push it hard enough the engine will turn over and the car will move.
 
You'd really have to be unlucky to break the parking pawl on an autobox - don't worry about it - they're designed for it :)

Always put the handbrake on regardless of whether you are using park or not anyway....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom