Parking a manual in 1st vs. 2nd gear
- Thread starter Montana
- Start date
Leave the car in 1st. gear. If you leave the car in gear, it acts like "park" in an automatic car. The engine becomes engaged to the wheels and the car can not move. You should always use the parking brake anyway, even if you do leave the car in gear. Don't leave the car in neutral unless the road surface is level. On an incline leave the car in 1st. gear for uphills, and reverse gear for downhills. Don't leave the car in any other gear. Remember to place the car in neutral when starting the engine.
Just the opposite is true, it would be easier to rock the car in 2nd, 3rd or 4th, etc. than 1st or reverse.
Just the opposite is true, it would be easier to rock the car in 2nd, 3rd or 4th, etc. than 1st or reverse.
The original question asked about what gear would "require more force to move the car if rocked". The obvious answer is 1st or reverse due to their ratios, harder to move the car. If I put the roadster in fifth and do not use the brake I could push it on level ground without too much resistance. The gears are not really "locked" they are using your engine compression as a brake and with a higher ratio gear, like 5th it is easier to move the car than say it would be in 1st.
yeah reverse is a good idea as that is your most powerful gear
i always leave it in 2nd, the reasoning behind that is to save on
wear and tear in first gear...not sure if i'm justified in that belief
though...my old mech suggested it and he knows his german cars...
either R,1,2 - or if u have remote start, neutral =]
i always leave it in 2nd, the reasoning behind that is to save on
wear and tear in first gear...not sure if i'm justified in that belief
though...my old mech suggested it and he knows his german cars...
either R,1,2 - or if u have remote start, neutral =]
Yeah, always remember this: 1st is easiest for the engine to power the wheels, but hardest for the wheels to turn the engine. Reverse for downhills. You can use 2nd just fine, but personally I always use 1st and I never put it in reverse. I only don't use reverse because it's a bit annoying to get into on my car...going to 1st is much easier.
most of the time, i park in a flat surface, so i don't put it in gear. but there are times, when i do have to park in a grade i just follow logic and put it in either 1st or reverse (against the slope if you will) my only problem is i often forget that the gear is engaged (out of habit) and either will stall from the quick clutch release, or almost run into a railing in the parking garage.. (quite embarassing really, but i've been lucky so far ![[:p]](/images/smilies/tongue.png "Stick Out Tongue [:p]")
Lol dude I know what you mean. When I first got my Coupe, I went to Staples one time and put it in 1st gear when I parked. As I got back into the car some people were checking it out and I looked like a total noob when I started the car up and it stalled out immediately, lol.
My Shitta had such a great E-brake that I never had to put it in gear. Now my Coupe is the total opposite. The E-brake is so awful it does not hold the car on a hill even if you pull the lever up ALL the way...so stupid. So basically, I just always pop it in 1st when I park it. On a downhill, I still put it in 1st. I know you're supposed to put it in Reverse, but I feel totally safe putting it in 1st.
My Shitta had such a great E-brake that I never had to put it in gear. Now my Coupe is the total opposite. The E-brake is so awful it does not hold the car on a hill even if you pull the lever up ALL the way...so stupid. So basically, I just always pop it in 1st when I park it. On a downhill, I still put it in 1st. I know you're supposed to put it in Reverse, but I feel totally safe putting it in 1st.
The E-brake needs to be adjusted. All e-brakes on 4-disc brake set-ups are the same. Take off the leather boot where your e-brake lever is and you will see either one or two screws with a nut. Put the e-brake all the way up and see how taught they are. If they're loose, your locknut came undone and you just need to adjust it. One of my e-brake lines is not working properly and I haven't had time to go in there and see what's wrong, so I adjusted the other working e-brake to make up for the slack, and I can leave it on the steepest incline and it won't budge. Your e-brakes definitely are not shitty, they're just not adjusted.
Sean
Sean
actually 4-wheels disk brake e-brake setups are very different.
On saabs, the e-brake engages on the front disks. On volkswagon the engage on the rear disks, on BMW's they engage on the rear drums in side the disk brakes. BUt if you are talking titening set-ups you may be right.
Also Saabs don't let you take out your keys unless you are in reverse. So i guess saab recommends reverse everytime you park, haha.
On saabs, the e-brake engages on the front disks. On volkswagon the engage on the rear disks, on BMW's they engage on the rear drums in side the disk brakes. BUt if you are talking titening set-ups you may be right.
Also Saabs don't let you take out your keys unless you are in reverse. So i guess saab recommends reverse everytime you park, haha.
I was refering to tightening, but I must say I didn't know that about saab. Any particular reason why the front? Does anyone know? I've always thought it was industry standard to put e-brake on the back so you can....uhmm...use it performing unnecessarily risky driving manuveurs. lol. Learn something new.
Sean
![[:(]](/images/smilies/frown.png "Frown [:(]")
selevia, when I like 2,500 miles on the car, I had the dealership tighten up the e-brake. It made the hand-brake much better, but it is still complete shit. I should do something about it, but for some reason I just don't care. Maybe I'll call somebody and bitch to them...who knows.
Btw, you manual guys every try parking your car without the e-brake and putting it in gear? Just let the car sit there in neutral on a flat surface and see what happens....maybe enough wind will roll the car away.
![[drinking]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_drinking.gif "Drinking Pals [drinking]")
Btw, you manual guys every try parking your car without the e-brake and putting it in gear? Just let the car sit there in neutral on a flat surface and see what happens....maybe enough wind will roll the car away.