Should you put parking brake every time you park?

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Mizar97@reddit

I think I've used the parking brake on my pickup once in the last 7 years. I use the one in my car every time I park since it's a manual and I park in neutral.

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Curious-Act-9130@reddit

Why on earth would you park in neutral?

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Mizar97@reddit

My town is flat, there are only 2 hills and I never park on either one
It's an ingrained habit, I had a remote starter on my Civic SI but it only worked in neutral. I'll be putting one on my current car (WRX) but I haven't gotten around to it quite yet

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Curious-Act-9130@reddit

Please change your very bad habit and start parking in gear.

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I don't understand why this seems to be the prevailing advice in the states, in the UK we are taught on pain of failing our driving licence to park in neutral. If your brake system is in full working order as it should always be if you keep up with proper annual services there is never any reason to park in gear with a modern car surely?

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bisky12@reddit

i still put it in first even after parking in neutral personally. just a little extra reassurance.

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Beartato4772@reddit

Yeah, I’m always baffled by people who don’t use the parking brake and gear. It’s free and there’s a non zero chance it will help. There are absolutely zero downsides.

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Askada@reddit

idk why but I find it funny that in America even if you guys somehow learn to drive a manual you still do it wrong

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Mizar97@reddit

Remote starters on manuals only work while the car is in neutral genius. Gets down to -34°C here in the winter, I am not going outside more than I have to.

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Askada@reddit

oh at -34°C and handbrake pulled you are not going anywhere anyway lmao

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ShillsWorstNightmare@reddit

Youre supposed to park in FIRST if up a hill, or park in REVERSE if down a hill. You are just asking for trouble

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Mizar97@reddit

My entire state is flat. There 2 inclines in my entire town and I never park on them.

My garage is level, and the parking lots at work and the grocery store are level. That's where I park 99% of the time.

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ShillsWorstNightmare@reddit

Better safe than sorry!

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TheMotizzle@reddit

I used to do this until I found my car in the street after parking in my driveway. The e brake didn't do the job. Now I always park in gear

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twelfthfantasy@reddit

I park in neutral on a flat but if I'm on a hill I park in reverse and cut the steering wheel all the way over so that if the handbrake fails it won't go fast or far.

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mondaymoderate@reddit

Never used mine in my automatics until one time the parking paw broke and the car would roll in park. So now I use it every time. You can feel the weight of the vehicle sitting on that small parking paw when on an incline and it’s just not designed to hold that weight.

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fenderstratsteve@reddit

And this is the answer I was expecting all along.

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RCBravesFan@reddit

I have a 2020 Toyota RAV4...it automatically engages as soon as you take your foot off the brake after putting it in park.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

Yes, every time, whether in an automatic- or in a manual-transmission car. Folks who argue otherwise are ignorant of the mechanical reasons why one should do so.

If you have an automatic and you don't use your parking brake, the only thing holding your car in place is the parking pawl in the transmission. It's a finger-like lever that moves into a sprocket in the transmission. Every time you're on a hill and put the car into park without the parking brake being set, not only is your car resting on only the pawl, every time you pull it out of park, you're wearing out the pawl. Ever hear it go "clang" when it comes out of park? That's the pawl being forced out of engagement. If your car is hit with only the pawl to stop it, the pawl can be broken and your car can be free to roll away -- the former will definitely be expensive to fix and the latter could be extremely dangerous. Engaging the parking brake before putting the car into park and disengaging it after you've got your foot on the brake when coming out of park is the preferable sequence.

If you have a manual and are on a hill, the only thing holding your car in place is drivetrain friction and engine compression (the latter of which leaks over time). Even with a manual on a flat surface, if your car is hit with only the transmission holding it, the transmission can be damaged. For an example, a friend who owns a VW shop bought a Vanagon Westfalia Synchro 5-speed (to those who don't know, that's a VW bus camper with 4WD manual trans -- rare worldwide, very rare in the US), and it had a bad parking brake. Before he could fix the parking brake, some lady tried to turn around in his shop's lot, hit the Vanagon, damaging 3rd (or maybe 4th) gear so badly it couldn't be driven. Even being a VW specialist, it took him over a year to find the parts in Europe, as the parts were unavailable in the US.

IMPORTANT: By mentioning potential damage with either automatics or manuals, I am in no way claiming that using the parking brake is a guarantee of no damage if there's an incident, so please don't try to argue that point.

Additionally, if you don't regularly use the parking brake, if/when you decide you need it, it might not function. Most parking brakes have a ratcheting mechanism that takes up slack bit-by-bit each times as the shoes/pads wear, and if it hasn't stayed "caught up" to the wear via regular usage, there might not be enough throw to take up the slack all at once.

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souleaterGiner1@reddit

How is this not the top comment. Nice work poster. OP this is the answer.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

Thanks! You can see there are still folks who disagree, but at least anyone can now judge which they think makes more sense.

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harrys123456@reddit

is it better if i put N and engage parking brake in flat or small incline/decline ?

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Complex_Solutions_20@reddit

Well you can't park an automatic in neutral so I assume you mean manual transmission...which my conclusion is "it doesn't matter" because when I tried parking mine in gear and releasing the brake (I was cleaning inside the car, had to move the lever to reach) the force of my weight shifting inside the car was enough to make it move a couple compression strokes...so yeah don't depend on the engine to hold it

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

Well you can't park an automatic in neutral

For newer vehicles, that's correct. However, it was possible for all with non-electronic transmissions and for most with electronic transmissions up through the early '10s.

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Complex_Solutions_20@reddit

My experience has been rather the opposite - anything that pre-dates the keyless ignition you couldn't remove the key if its not in park.

Newer keyless stuff you can leave in gear and shut it off getting out with the key...which is one of my complaints with them, so easy to have a roll-away. My first experience with those was a loaner-car (which of course had no manual nor was I given any instructions) and ended up accidentally leaving it running half the day didn't know you have to like hold down the stop button so I just poked it quick. Then next trip was so preoccupied with making sure the engine was at 0RPM and shut off I forgot to put it in park and when I was walking away from the car it rolled away and ran into a curb. I have zero of these issues with a regular key, it doesn't require dumb games holding in buttons to shut off and even if you're super tired/distracted won't let you get out with the keys without it in park.

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itsjonduhh@reddit

In auto? If you leave it in N and your parking brake fails for whatever reason, there's no backup stop. Putting in P is insurance.

Keep foot on brake
Put in P (park)
Engage parking brake / handbrake
Shut off car
Take foot off brake

Order doesn't really matter for step 4&5.

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tucsondog@reddit

Swap 2 and 3. Let the parking break take the weight of the vehicle, then put it in park.

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IdiotSerena@reddit

id honestly say go to nuteral, put parking brake on, let the car roll onto the parking brake, then put it in park.

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tucsondog@reddit

This is the safest way. I drive a standard, so it’s always parking break on, neutral, clutch out, release brake pedal, let the car settle, then turn it off and put it in first. It takes longer to type out than actually do lol

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itsjonduhh@reddit

I drive standard too, same procedure as you. Yup, way longer to type than to do 😂

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itsjonduhh@reddit

I usually keep the brake pedal engaged the entire time, releasing it last.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

I wouldn't do that. You'd be back to a single failure point.

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Betancorea@reddit

If it is an Auto, just put it in Park and engage the brake. Done.

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GP7onRICE@reddit

Engage brake and then put it in park. You want the weight of the car to rest against the break, not the parking pawl.

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RumorsOFsurF@reddit

The pawl is plenty strong to hold the vehicle in 90% of situations without undue wear or any danger. Only on steep inclines does it matter. Also, leaving a manual in gear is fine too. I'd rather avoid stretching the cables in my vehicles by using the E brake unnecessarily. Using your E brake on flat ground is like wearing a condom to dinner on your date.

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randomJ23456@reddit

Is there an easy way for a mechanic to check this? My car was backed into and was pushed back about half a car length. You got me concerned on many fronts.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

No, there really isn't. The pawl is usually in a part of the transmission that isn't readily visible without disassembly.

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randomJ23456@reddit

Thanks for getting back to me. I figured it wouldn’t be easy but now I bit concerned and will keep an eye/ear for any weirdness.

This accident just happened last week and my car is in the shop. Basically what happened was an elderly man was parallel parking and ended up gassing his car in reverse into my car and kept going, which pushed my car back half a car length. Front damage only, structurally ok, but I didn’t think about the potential impact to the transmission.

After seeing your post (and others) It took me a minute to think if I had my parking break up but it’s just a habit that I’m pretty sure it was up.

Anyway I’m calling the mechanic now and gonna ask to see if their insurance will cover the inspection.

Thanks again!

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

You're welcome. Good luck!

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

I am from northern California and in San Francisco it really is a must for the reason you mention. You really have to put the brake on before engaging Park because if you do not then the entire weight of the vehicle is resting om that transmission pin. It may hold, but good luck getting it out of park without damaging something.

On the other hand, I now live in Florida which is as flat as a table top, and my 740i has an electronic push button parking brake. There are more chances that I will for some reason find I cannot disengage the parking brake than it will ever benefit me to engage it because cars on flat ground usually do not roll when you have parked them.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

Great comment! My only critique is this:

cars on flat ground usually do not roll when you have parked them

The Vanagon I mentioned above was on flat ground. You should use the parking brake even on flat ground in case your vehicle gets hit.

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Vybo@reddit

Just out of curiosity, do you know the mechanics of how a 3rd or 4th gear would be damaged if first is engaged during parking in a manual? In my head, the only thing that would happen in such a collision would be that the force would overcome the engine's compression and the wheels would spin. Do I have it wrong, is the compression so strong that basically collision can cause gears grinding/jumping or something else giving way?

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

I don't recall what he said (if he said anything) about how one of those got damaged. That detail doesn't add anything to the story, so I'll be leaving that out from now on.

In my head, the only thing that would happen in such a collision would be that the force would overcome the engine's compression and the wheels would spin.

Impact forces and continuous forces can cause different damage. You have to consider that compression would only matter in a slow push, but an impact would be working against the engine's inertia and would be more like a hammer hit, especially if the gear train had started loaded in the other direction and there was an inch or two of movement before the lash was taken up the other way.

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Vybo@reddit

Makes sense. I would expect the wheels to lose friction before anything would break, maybe even before the compression force is overcome, especially during impact forces instead of continuous, like you said, but it's a pretty complex event.

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fm2n250@reddit

Thanks for taking the time to explain that.

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

You're welcome. I've built that up over time as my standard comment on the subject.

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RevoZ89@reddit

If you live in a northern climate/salt state, and you haven’t used be before, I wouldn’t recommend it. The parking brake cable / mechanism can become locked, leading to an instant tow and mechanic bill.

If you are using it already, even if you are in a salt state, it’s better practice to use it more frequently to prevent rust buildup/the possibility of it locking in the future.

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souleaterGiner1@reddit

I'd argue its the perfect time to start using it in your scenario to make sure it doesn't get bound up/stuck. So that you know it's functioning properly when you get to a scenario where it's use is warranted for safety. How likely is a parking pawl to malfunction? They do break, esp when you rest the weight if the vehicle on it for 10 yearrs. and then having your parking break on can save you.

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Dazzling_Side8036@reddit

Worse yet is if the brake cable stays just a little stuck and there's just enough contact between the pads and rotors that you don't really notice it but enough to build up enough heat to boil your brake fluid and glaze your pads. Ask me how I know. Luckily the exit where I realized that I had no brakes was a really long ramp and not a loop.

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DerpiestDave@reddit

This is such good advise. I’ve had parking brake shoes stick in place from rust and it took me a day to get my rotor off with some VERY SKETCHY methods that involved a side by side winch and a sledge hammer.

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a_plotting_otter@reddit

I had a parking brake lock up on a '98 Volvo S70, called a tow truck, and the driver said that he would bounce the crap out of it on the flatbed and that might loosen it up. You know what, it did.

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RedlineBMW@reddit

Yeah my car will auto activate it, if it senses any hilly terrain or if I hit remote start. Live in one of the worst states for salt, potholes and snow this year I think 😆.

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OpenStreet3459@reddit

And if you use it don’t jank on the thing like you are at the gym please, and push the button until you are at sufficient tension. And never ever put it on after prolonged hard braking (like going down hill for a while)

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Heavy-Duty-Wombat@reddit

Underrated advice right here ^^^^^

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RevoZ89@reddit

Thank you. Ask me how I know.

(I’ll tell you, I’m a northern mechanic. Id swear, it seems like the parking brake is the first thing to rust out.)

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Individual-Card-1639@reddit

I agree with you, it’s like flushing out your transmission for the first time at 130,000 miles, it’s almost a guarantee it fails. Cats are a creature of habit. It’s ether do it or never do it.

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RevoZ89@reddit

Perfect analogy… I was actually a transmission guy in a past life.

Extra tip for anyone reading: if your transmission is already slipping (especially after you found a leak after running it low)…. It’s too late. You are due for a rebuild. Save your money, a flush will usually trash it even worse.

If you want to avoid this, change(drain & fill, NOT flush) your fluid every 30,000-50,000 miles. Check your manual. If it says lifetime fluid/no change, still change it every 40k. Not every car has a transmission filter that can be changed, but if yours does, make sure it gets changed.

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WillieNFinance@reddit

I remember doing drum brakes on the rear for a previously owned car. Only 1 side was working. The other side had snapped before I even purchased it.

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TexAzCowboy@reddit

I felt mildly ignorant when I looked up the “salt state” concept. Afterwards I felt less bad that my life has been in the Texas Hill Country, the Texas and California coasts, and now settled in the afternoon shade of Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. Howdy shucks, I have been blessed!

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corvak@reddit

I went to Texas in august once and I thought I was going to die. How did people live here before air conditioning

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trueppp@reddit

We don't have earthquakes, we don't have hurricanes, we don't have alligators....

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1iihMpnzng8

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tellingyouhowitreall@reddit

Earthquakes are like quicksand, they're not as big of a problem as you thought growing up. Most hurricanes are a joke too if you're not right on the coast (and I've had direct hits from them). Alligators are friendly, just feed them small dogs first.

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abstractraj@reddit

Worst case may be bad, but most cars are just fine in the north. I have an 8 year old SUV that came with us to Texas from NY/NJ (my wife grew up in TX). Rust free and absolute tank

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RevoZ89@reddit

8 years isn’t the issue. It’s 18 years when the floorboards fell out, exhaust fell off, every bolt you try to turn breaks. Etc etc etc.

All you’ve done is put that poor girl out to pasture after being abused for the prime of her life 🤣

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maven10k@reddit

Live in Ohio, can confirm.

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No_Mushroom3078@reddit

Yep.

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HorseWorking@reddit

Shit. Just pulled the parking break on my 2002 Grand Cherokee for the first time ever recently. Guess I’ll find out next time i try to drive it. Not my daily so not gonna be a huge issue but certainly still not desired…

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RevoZ89@reddit

😭 oh no bro. The universe sent you this post one day too late.

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HorseWorking@reddit

Apparently lol. Took it for a drive last weekend. I had just read another post that said you should always use your parking brake, even in an automatic, because it can strain the transmission to hold the car in place while parked. I’ll try it out this weekend and hopefully it’s not stuck🤞🏼

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RevoZ89@reddit

That is true. if it works, keep using it. Consider spraying any connection points you can reach with some penetrating oil.

If it doesn’t and you have to fix it…. Either fix it and use it at least weekly, or cut the e brake line at the caliper and manually wind it back 🙃

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H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Haven’t thought about it before, but that’s probably one of the main reasons we learn to always use the parking brake here in Norway.

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gompling@reddit

I would assume it is a safety measure, and i think it is mandatory on the driving test in norway.
There is also alot more manual cars in Norway compared to US, you have to used the handbrake alot more in certain situation to be safe, not to mention wheather, road conditions and inclines.
If you only trust the gears in a manual you risk it starting to roll if the gears were not properly engaged of you accidently push the clutch for some reason, i know of someone that found their car on the other side of the road rolled into the one tree between the house and the sea, car still drove but had a few new "use" marks.

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ibuyvr@reddit

No, if you need to use the parking brake actively while driving you dont deserve a driving license

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gompling@reddit

well i was mainly thinking of parking situations.
I realize it might be a bit wage(was mixing up road and driving conditions) but i was mainly thinking of if you have to park a car on a incline in varying weather where you risk the car starting to slide in that case the handbrake would be very important to use.

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dasbooter@reddit

I used my parking brake when I changed my tires and oil(along with blocks). I live in a very very flat area. I knew enough to look at the calipers to make sure it released but I didn't know enough to look at the inside caliper. The inside caliper stuck on and killed the brakes rotors and probably a bit of the life of my engine. Expensive fix. We use salt on the roads her to in the winter. I would say use it all the time or never. That's what I learned

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HotShotMedic@reddit

“Use it all the time, or not at all” my mechanic buddy told me

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SkiyeBlueFox@reddit

This a thousand times. I cant tell you how many pieces of equipment got their park brake stuck on because they never used them. Use it or lose it. I'd rsther use it sk I know it wont fail if I actually need it

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TJTech40@reddit

Also be very careful in the winter time. I had my e-brake cable freeze because water got inside it. Had to get it towed to a shop to let it warm up inside to get the cable to release.

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PckMan@reddit

You're not wrong but it's also not that common. I'm in Europe and everyone uses the parking brake here and this isn't a huge problem in northern countries with snow and rain and salt on the roads. Since the parking brake gets used a lot, seizing only really happens on very old vehicles or vehicles that sit for a very long time.

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basssfinatic@reddit

More standard transmissions than US with automatics, which have a locking Paul on the transmission

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Due-Writing7816@reddit

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pawl

I pictured a miniature dude with Paul embroidered on his shirt, making sure the tranny was safe.

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PckMan@reddit

we both got done in by autocorrect it seems

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unwilling_viewer@reddit

The park pawl is not designed to hold the vehicle. Never has been. I used to design and test auto transmissions...

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Internal_Essay9230@reddit

This! My understanding is that the parking pawl puts quite a strain on the transmission mechanism when engaging and disengaging.

I always use my parking brake for that reason, even in flat Florida.

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unwilling_viewer@reddit

Yes, older systems with a bowden cable activation and mechanical interlocks, there's a lot of hardware that you don't want to be loading up (mostly during release with a load applied, parking on a slope etc).

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Internal_Essay9230@reddit

🏆🏆🏆

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prboomplusuvfast@reddit

What's the point of the parking pawl then if it is fairly delicate? I drive manual like almost everyone else here so I wouldn't know.

Is it supposed to be a substitute for putting a manual in gear, so there can be two things holding the car instead of just the handbrake? But is that really the case if the pawl is not designed to hold the car? I know the manual drive train isn't designed for that either, but it usually still does.

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unwilling_viewer@reddit

It locks the transmission. Historically, it'd lock and stop the car from lurching forwards when you start. (Lots of drag on old school slush boxes when it's cold). Also a back up if your parking brake fails. Also positive, controlled process to go from not driving to driving (that's been a legal requirement for decades).

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prboomplusuvfast@reddit

Interesting. I'm guessing then that nowadays your car won't lurch when starting, so it's a backup that is questionably effective and it serves that legal requirement.

Would you say then that the parking pawl is about as "effective" as a backup in case of handbrake failure? Cause I hear that the manual drive train can hop every so often when the incline is too much for whatever compression is remaining in the cylinders, but when the parking pawl breaks, the car just rolls straight down right? That's why I wonder if that is its purpose, or more like an emergent property of the system, like with the manual.

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unwilling_viewer@reddit

No modern stuff won't lurch. Also, there have been industry working groups looking at removing the legal requirements for a P-lock. But now we're all heading towards EVs, no one much cares.

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prboomplusuvfast@reddit

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks for the insight.

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PckMan@reddit

The strenght of the locking paul is nowhere near close to that of the handbrake which engages the brakes themselves, and you don't want to strain it anyways.

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Puzzleheaded-Ad-4883@reddit

Also in most of Europe the brakes are tested every year as part of the mandatory safety inspection. So the parking brake has to function properly. As it doubles as an emergency brake, you do want it working properly. I have had several cars exceed 200k miles and 20 years old and never had a parking brake seizure, UK where rain is common and roads are salted in the winter. Regular use and on older designs with external linkages, a few pennies worth of grease each year.

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RevoZ89@reddit

If you’ll re-read the post, that’s exactly what I said. The problem is when the parking brake isn’t used for a long time. Conversely, if it is actively used, it is generally fine.

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sellursoul@reddit

In Michigan and I use it religiously in my Tacoma

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rbig18@reddit

Yep, grew up in Canada. We did it all the time so it was regularly used so it wouldn't lock up when you needed it.

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Necessary-Carrot2839@reddit

I always use it. Put my car in reverse (manual transmission) and put in the parking brake

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tmwildwood-3617@reddit

Thats what I was taught. I use it every time I park.

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Necessary-Carrot2839@reddit

I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and that has never happened to me.

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Krazybob613@reddit

This is the answer ⬆️‼️

Absolutely correct in every way!

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DrunkenGolfer@reddit

The flip side is after repeated use the cable becomes stretched and then the brake doesn’t work when you need it to.

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ImTheRealMarco@reddit

Unless it’s that or like really cold so that it freezes, it’s an always a

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Fragrant-Field-2017@reddit

I live in an island. This is true if you're going to leave the car for some time, like over a week. For daily use, the parking brake will never seize after a few hours engaged.

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Depress-Mode@reddit

Why is this an issue in the U.S. but not northern Europe?

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micge@reddit

I live in Finland. I always use the parking brake. The last time I had issues in the winter was my '98 Mondeo over 20 years ago.

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Consistent-Buyer7060@reddit

People don’t understand how important this advice is until they have stood in a snowstorm with a hammer trying to unlock the brakes

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fuzzybunnies1@reddit

This happened twice to my parents, was a good lesson. Didn't help that at least one of my cars has been a stick for the last 25 years or a little more. I didn't always leave it in gear unless on a hill but I always applied the parking brake. Just good habit.

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xnoxpx@reddit

Yep , the rule I was taught was if you plan on using your parking brake, always use it, otherwise never use it, unless you like burning up drums/discs from rusted brake cable sticking

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TutorNo8896@reddit

Always or never was what i was taught too. And never, ever touch the park brake on a vehicle if you dont know if the owner uses it. Seen a few mechanics try to pull a vehicle back out of the shop with the rears locked up because of stuck park brake

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NotYourMommyEither@reddit

Yep, use it all the time or forget about it

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Safe_Shock_2773@reddit

Or if you're lucky like me the cable just snaps and now you have limp brake.

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tanneruwu@reddit

"Should I stop at a stop sign?" It's literally called a PARKING brake why would you not use it when PARKING

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Beartato4772@reddit

Why wouldn’t you? What does it cost you?

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No_Summer_8717@reddit

Yes, every time. I teach my kids this too. I almost had my ambulance idle away from me. 90% of the time its unnecessary. The other 10% of the time it takes strain off the trans and prevents a car from idling away when you forget to put it in park. The every time thing is to create habit subconsciously. You do it without thinking.

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IndividualPear9433@reddit

I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t put their parking break on just in case. I do it everytime I park. Even if the parking spot seems completely flat. It’s reminds me of the people who don’t lock their doors when they’re at home. There’s no reason not to. It’s added security and peace of mind.

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Heavy-Profit-2156@reddit

On an automatic, I rarely set the parking brake unless I'm on a hill because there is a noticeable 'thud' when I shift it out of park. On my manuals, I always set the parking brake.

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Admirable_Nobody_771@reddit

If used daily, I'd say yes. It's good for the handbrake parts to move, so they don't get stuck.

If the car stays parked for a long time (a few days even), just don't leave the handbrake on. The risk of it getting stuck because of humidity is too high and not worth it. You could chuck the wheels for extra safety.

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H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Yep, always.

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blackstomach@reddit

I like the sound it makes when I pull the lever in my Toyota. I don’t like pushing the button on the Porsche.

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H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Lever is also safer I believe if you’d ever need the parking brake in an emergency. Should be mandatory on all cars in my opinion.

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Forker1942@reddit

A trade off. If you’re ever a passenger and your driver becomes incapacitated the button parking brake will safely slow down the car and apply the brake

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Mammoth_Contract_533@reddit

Mine is on the left side of the steering wheel on the dash. A passenger would have a hard time reaching that.

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Forker1942@reddit

Oh interesting, I’ve only seen it in the middle

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Snoo-88271@reddit

Wouldnt it be possible to gradually lift the lever?

[-]

Forker1942@reddit

Not if they’re stroking out flooring the gas.

[-]

faroutman7246@reddit

Yes, you haven't lived until your rusted brake line pops. Then you nurse the vehicle back home the mechanical way. Truthfully, if you can get the thing pulled ed over safely. Get it towed.

[-]

SailingSpark@reddit

100% Some things should not be electronic.

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Me_Air@reddit

Electronic PB’s fail a lot less.

[-]

SailingSpark@reddit

Mechanical parking brakes, when used, slowly fail due to wear and tear. The Cables stretch or corrode over time. Generally they give you a lot of warning if you are paying attention.

Electronic fail less often, so far, but when they do, it is usually a show stopping event that requires more work to repair.

I still think that some things should not be electronic.. unless things like the parking brake fail on when all power is lost.

[-]

DJFisticuffs@reddit

Everything is a trade off. E parking brakes fail less and require less maintenence. They are also controlled by the abs module so if you have brake failure and need to use it for an emergency stop it will stop you faster and with more control than almost all drivers would be able to achieve with a handbrake. The downside is that if you have hydraulic and electronic failure at the same time you have no brakes. That is a basically non-existent scenario, though.

[-]

shtposter900@reddit

I forgot to hit the button in my civic once. Car rolled across the parking lot and cracked my grille. My car now has an actual handle. Manual trans of course.

[-]

eeldude_88@reddit

If it bothers you that much, ship the Porsche to me!😁

[-]

blackstomach@reddit

Should be there Friday

[-]

bradpal@reddit

My Porsche has a lever and I like it.

[-]

blackstomach@reddit

Lucky!

[-]

snajk138@reddit

I have an electronic parking brake, it engages automatically when I put it in Park, and disengage automatically when I try to drive off (as long as I have the seatbelt on). And also whenever I stop. My car is old though, so sometimes I need to push the gas a bit too much to make it disengage the P-brake, that is a bit annoying. But I barely ever touch the button for the P-brake.

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CakesForLife@reddit

You still have to push the button before pulling it up.

[-]

H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Not on most cars

[-]

CakesForLife@reddit

You don’t need to, you can pull it up, but you will wear it down due to not using the release.

[-]

MrLoronzo@reddit

You’ll actually wear out the parking cable springs by using the button. The ratchet is designed to withstand repeated use.

[-]

CakesForLife@reddit

I’ve been lied to all this time - how can I verify which is true?

[-]

MrLoronzo@reddit

Check your owners manual

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B5_S4@reddit

300,000 miles on my BMW and I've never once used the button to pull the lever. It's a manual, so the parking brake is the only thing that keeps it in place most of the time. Not a single problem with the ratchet. It's a ratchet, they're designed specifically to ratchet.

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H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Nope, it will not wear down. It’s designed to be pulled up without the button. The button is merely for brake release

[-]

bimmercamp@reddit

Yes, hence the name parking brake.

[-]

ImTheRealMarco@reddit

This ^

[-]

tmeinke68@reddit

Never used it. Never had a problem with anything. Certainly used a few times on inclines or what we not at home the grocery store, etc. Why would I?

[-]

Minute-Disaster-707@reddit

Without it, the weight of the car is on the transmission.

[-]

tmeinke68@reddit

And? Been driving decades and hasn't affected anything.

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H3LL0FRI3ND_exe_file@reddit

Extra security if anything fails. In my country it’s practically obligatory and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You have to look long and good to find a completely flat surface in my very mountainous country.

[-]

Practical-Earth3228@reddit

come to stop

put in neutral

engage parking brake

let off brake

put in park

[-]

TheSafetyLemur@reddit

This is the correct answer.

[-]

harrys123456@reddit

i did wrong so far: come to stop. put in park. engage parking brake. turn off and remove key

[-]

SubGothius@reddit

That's fine really, IMO shifting to Neutral first isn't really necessary, but ideally apply the parking brake before you let off the regular brake pedal.

That leaves the parking pawl in the transmission only lightly engaged when you're in Park, sparing some wear and stress on that delicate and expensive-to-replace part.

[-]

Baconoid_@reddit

Moving to neutral ensures that you are feeling the parking brake engage and stop the vehicle. Then you engage the backup method: Park.

[-]

BassWingerC-137@reddit

I do this for inclines and hills for sure. But never on level ground.

[-]

Prof_Fuzzy_Wuzzy@reddit

Yes. I'm really happy my Sienna automatically engages the parking brake when I shift to park. One less thing for me to do.

[-]

JosieMew@reddit

The parking pawl holding the car in park at the transmission makes me nervous. I put the parking break on so if someone hits me while parked, or something else unforeseen happens, all the force isn't directed straight into the parking pawl.

[-]

ExcellentWinner7542@reddit

No

[-]

CaptainMischievous@reddit

Drove a stick for... decades. As soon as you push in the clutch to crank the car, it will start rolling unless you're perfectly flat (useful when the battery is dead). So you always set the parking brake with a manual transmission. Do they even make manual transmissions now? Regardless I *always" set the parking brake because of my lifelong habit. Never experienced a problem.

[-]

Mean_Description9069@reddit

A family friend lost their child when their car rolled into the dad carrying their child (he was standing in front of the vehicle on an incline; vehicle popped out of park and rolled into them, crushing them into the garage door). Was some kind of an issue with the particular Jeep model they had where the vehicle could come out of ‘park’ on its own, or maybe the pawl would fail; not sure the exact mechanism of failure.

Anyways ever since then, we always use our parking brakes.

[-]

Bright-Ask-8793@reddit

In an automatic, you'd be relying entirely on a relatively small pin stopping you from rolling away. And in a manual, I'd rather give my transmission all the help it can get to stop from rolling away.

[-]

SafeTraining4733@reddit

Literally what it's for

[-]

Imyourhuckl3berry@reddit

I thought I read some statistic that said most who drive automatics never use their parking brake

[-]

SleestackMcGee@reddit

Ask that guy that played Ensign Chekov in the Star Trek movies.....Oh, wait. Maybe not.

[-]

Least_Definition_345@reddit

Yes.

[-]

Hothoofer53@reddit

I personally only use it on rare occasions

[-]

noob_lvl1@reddit

My car’s a manual and I use it every time I’m going to leave the engine running.

[-]

saywhat181@reddit

Just out of habit from driving manuals. I always put my car in neutral, set parking brake, then put it in park. I think it's a lot easier on the transmission. I could be wrong, but it's definitely not doing any damage.

[-]

Hendrix1967@reddit

I grew up in the Caribbean and I always use my parking brake. It’s a 40 year habit.

[-]

pwnageface@reddit

Yes, lol.

[-]

Canuck_fuk@reddit

Use it or lose it

[-]

altblank@reddit

depends. in a really level area, your transmission in Park might well do the trick (or 1st or reverse gear on a manual).

but... when there's any grade at all, it's always a good idea to use your parking brake. this uses your regular brakes to hold the wheels in place, but more importantly reduces the pressure on that tiny parking pawl in your transmission. do be careful if you've never worked the parking brakes though... get the system checked just to make sure it won't bind, there's no rust in the lines, etc.

[-]

69lms@reddit

The piece in your automatic transmission that holds your vehicle in park, is the size of your pinky finger.

[-]

bandley3@reddit

The parking pawl. A tiny little part that can wear out and is expensive to replace. It is the backup method of holding the car when parked, not the primary. Yes, it’s easier to just throw a vehicle into park but that’s a long-term problem. It’s like smoking - you don’t feel the negative effects now, but it will be expensive and painful far into the future. However, with a vehicle you can get rid of it and let it be someone else’s problem down the road. It’s not guaranteed to fail, but why take that chance? Just use the parking brake as designed.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

Park gear is the primary, not the E brake. Most people don't use the E brake, but internet boffins think they know everything because some nerd with a Miata on reddit told them they need to use it lmao.

[-]

bandley3@reddit

Examine logically at the size of the components in question — a tiny little pawl in the transmission vs. big-ass disc or drum brakes — and try to tell me that the pawl is the primary system. In addition, look at the cost to repair or replace the system in question: a few affordable and easy to replace external parts vs a little internal part that requires the entire transmission to be pulled and disassembled to repair. Why would any sane engineer design a primary safety system to be incredibly expensive to repair? (Hint: they wouldn’t…)

Just because most people don’t use the parking brake like they should does not mean that it wasn’t designed as the primary system for holding the car in place. I’m willing to bet that in cultures where manual transmissions are more common the drivers that have an automatic know to use the parking brake first before putting the vehicle into park. People do lots of short-sighted things in the name of convenience and this is just another example.

[-]

bbonz001@reddit

Every time my FIL or MIL shifts into reverse on their steep driveway and the pawl goes BANG I cringe a little.

I always tell them to set the brake, t but they claim they know better. Even when I ask them, does that noise really sound like a good thing?

But these are the same people that like to comment about my reverse parking too. So 🤷‍♂️

[-]

BassWingerC-137@reddit

And it works well holding the car when the ground is level. As engineered.

[-]

No_Platform_5402@reddit

I like using it because it makes me cringe when the car rolls and slams against the parking pawl when I park.

[-]

NMS_Scavenger@reddit

Not once in 27 years over eight vehicles have I applied the parking brake.

[-]

nugzstradamus@reddit

Only on a manual - never on an automatic

[-]

Pulkomo@reddit

E-brake is very important. I use mine every time I park.

[-]

Apart-Ad-5947@reddit

It wasn’t until my 4th manual car that the parking brake even worked, and that was because I changed the cable. I definitely owned a few beaters in my teens and twenties.

[-]

zenith747@reddit

This is a usa thing I think. In Aus and Nz we always out the handbrake on every time.

Dont what to load up the transmission.

When in the states I would always see people park and then their car lurch when it loads the transmission.

Ugh.

The salt thing is bs. I have lived right on the beach and nobody has every had the hand brake cable jam. I've heard of it snapping in old cars but never jamming.

[-]

ConflictMaster3155@reddit

My advice would be to never half-ass it. Half assing it isn’t going to do anything other than let you drive away with it partially set and you’ll just burn it out.

The way you use a park brake is to set the brake BEFORE you put the vehicle in park. Make sure the park brake holds and then put it in park. The purpose for this is to prevent the pawl from sticking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawl).

If you drove something like an F250, and you were towing something like another vehicle, and you were to park on a hill it could roll back and put so much tension on the pawl that you won’t be able to get it out of park.

As far as being a weak point, I’m not aware of any modern vehicles with notably weak parking pawls, but it has been a problem in a few older vehicles. It’s generally accepted that no one is setting their parking brake these days unless your vehicle does it automatically for you.

[-]

Sash_T19@reddit

You remind me of those people who live out of the city/ countryside and they never ever lock their doors.

[-]

Frosty-Analysis1520@reddit

If you drive a manual or on a hill yeah. If it's an auto, it probably won't roll in park until you put it into neutral.

[-]

CleverNickName-69@reddit

I have two in-laws that both in separate incidents had their manual transmission cars get rocked by the wind, pop out of gear, and roll down a hill into a crash that totaled out the car.

I always put the parking brake on, but those incidents made me more vigilant about it. You can't trust the pall in an automatic transmission to hold the car, and you sure can't trust the manual transmission to stay in gear.

[-]

LordAnchemis@reddit

My car has 130,000miles on it and throughout its 10 years. I’ve never put the parking break once when I park (normally)

You got lucky for 10 years - try that on a hill and run after the car

[-]

thefiglord@reddit

some cars with drum brakes do the adjustment when backing up and others when you use the parking brake

[-]

Big-Don-Kedic@reddit

Maybe it’s because I drove a manual for my first decade of driving, but I use a parking brake every single time, even on a perfectly flat parking lot. I don’t like feeling the transmission stopping against the parking pawl. The chances of that failing are slim, but not zero. A few years back, a Star Trek actor died because his jeep rolled forward while in park and pinned him against something.

[-]

Zealousideal_Yak_703@reddit

Ok a little setup for this, I am a field engineer and have been for most of my life and have driven most of my adult life with various employers. A long time ago I was driving a delivery van and parked at the top of the driveway put it in park and took the delivery to the door. When I came back my van was gone it had rolled all the way down the driveway and halfway through the back yard. I went to the vehicle and it was still in park sitting in the middle of the back yard. I laughed because it was still in park and have used my emergency brake pretty habitually since then (30 years ago).

[-]

Brief_Paramedic_6529@reddit

Curious if it's standard shift or automatic.if automatic when in park the weight will be on the parking pawl.if standard you should always use the parking brake provided it works properly.a mechanic in my shop applied the parking brake on a older GM when he pulled it out to a waiting customer.the brakes locked up from never being used,guess who paid to fix it" me".

[-]

Simcity4NoMods@reddit

No, it will drain the battery

[-]

asddude1@reddit

I never do. I'm in Florida-no hills.

[-]

TheTonyZz@reddit

I mean it’s called a parking brake for a reason

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99svtbolt@reddit

I activate it every time. Never had a rollaway 🤷🏻‍♂️

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BassWingerC-137@reddit

Never use it on a flat surface which is most of my experience. Never had a rollaway or a transmission issue in 35 years of driving and keeping my cars for 8-10 years.

[-]

longislandchillpill@reddit

Same. Only use it occasionally when I’m parked on a downward slope. My car is 23 years old and has never had any issue or a seized parked brake.

[-]

Awkward_Ostrich_4275@reddit

I’ve never activated it. Never had a rollaway 🤷‍♂️

[-]

voucher420@reddit

I have. Full time 4wd, and there was sand on the road of the hill I was parked on. I had curbed the tires and that’s what saved my ass. Once one tire starts slipping, the diffs allow the park prawl to become worthless due to one tire being locked and the other three turning.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

That's an extreme example though. 99% of the time that's not going to be an issue.

[-]

ClickKlockTickTock@reddit

Yup, a lot of folks think parking makes your tires completely immobile, but your tires can actually turn, they just are inversed. So the left can go forward and the right can go backwards. Its supposed to fight and cancel out but once one wheels friction is overcome, the other can just keep on rollin. The wheels are NOT effectively locked in place. Parking brake makes sure that they are.

[-]

NoEmu5969@reddit

How are your engine mounts?

[-]

BassWingerC-137@reddit

Indifferent to the parking, but they ‘love’ the torque from the engine.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

I had a rollaway in high school. Guess what, the E brake was on. I left the manual transmission in neutral and the E brake released itself. It was an old Jeep with the E brake pedal similar to a GM truck. Never did that again. I just left it in gear.

[-]

nostradumbass7544678@reddit

I use mine every time, and one morning I came out to my truck sitting halfway into the street, with traffic swerving around it, because the cable decided to snap while it was warming up.

[-]

AussieDran@reddit

Was it a Toyota. They have the worst handbrakes ever.

[-]

nostradumbass7544678@reddit

Nissan D21 2wd

[-]

dogandturtle@reddit

Why was it warming up?

Good brother brake and park!

Or brake and gear!

There is no other way.

Great story but

[-]

AggressiveTip185@reddit

Are you under the impression that we all have or something? lol

[-]

MediumAd3331@reddit

Automatics I use the e brake all the time to reduce stress on the driveline

Manuals. I never use the handbrake unless on a hill. I do not recommend this. But 16 years as a track day attendee I learned my lesson. I conditioned myself to not use it.

[-]

Relativepath@reddit

I've own 20+ cars, several manual and automatic, never used the "Emergency Brake" to just park. No roll aways. In most of the manuals I've never not turned my wheels toward the curb but did use the parking brake to just park while in neutral

[-]

Greedy_Pomegranate14@reddit

It’s better for the transmission yeah. I do it every time even on perfectly flat ground, so that the car doesn’t rock back and forth putting excess stress on the park tab inside your transmission.

[-]

ImpressiveWalrus7369@reddit

I park on an inclined driveway with 35” tires. I use the parking break every time because the leverage is greater with larger tires.

[-]

redditorrrrrrrrrrrr@reddit

I use mine regularly on my manual summer car and my truck I bought new

My wife's jeep that she has never touched the e brake on once in 7 years? Absolutely refuse to touch it.

[-]

BS-75_actual@reddit

What do you drive? Likely the owner's manual says the park brake should be engaged.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

That's the manufacturer avoiding liability. They know people don't use them, but if they print it they can point to it if they're sued. It's not a thing for most people who aren't perpetually online in car circles.

[-]

BS-75_actual@reddit

It's the manufacturer of a complex multi-system machine comprising more than 30,000 components explaining how it needs to be operated. Not dissimilar to the the manuals for passenger aircraft which we expect pilots to have read at some point.

[-]

frankzappa327@reddit

40 years of driving all kinds of things and generally never with a automatic I do consider myself a gear head

Those guys who say another car can hit you and break the park pin have never tried to take a wheel off with the car in the air and it shows

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

They don't understand the torque reduction between the wheels and the transmission.

[-]

chrisdwarwick@reddit

It doesn't matter. Using the brake relieves stress on the transmission. But, transmissions are pretty strong.

[-]

ClickKlockTickTock@reddit

"Should I use this thing called a parking brake when I park"

Nah, they actually meant to call it a don't ever use brake.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

People call them emergency brakes because that's what they're really for, in case your hydraulic brakes fail. They're not just for parking.

[-]

bbonz001@reddit

That's because a lot of people still call it an E-Brake. Even though, ya know it has a big P on it. Lol

[-]

Cliqey@reddit

The make-the-car-smell-funny lever.

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Heavy-Duty-Wombat@reddit

If you own an automatic and are not parking on an incline…. It is unnecessary

[-]

Milnoc@reddit

Until another vehicle bumps into yours and destroys the transmission's parking pawl.

[-]

miwi81@reddit

I’ve been in the collision industry for 20 years and I’ve yet to see that happen

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

Same, but I grew up in a high volume family owned body shop. It's just not an issue. People read this shit on the internet and think they need to use their e brake all the time. As the owner of old GM shit, I'll keep my brake off until I need it to avoid stretching the cable, because they're problematic.

[-]

IWuzRunnin@reddit

How many times have you seen anyone bothering to see if the parking pawl bent/broke in a collision like that? It's never checked. If a wreck is bad enough to effect the transmission the adjuster is going to total the car before getting anywhere close to that. I won't claim parking pawl issues are common, I saw two in 10 years of working on cars at dealerships.

[-]

miwi81@reddit

How many times have you seen anyone bothering to see if the parking pawl bent/broke in a collision like that?

I mean… every time we pull the car in and out of the building

[-]

IWuzRunnin@reddit

If the wreck is bad enough to mess up the parking pawl you're not pulling it into the building.

[-]

miwi81@reddit

…in which case, it didn’t matter if the parking brake was set after all, because the car’s a total.

[-]

unwilling_viewer@reddit

I worked in test and design of auto transmissions. A 50-60kph impact will make most park pawl systems inoperative (terminal damage). Dependant on the diff ratio. Add another 20kph to that and you'll be into roll away.

[-]

hopelesspostdoc@reddit

It happens a lot with loaded trailers and with people who slam it into park while rolling. Neither of those would count as collisions to insurance.

[-]

RumorsOFsurF@reddit

That's not a thing. My dad's 96 tahoe was rear ended by a fucking Class C motor home while parked on the street. Pushed it ten feet while in park. No damage at all to the pawl because the tires broke loose, which will happen 99% of the time. Plus, if someone hits my car while parked I have bigger issues to worry about

[-]

0peRightBehindYa@reddit

If an impact is strong enough to break the parking pawl in a modern vehicle, there are bigger things to be concerned with.

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unwilling_viewer@reddit

The car will be a write off anyway. But if rather not have a written off car rolling down the hill if it doesn't need to.

[-]

Oneill5491@reddit

Parking brake only locks the rear wheels. If the drivetrain is connected to the front wheels, those wheels would still be held in place by the parking pawl only and a crash impact would still stress this component.

[-]

AnEepyLeaf@reddit

A bit of redundancy never hurt anyone

I will say though it is nice if you have an electronic one that engages when you put it in park

[-]

pcny54@reddit

I have a new car and it automatically sets the parking brake when I shift into park.

[-]

BassesNBikes@reddit

Different strokes and all, but that's the thing I like least about the Bride's Volvo.

[-]

med8cal@reddit

I do.

[-]

Small_Aardvark_5496@reddit

You should always use the parking brake and engage it before taking your foot off the normal brake after you’ve put in park. So -step in brake, put in park, engage parking brake, release foot from brake pedal. This is so you don’t damage the parking pawl in the transmission if the car rolls in park.

[-]

otterland@reddit

I have two Hondas with the H5 transmission and always use the parking brake. Why not? It's an easy habit I picked up driving manuals for years. It's especially important for this transmission that has a slightly gimpy parking pawl.

If you have drum rear brakes it often helps to keep them adjusted.

The one time I didn't put on my parking brake was years ago when I needed to replace the PB lever on an S10 I had to chase it down a hill. First gear wasn't enough to keep it from rolling and there wasn't a curb to pull up against.

[-]

Dont_Fear@reddit

Yes is the only option

[-]

NeedleworkerFew5205@reddit

On incli e so as not to bind gearbox.

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Raiderwon2LT@reddit

Set parking brake before you let your foot off the brake.

[-]

freakrocker@reddit

They even named it a “parking brake” for you

[-]

RLBeau1964@reddit

I try to, except when extremely below freezing.

[-]

JustLurkingPCForums@reddit

I've never heard this, what's the rationale on this?

[-]

Porschenut914@reddit

risk of the cable freezing in place.

[-]

RLBeau1964@reddit

this 👍

[-]

RLBeau1964@reddit

All interesting comments here, but my initial reasoning is to simply to prevent the brake from freezing and not releasing.

[-]

ClickKlockTickTock@reddit

Probably worried one tire gets ice under it.

Your parking gear doesn't stop the tires from turning, it just makes them act against each other. One wants to go forward and the other wants to go backward. If ice forms say on the shoulder of the road, well, your other 3 tires are effectively allowed to freely roll if the 4th is frictionless.

If you jack your car up, with it in park, and try to turn your driven wheels, you'll see what I mean.

The parking brake stops 2 wheels from being able to turn at all.

[-]

SubGothius@reddit

Your parking gear doesn't stop the tires from turning, it just makes them act against each other.

That's incorrect, at least on every auto trans I'm aware of. The Park position allows something called a parking pawl to drop into place, which is a small spring-loaded finger or claw that engages with a sprocket tooth in the transmission to prevent it from rotating at all.

[-]

mattkime@reddit

Sounds like fear of cold weather.

[-]

CheapCarabiner@reddit

Shrinkage

[-]

KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit

I was in the pool!

[-]

PomegranatePlus6526@reddit

35 years of driving I have never used it once.

[-]

Aromatic_Quit_6946@reddit

Doesn’t hurt to use it, it can hurt not to though.

[-]

Chookity-@reddit

Use it every time, or never use it. Pick one. Cause if you don’t ever use it and then try to…. It’s not coming off 🤣

[-]

Haunting_Name_5550@reddit

Its called a parking brake. I engage it when I park. Simple as.

[-]

crusty_mcnipples@reddit

Drove manuals most of my life so it was second nature. I sport an auto Audi now in flat Florida but still use it All the time.

[-]

TouristPopular8307@reddit

Rust is a choice not fate. As someone who lives in Midwest where we season our roads more then our steaks I can confirm that if you take care of your ride it will take care of you.

[-]

TransitionHot982@reddit

Icy/slushy conditions can also cause a park break seize up.

[-]

TheCamoTrooper@reddit

If you've never used it don't start unless you want to replace the rear calipers (or drum mechanism) and adjust or replace the cables. But you should be using it regularly yes

[-]

Deep-Egg-9528@reddit

If you've got an automatic, putting it into park is fine, right?
I drive a manual and use it, but I thought it wasn't really needed for automatics.
The only automatic I've owned was a 1955 Cadillac and I used the parking brake because it didn't have park as an option on the gear lever - just neutral reverse and drive. There's a long lever you pull out of the dash to engage the parking brake.

[-]

Alone-University9785@reddit

I use it out of habit from driving manuals. My Tacoma has an old school center console hand brake so it’s a no brainer for me. Puts less stress on the parking pawl in the transmission.

[-]

MountainFace2774@reddit

I have always driven manuals so I'm in the habit of it unless I'm parking the car in a completely level spot for days/weeks at a time.

Example, I have a car and a truck. Sometimes the car might sit a week or longer before being driven. It's parked in my perfectly-flat driveway and won't move even if left in neutral (which I don't do). It's old and rusty and there is real risk of the brake seizing up if left to sit for a long time.

But in day-to-day driving, I set the brake almost every time I park before shifting to park (or 1st in a manual) and shutting off the engine. I make sure the load of the car is on the brake, not the transmission.

[-]

Appropriate-Issue-73@reddit

I use it always. It needs to work. What's going to slow or stop my car otherwise if the hydraulic system fails???

[-]

Richneerd@reddit

Only if you have manual transmission. 🙌

[-]

gotcha640@reddit

As with all of these, it depends.

Automatic in Houston where the biggest hill is a speed bump? No. I’m not wasting the 3 seconds or wearing out the parking brake. 99% the car isn’t even resting against the pawl.

On up to a 25% grade, maybe a bit more, the parking pawl is still perfectly capable. People suggesting it’s a tiny little tooth, it’s a pretty solid chunk of metal.

On a steeper hill, sure, why not do the brake.

In a manual, yes, I’m in the habit of giving it at least a click or two every time, even on flat ground.

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Coolbrazz@reddit

If you live a hill or any type of unlevel pavement yes. Not good for a transmission to hold your car in park unless it’s a manual drive. That’s why it’s called a parking brake. Not just to do 180’s while driving.

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IdiotSerena@reddit

why the hell wouldn't you

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Loose_Leg_2918@reddit

Because it’s an unnecessary inconvenience. The vast majority of drivers don’t use it and are getting along just fine.

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IdiotSerena@reddit

yeah, I honestly just remembered not ever car is manual. I was super baked when I commented that and remember just thinking "why the hell would you leave your car unsecured, like you can just push it if the handbrake isn't engaged" Like I've had my car start moving randomly on flat ground from just the wind of other cars passing me.

But even if you're driving an automatic, using the parking brake puts less stress on the park "gear" in your transmission. Both my dad and sister only drive automatics, dad used to like manuals, but wasn't really a "driving person" so he just cares about comfort. My sister straight out refuses to learn as she claims it's stupid and pointless, neither of them use their parking brakes even when parked on steep hills.

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Daveit4later@reddit

Why not? That's what it's for...

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AgilitySimDriver@reddit

Every time I get out of my car it's in first with the handbrake pulled. If the handbrake fails for whatever reason, the transmission will stop it from rolling away.

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IAmTheBoiledFrog@reddit

Every time.

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inredditorbit@reddit

I’ve often wondered about this. I live in Miami, where it’s always warm and flat as a pancake. My friends think I’m crazy for setting the parking brake. What I like about my car is that the parking brake sets electronically and automatically disengages when the transmission is moved into R or D. It makes a whirring sound when it engages or disengages.

Prior cars had a lever between the seats that you yank up, or a foot parking brake that you had to remember to release.

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Ursus-majorbone@reddit

If it's flat or close to it I don't use the parking brake. If there's any incline I do just so there's not pressure resting on the gears and no hard shift when you go to move again.

Until recently I had always driven manual shift cars and I would leave it in neutral with the parking brake on unless it was on a slope. That was mostly in big cities and you'd get bumped parking a lot and didn't want any impact to go on the gears.

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PreMixYZ@reddit

My neighbor, from Texas, never uses the parking brake on any vehicle. He thinks it’s completely unneeded and useless. In the past year 1) he got out of his side-by-side, which is a big Kabota diesel, to talk to the mailman, and there was just enough slope on the road where it started rolling went down into our neighbors field hit a tree and flipped over. 2) two months later, he parks his brand new Honda Foreman four wheeler behind his barn with a small wagon behind it, of course didn’t engage the brake or leave it in gear. A windstorm came up and nudged it just enough to get it over the edge of the hill, went down the hill, took out two horse fences and ended up floating all the way across his pond and sinking on the other side.

Use the parking brake.

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Glop1701d@reddit

No parking brakes are unnecessary

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R2-Scotia@reddit

The only times I don't are

if I leave a car sitting for a few weeks, the brake will rust on
immediately after a hot session on track, let it cool first

Always leave the car in gear (ideally R) or Park for Americans 🙃

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simola-@reddit

One of my cars doesn’t even have a parking break, most old cars don’t. You don’t have to put it on but it helps with a few things

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Maglin78@reddit

Every time you park on an incline and don’t use the parking brake the parking pawl takes all the weight of the vehicle. When you shift out of park you scrap the parking pawl wearing it down when it releases. This is also hard on the shift cable which slowly stretches it.

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Dementedkreation@reddit

Always. But there’s a proper procedure to apply it as well. Don’t apply the e-brake/parking brake after putting the car in park, don’t before. Stop wherever you plan to park, hold foot brake, engage e-brake/parking brake while in drive or reverse, shift to neutral and release the foot brake. Let the car settle, apply foot brake and then shift to park. There should be zero movement shifting into or out of park. This way it takes all the load off the parking pawl. When you go to leave, press foot brake, put car in drive or reverse then release parking brake. There should be no movement when releasing the e-brake/parking brake.

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Anxious_Win7381@reddit

My car doesn't have a parking brake. So, no.

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oh_man_seriously@reddit

In an auto always parking brake then put the car in park…. It prevent wear on the transmission

In a manual yes always parking break

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OlliHF@reddit

I started doing this when I drove a car with a cvt years ago. I still do it in my normal auto. Parking brake, let off the brake, then shift to park.

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TXFlyer71@reddit

I do it on inclines to reduce wear and tear on the parking prawl. Transmissions can be very expensive to overhaul or replace.

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faroutman7246@reddit

50 years of driving, I've only used it as an emergency brake. My one vehicle that that was a manual, I found that the parking brake didn't hold well. Carried chocks for this. And fairly level just left it in gear.

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tez_zer55@reddit

Very rarely! I don't live in a salt area but I do spray the cable when I change the oil. My local mechanic suggested doing that.

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Complex_Solutions_20@reddit

I only bother with it on my manual transmission car and if I park my automatic on a steep hill where it would roll against the transmission holding it.

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jasovanooo@reddit

In park is absolutely fine

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NeoKnightRider@reddit

Only if you park on steep hills and even then:

Uphill: turn the steering wheel all the way to the left so IF the e-brake is messed up or fails, the front passenger tire can catch on the curb.

Downhill: same principle but turn the wheel all the way to the right

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Beneficial_Leg4691@reddit

Texan here. I only use it on hills. I laugh when people do it on flat land

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tubbis9001@reddit

On flat surfaces, it's good practice. On slopes, always.

Transmissions are not a kickstand!

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traffic626@reddit

I’ve always used it. Usually I shift into neutral, put the parking brake on and then shift into park. I hate putting the weight of the vehicle on the transmission

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MinuteExcitement200@reddit

That depends. If the car has an automatic transmission it's called an emergency brake and the answer would be no. On a manual it's a parking brake and then answer would be yes absolutely

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Nearby_Knowledge8014@reddit

You will be fine. Anyone who tells you otherwise has never done a brake job.

The feds require every car have one. It’s a very weak part of your rear brakes.

99.99% of automatic transmission drivers don’t use it. Even in the 5 manual trans cars I’ve owned, I parked in gear, rather than the parking brake.

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New_Breadfruit8692@reddit

I do not. For one thing these days the brake is as likely to be electrical not mechanically connected, so a breakdown/dead battery may mean you cannot release the brake.

The brake should be set on unlevel ground but otherwise I will not.

I will say though that I flunked my first driving test in 1974 because one of the things they had us do was was go to a street with a fairly steep grade and parallel park. Parallel parking was stressful enough for a new driver but California was really strict about also setting the brake and curbing the wheels because runaway cars in San Francisco alone cause millions of dollars damage every year. They have had some roll away cars that damaged more than 30 parked vehicles on the way down Gough Street. That street is so steep that nothing is stopping that car till it gets to the bottom. Hitting everything on the way down.

So, I had to wait to retake the test because I forgot to set the brake and curb the wheels. The parallel parking went fine though,but part of the stress of it is the block they have you do this on is right in front of the Sheriff's office.

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alansdaman@reddit

Terrific way to forget to turn off your parking brake and make some neat smells!

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cormack_gv@reddit

I almost never use the parking brake of an automatic: Only on a steep slope. I rarely use the parking brake of a standard: Only on a slope.

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Rastus77@reddit

I’ve never used a parking brake, ever.

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drmotoauto@reddit

What kind of car, more importantly, what transmission? Manual (gear shift) yes you should always parking brake. If it is an automatic transmission, not necessary, but helpful when on big hills. The parking pawl is very strong

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JohnJohnTurboTron@reddit

I use my parking brake daily.

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Snoo-88271@reddit

Not a car guy, but every time i park i use the parking brake and i put it in 1st gear

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Dry-Window-2852@reddit

I grew up in a flat area and only owned automatics. I never used my parking brake once until much later when I moved to a different state.

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Character-Session810@reddit

The parking brake takes the strain off of your transmission. You should always use it.

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ThingFuture9079@reddit

Yes. My RAV4 has an electronic parking brake that turns on as soon as you put the car in park and then turns off the parking brake when you shift out of park.

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GraphicWombat@reddit

Better to use it often and know when something breaks than to not and not have it when you really need it.

My wife and I come from driving manual transmissions for most our lives. So we always use it. Leave it a gear and r brake on.

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moderatelymiddling@reddit

Yes.

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Stolen_Showman@reddit

It's a parking brake. What else are you going to use it for?

The clue's in the name.

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Old-guy64@reddit

I always use mine. But one or two clicks only. Just enough to keep the weight of the vehicle off the transmission pin.

I’ve also had the brake freeze due to being wet. So, one click only.

In the case that you’ve NEVER used yours, I’d continue the practice. But if you parallel park on an incline, I’d turn the wheels toward the curb.

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ZucchiniAlert2582@reddit

My truck hasn’t had a working parking brake for over 10 years. It’s not a problem. Just leave it in 2nd gear, and if you’re on a hill tip the wheels so they’re bumped against a curb, or carry a chock with you to wedge behind a tire.

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GundamArashi@reddit

I have a habit of using it every single time, mostly from my driving manual transmission. Even in my automatic daily it’s used every time. Doesn’t hurt anything, and in the off chance something does let go there are 2 things holding the car in place instead of just one.

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hemibearcuda@reddit

Yes, I learned this the hard way a few times.

I absolutely hate replacing parking brake cables when they seize up.

Using them prevents seizing.

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audinutt@reddit

Very good idea if you didn't park on perfectly level ground. Takes the load off of engine and transmission mounts.

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Geoarbitrage@reddit

I do even on level ground. Use it or lose it.

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

It's called a parking brake. When do you think it should be used, during a storm? For lunch?

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_Elduder@reddit

I was told not using it could have contributed to my transmission going out on my Ford Transit connect. My driveway is slightly uphill so all that weight of the car is pulling on the transmission. Now I use it every time just in case that did contribute.

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Bulocoo@reddit

Weird habit but...

If I drive a sedan with a lever brake in the center console I almost always use it.

With a footbrake I almost never use it.

I live in flat Florida so never use it. But if I lived in San Francisco I would def use it.

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Switchedbywife@reddit

Grew up in New England, drove a manual pickup, always used the parking brake. Until we visited our camp in the Adirondacks in January, drove into the 30” of snow in the driveway, set the brake, waded through the snow to the house with the gear and started a fire, went to bed and in the morning got up to go get some more supplies in town. Truck wouldn’t move, ARGH PARKING BRAKES FROZEN! Had to dig out, crawl under the truck to back off the parking brake then drive slowly to a garage in town to get them defrosted and reset. Lesson learned as when to set the brake!

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SympathyAdvanced6461@reddit

If I park on a hill I do.

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ImTheRealMarco@reddit

Always.

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infield_fly_rule@reddit

I leave it in first with the hand brake on. Otherwise the car can roll when parked.

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Jacklunk@reddit

Once you see the little clip holding your car in place you’ll start using it more. Granted it’s worked over the years but a little piece of mind goes a long way

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Automatic-Transmission-Parking-Pawl/179918523

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TheMustyGooch@reddit

Ok question because this got me thinking. Let’s say ive got 110k miles in my car and I only use the parking brake when parking on a hill. Maybe 10 times a year. Should I start using it all the time to prevent rust at this point or since I’ve not been using it very often just don’t use it at all in the future?

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Restless_Cloud@reddit

Even if you technically don't need it every single time, why wouldnt you? Why would you skip on extra safety that takes literally zero effort with no downside?

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afops@reddit

Always parking brake. If the parking brake freezes or seizes even in harsh conditions - it's a poorly constructed parking brake (Hello French car manufacturers).

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Depress-Mode@reddit

Here in the U.K. we’re taught to use it every time we park the car, as well as on hill starts. As long as your car is regularly maintained then you shouldn’t have any issues.

I don’t know why Americans seem to always say it’s gonna fail and cost money to fix when the entirety of Northern Europe has no issue. It’s a part that should be maintained to a safe standard with the rest of the car.

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thecubeportal@reddit

Always wigs me out that Americans don't use hand brakes.

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ProfessionalLast4311@reddit

i always do as what my dad taught me in the past and i practice it till now

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snajk138@reddit

I used to work driving/parking cars at a car manufacturer and learned the routine they had very fast, always parking brake, and neutral if a manual. And now I always do that.

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tallwater333@reddit

I have had two newer cars and they both put the parking brake on automatically when shifting to park. Nice feature.

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Distinct_Engine_2075@reddit

I assumed it was frequently used by everyone. I even apply it while waiting at a red light.

Over here (Ireland) we would fail our driving test if we don’t use the handbrake at a stop sign.

I guess it’s something never really thought about that it wouldn’t be used.

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Brilliant-Onion2129@reddit

Our car does it by itself.

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goinupthegranby@reddit

The only time I put mine on is when I jack up the front to change my tires, and I live in a mountainous area.

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fudgegiven@reddit

Not sure if I can even park my car without it. EV with electric automatic parking brake. When turning off the car, it engages the parking brake. Maybe there is a way around it, but if it is designed like that, it should be ok to use it every time.

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schwaka0@reddit

I don't think it's a big deal if you don't, but it gives extra peace of mind. My jeep grand cherokee is almost 20 years old, and has 150k miles on it; I've only used the parking brake on steep hills, and I've never had an issue with my car rolling away.

I'm sure it's better to use it than not use it, but I don't think it makes much of a difference. It's similar to write cycles on newer ssds imo; you're more likely to need to upgrade it then it is to fail. I've had my SSD for 2 years, did the math on it, and I'd hit the TBW listed by the manufacturer in around 15 years. By then 4 TB likely will be nothing, and I will have already bought a bigger ssd.

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Flaky-Control4115@reddit

Now Hold on just a gosh darn minute...*slaps hand on desk... Your telling me the thing called a parking brake... Should be used when your parking????? Well hot damn, you folks are blowing my mind today.

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WearFamiliar1212@reddit

Yes

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RiceLate1272@reddit

Use it or loose it . If you don’t it will seize

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Tundra_Dragon@reddit

During the wrong part of winter, you can have ice freeze your brake shoes to your brake drums if you use the parking brake... It's the reason automatic transmissions have a parking pawl built in.

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Left-leaning@reddit

Every time. Not doing so is a fail in the UK driving test so it's learned and very safe behaviour. There's no downside to doing it.

I drive manual transmission and have had 1 auto in 30+years and the manual said to use the handbrake as leaving it in Park would put excess stress on the transmission locking pin. It was a 2010 Skoda Superb with the DSG box.

I never understood how so many American cars could be towed away by just lifting the front wheels until now.

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Neat-Substance-9274@reddit

This is how I engage mine: come to a stop, hold foot on brake. Set parking brake, shift to N and take your foot off the brake. (Vehicle will rest against parking brake) then shift to park. When you come back it will come out of park like butter. It sounds like a lot, but becomes second nature. Not only does this save your transmission, but it allows you to keep an eye on how well your parking brake holds. It is best known before you need to park on a hill.

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8amteetime@reddit

I do. When I lived in the flat lands of northern Illinois, there was no need for the parking brake.

I moved to the San Diego area and quickly discovered that you need to use a parking brake on all the hills around here. I got into the habit of using it every time I park the car, even when it’s flat.

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Jesse_Bolognesi@reddit

I use my oarking brake all the time because it was a habit from having a manual vehicle. Ive had a friend tell me that with automatic vehicles, it helps reduce strain on the transmission. Not sure if thats 100% true but it really isn't difficult to push a button before leaving the vehicle. I use parking brakes on work vehicles all the time as well.

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obxhead@reddit

Every single time.

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bisky12@reddit

imo if you’re driving an automatic, it’s fine. i’d only do it if you’re parking on a steep hill, as parking breaks aren’t built to handle much more weight than the weight of the car. but if you start using it, make sure: you stop, pull your hand break, release the break pedal, wait for the cars weight to shift, THEN put it in park.

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DesignerCumsocks@reddit

Not super necessary but for how easy it is to do why wouldn’t you. Takes stress off your parking pawl.

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Glittering_Bar_9497@reddit

If it’s a slight incline and warm climate use it, make sure you have your foot on brake when you activate it and your not resting vehicles weight on transmission. My father’s Colorado got stuck and he always just parked it and never used the ebrake. Mind you it was some plastic part attached to trans( I believe that’s what the mechanic told my father) and his pickup had well over 100k miles, so it’s not like a huge deal either way in most cases.

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CarGullible5691@reddit

Yes use the brake. You’re relying on the gearbox to hold the weight of the car. If it lets go the consequences could be catastrophic. I have a Landrover Freelander 2 that’s automatic. If it’s on a level parking spot then I’ll leave the brake off because it’s not going to move but even a slight incline and the brake goes on. The only time I’d leave it off would be if leaving it for a long time because the brake pads tend to lock against the discs if they get wet and rust builds up on the disc face. In that situation I would put a chock behind the wheels both sides to prevent any movement. Many years ago a doctor I knew was run over by his car when the gearbox let go in park outside his surgery. That has always sat in the back of my mind. That was in the late 1960’s in Canada.

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krauserhunt@reddit

Yes, because it's called ... Oh wait... Yes it is called... That's right!!

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khardy101@reddit

If you put the parking break on before letting off the brake, the weight of the car will rest on all four wheels.

If you put it in park and let you foot off the brake you feel that rock back. The weight of the car is on the transmission. It can wear out the remission sooner.

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The_Cars93@reddit

My father taught me to use the parking break every time I parked regardless of if I was on a hill or not. I did that and wore my parking brake out in for years. I found out the hard way when I put my car in neutral on a hill and put the parking brake on just to see if it still held. The car started groaning and slowly sliding down the hill.

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mregression@reddit

Is it necessary? No. Is it a good habit? Yes.

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bebobily@reddit

Years ago, I put my new Honda Accord in my parking garage, pulled the emergency brake and flew off to the Orient for a three week business trip. When I got back, I went to get my car. It started right up, put it in reverse and it would not budge. An hour later it was still stuck solid. I called the dealer, told the service guy my story and got hell for an hour, maybe more. "You don't need to apply the parking brake every time!" "Show me where it says that in my owner's manual." They came and fetched the car with some special rig.

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MasterShoNuffTLD@reddit

Yes. The brakes are designed to hold the weight of the car. The trans gears are for something else.

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Lipstick_Thespians@reddit

My wife always does, I never do.Shrug.

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Working_Rest_1054@reddit

It is a parking brake after all. As long as it’s known to work (cables aren’t locked up) and it isn’t wet/freezing weather, it’s a good idea to use the parking brake.

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Chainsawsas70@reddit

Especially on Any type of slope... Put the car in neutral and Set the brake and Then put it in park so that way there's no pressure on the park pin.

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stigbugly@reddit

In the 45 years I’ve been driving I can count on one hand the times I have set a parking brake, except for the times I was doing repairs on someone’s parking brake and had to test it.

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RogueRosemary@reddit

on a hill turn your steering wheel away from the side walk so that if car decides to roll it will stop immediately because the wheel is against the curb.

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Moist_Rule9623@reddit

I do it instinctively, but then I drove nothing but manual shift cars for the first nearly 2 decades I had a driver’s license; and since there is no TRUE “park” gear in a manual, you’re well advised to set the brake, curb the tires, etc etc

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Monster51915@reddit

I say yes, otherwise the PARKING BRAKE wouldn’t be needed. Yeah you don’t need to do it but is it really that hard to use the parking brake?

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Illustrious_Dig9644@reddit

Yeah, you should start using it, especially on any incline. Relying on P to hold you on a slope puts stress on the transmission's parking pawl. It's not gonna break your car at 130k miles, but it's extra wear you don't need.

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Glad_Pop275@reddit

Yes

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TapeDaddy@reddit

Only if you’re a huge dork. Just keep throwing that thing in park lol.

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Elevate24@reddit

Don’t most vehicles automatically do it when you put it in park nowadays?

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Extra_Cartoonist_390@reddit

I live in California and I use mine every time I park, whether I'm on a hill or not.

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DudeWhereIsMyDuduk@reddit

I drive a stick, so yeah

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BombZoneGuy@reddit

Lol

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Independent_Good5423@reddit

Well yes, why wouldn't you?

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Suspicious-Bowl4444@reddit

Press the brake, shift into neutral, apply parking brake, release regular brake and then shift into park.

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Lewa1110@reddit

Nah. Mine is, uh, “less than connected” to the pedal now cuz I live in a northern state with a shitload of salt on th road and I don’t want it to start my truck on fire

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rbrtcnnll@reddit

I set my parking brake every time I park.

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Swagooga@reddit

Yes use it. Your transmission is not a kickstand.

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bandley3@reddit

The parking pawl in the transmission, the little part that is engaged when you put an automatic into park, is the backup method of holding the car in place should the parking brake fail. Brakes are a lot easier to repair than an internal part of the transmission so even if a brake sticks it’s easier and cheaper to fix than an internal transmission part.

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toofarfromjune@reddit

I’ve always lived in the mountainous west so always parking brake.

One time I dropped my rental car off in Detroit and the attendant was absolutely bewildered by the parking brake engagement.

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RickySlayer9@reddit

Should you? Why not.

It doesn’t wear any parts in any meaningful way, and should you experience a failure, it could save your car. Also sometimes E brakes can fail to actuate, especially when it’s not actuated often. So yeah. I’d use it

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JamieIsAMansNameToo@reddit

You've been using the 'park pawl' and putting unreasonable stress on a 3/8" pin in your transmission. There is a parking brake for a reason. You say you park on an incline and just let it roll back...that's the park pawl. What you should do is put on your parking brake/E-brake before you shift into Park and before you take your foot off the brake pedal. You'll notice the vehicle no longer rocks back and jerks to a stop on the park-pawl pin. It will also help your transmission live longer.

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Manyconnections@reddit

Yes. Your transmission parking gear is not designed to hold the weight of the car.

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UniqueCynx@reddit

I rarely do unless I’m parking on a steep hill

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ExaminationSerious67@reddit

Just be careful if you have never used it on a car, it may lock and not release. Might want to pay a visit to your mechanic and mention that you have never used the parking brake and you want to start now.

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fenderstratsteve@reddit

A seized parking brake is an annoying one for sure. The less often it’s used, the more likely it is to lock up when applied and not release.

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chefnforreal@reddit

the electronic parking brake on my 2010 Passat is this cars kryptonite. wish it was manual.

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fenderstratsteve@reddit

I think VW’s implementation has improved over time, but I hear you completely.

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Mr2h2@reddit

Unless I’m on an extremely steep incline, I never use it. Like never on the road, and only a handful of times offroad. I do realise that it is not the best practice and is technically an unnecessary risk, but I think people underestimate how strong the parking pawls are. I work at a carwash where we don’t have those little cleats that grab your wheels, so the whole belt moves and you need to put your car In neutral to roll onto it, and there are soooo many people that put it in park on accident. To be fair, the concrete is often damp, but having seen this literally hundreds if not thousands of times, it will drag the wheels first every time (at least in this situation). I’ve also dragged my 4Runner in park a handful of times with a winch trying to move things. So while it’s never a bad idea to use your parking break and it’s probably wise to prevent potential damage, the risk of breaking that pawl under normal use is very low imo.

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macdubz415@reddit

Every time i park. Force of habit though, I’ve always lived in a hilly area.

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starstablesnacks@reddit

I drive a manual and use the ebrake about 6 months of the year. The other 6 months are too cold and I have had it freeze engaged

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fm2n250@reddit

I use the parking brake if I ever have to step out of the car while the engine is running. I open a window at the same time too.

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Yerriff@reddit

I don’t know why people don’t do it. Is it just pure laziness?

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airmech1776@reddit

If its electric, there's no downside to use it every time. Electric ones won't freeze in winter.

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Last_Still_3709@reddit

Only use it when I’m on a hill. Helps preserve transmission as well. Don’t understand folks who would use it in their garage. New car I got this year engages it automatically when put in park.

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Major_Enthusiasm1099@reddit

If you live on a hill yes

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Gecks_more1003@reddit

I throw mine on all the time my wife thinks I’m nuts for using it every time. It’s a parking brake for a reason I’m gonna use it lol.

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LowEmergencyCaptain@reddit

Also when you make sharp turns.

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bomber991@reddit

Always. Hell my wife’s electric mini cooper automatically applies the parking brake when you put it in park.

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possiblecurb@reddit

I put it on when I have this thought, and test it when I forget to take it off next time I go.

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funcentric@reddit

Do it, it take literally half a second.

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JAFO-@reddit

I always do I drive a manual. You want to use it anyway so it doesn't freeze up with corrosion.

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Porschenut914@reddit

do it out of habit, for when i get in my manual. Also 1/2 the time i'm on a slight incline.

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ReditYellowitBlueit@reddit

I do it every time I park. I have a process - when I’ve moved my truck to where I want to park:

Put foot on brake
Put gear in neutral
Take foot off brake, let truck settle
Put gear in park

…this way, it’s the brake cable that bears the brunt of the trucks’a weight, rather than the pawl

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dodadoler@reddit

Either do it everyday or do not

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Local_Whereas7211@reddit

Yes, religiously. Long time ago had a new car, a manual. Parked in front of my apartment. Went inside and was cleaning the place.

Looked out the window to admire the car, only to see it moving a tiny bit. Thought my eyes were playing tricks, but it was moving a bit faster now

Oh, sh!t, it's rolling down the hill! Ran down the stairs as fast as I could, skipping steps. To late. My car was careening down the parking lot. Missed all the cars until the very end of the lot, where it hot another car, which luckily was a junker at least. No more new, untouched car.

Parking brake fully on, ever since.

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tempthrow9999999@reddit

Nope unless you park on a steep hill

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NoChef7826@reddit

Using the parking brake is a good habit to do, it eases the stress on the parking pawl in an automatic and rolling in a manual.

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Jerms2001@reddit

I drive a manual, I use mine everytime

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GTI-Enjoyer@reddit

Neutral, parking brake, put car in park. Takes the weight off of your transmission.

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doc-sci@reddit

No

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Skensis@reddit

My car has an electronic one and I always use it.

Unless the brakes are hot hot hot, then I don't.

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vbf-cc@reddit

yes, with the only possible exception being if it's at risk of freezing and you're on a flat surface.

On any kind of slope I also steer my wheels so that a runaway causes the least damage. (Currently that means not towards my furnace oil tank.)

And if my normal parking spot were steeply sloped, I'd keep a chock to kick in front of one of the wheels too.

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TheBeardedMayhem@reddit

Used to listen to Car Talk all the time and the brothers said to always set it, they mentioned that it "readjusts your brakes" (no idea if that's still true - they were talking about cars from 50 years ago, but I still set it bc of them)

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Ok-Huckleberry1970@reddit

Not needed every time but it helps to use it to make sure it stays adjusted

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OneTea@reddit

Why wouldn’t you?

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JPhi1618@reddit

If you own an automatic.

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OneTea@reddit

And…?

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JPhi1618@reddit

I live in Texas, and no one with an automatic uses the parking brake. Maybe it’s regional, but don’t act like you’re confused about it.

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OneTea@reddit

I guess you didn’t understand my question about why you wouldn’t you it. The parking brake relieves stress of the parking assembly and acts as a fail safe. So why wouldn’t you use it with an automatic?

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JPhi1618@reddit

When parking on flat ground, it’s not needed, so no one does it. On an incline, sure.

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thenewbigR@reddit

I use it all the time.

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Fleshchanter@reddit

My Pilot likes to have the cable freeze in the deep cold. Thankfully is usually happened at work where I could coax it into a heated hangar.

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PckMan@reddit

Yes. It's a good habit. The parking brake is meant to be used every time you're parking the car. It engages the brakes. Putting the car in park does not engage the brakes, it's just like leaving the car in gear. It's much weaker than using the parking brake.

Especially on FWD cars it's best to both leave the car in P (or in gear) and to use the parking brake because the gear will lock the front wheels and the parking brake will lock the rear wheels. But even in RWD cars where both things just lock the rear wheels the parking brake is more secure.

On flat ground it doesn't make a huge difference but as I said, it's a good habit.

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Darkslayer_@reddit

Not really necessary when you aren't on an incline but I largely prefer it because the rocking of the car back and forth whenever something touches it is really annoying.

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xnoxpx@reddit

The rule I was taught was if you plan on using your parking brake, always use it, otherwise never use it, unless you like burning up drums/discs from rusted brake cable sticking

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pyramidhead_@reddit

It helps protect the parking paw, not something you wanna break

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Only-Ad5049@reddit

When I used to own cars with a manual transmission, I set the parking brake any time I was on a hill of any elevation and often on flat ground as well.

With an automatic transmission, I don't use it nearly as often because it locks itself. I definitely use it on hills, but not if they are shallow.

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Affectionate-Sun9373@reddit

Using the e brake will prevent it from seizing. If you use it that one time, that's when it will seize. If it locks on, sometimes backing up a bit can pop it.

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Prize_Guide1982@reddit

Always.

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Ill_Criticism_1685@reddit

Leave it in first and pull the parking brake every time.

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Miller335@reddit

Yes.

Set parking brake and then put into Park for auto is how it should be done.

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CheeseSplatter@reddit

This, or alternatively just keep your foot on the brakes (the normal brakes), put in park and set parking brake and then take your foot off the brake pedal.

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Informal_Ad4399@reddit

I always do, and if nothing else it's a backup in case of failure. I've trained my kids and my wife to do the same.

Without it, you are putting some of the vehicle weight on a component in the AT. It's built for it, but why not alleviate if you can? That's less stress on a component that could fail due to that weight. Which also doubles down on a secondary system for backup.

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drifts180@reddit

As someone who rarely uses it on my AT cars, I definitely use it before letting off my brakes when I know the car is going to roll before the transmission stops it.

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adrian_elliot@reddit

Always

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OfficeChair70@reddit

I always do, now I park in first and park brake, when I had an auto id always set the brake then put the car in park. I don’t think I’ve ever parked a car and not set the brake.

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Learningstuff247@reddit

My car always seems to act up after I use the (electronic) parking break. I never use it anymore unless im literally parked right next to a cliff.

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drifts180@reddit

I always did/do with my manual transmission cars, rarely in my automatics unless I'm on a steep incline.

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blackyellow13@reddit

I have a 28 year old Chevy. Have used it every time I've parked it. Never had a problem. For me it's a habit. I guess another part to break if you use it. I would if it's on any kind of a slight hill to take the pressure off the transmission.

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Prestigious-Hyena-72@reddit

I do

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OnionTaster@reddit

DONT DO IT IF YOURE NOT GONNA MOVE FOR SOME TIME. I parked my car with handbrake pulled during rain and after a week discs rusted to brake pads I had to get my car towed. Just leave it in 1st gear it's not going anywhere

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badhoopty@reddit

its not a bad habit to use the parking brake often. if nothing else to keep it from seizing up.

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HoLeeFuk19@reddit

One person already mentioned that if you live in a place where they salt the roads in the winter and you haven’t been using it regularly than you run the risk of it getting stuck on and needing a tow, so maybe next time you have your rear brakes done ask your mechanic to also do the parking brake and make sure the cable moves freely so you can start using it.

Otherwise, yeah it’s a good idea to do it. It’s one extra thing that needs to fail in order for your car to roll away (almost unheard of with an automatic transmission, but a real danger with a manual transmission) and it takes the load off the trans pin. The way it should be used in an automatic car is to keep the load off the transmission. So when you park, first hold down the foot brake, put the car into neutral, set the parking brake, then put it into park. It will rest on the parking brake and the transmission is the extra security if the brake slips.

I have been driving manual cars for years and so the parking brake is a must for me, but when I was young and broke my Integra didn’t have a working parking brake for a while. I would just park it in first or reverse and on relatively flat ground. One time I got out of my car at the gas station and started walking away, not realizing I hadn’t put it in first. A cute girl walking out of the gas station just goes “um excuse me, your car is rolling away.” I turn and look and see it rolling back (slowly) out of the parking spot. I was obviously very embarrassed and very grateful to her for letting me know.

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voucher420@reddit

Yes. A parking brake with a drum brake rear uses the mechanism to help keep your brakes adjusted in some cars while a complete stop in reverse does so for others. With a disc brake system, the parking brake can lock up and require you to replace the calipers if you don’t use it. Only some drum brake systems and hat on disc parking brake don’t require use of the parking brake, but it’s still a good idea to keep all the parts moving and functional.

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Pernium@reddit

I never use it unless car is a manual. 40 years of driving no problems

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SidKafizz@reddit

I always use it, and almost never leave the car in gear (manual, obviously). I know that my parking brakes (mutiple cars) work, and I live in the flatlands, so rollaways aren't really worth worrying about.

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Dry_Lengthiness6032@reddit

I never have even with a manual. However, it's fairly flat where I live

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BoulderNerd@reddit

Newer vehicles can have electrically operated parking brakes that are automatically applied when you go to park.

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KLAM3R0N@reddit

Ours you have to manually apply (with a switch) but automatically disengages when you are in drive and apply the gas. We use it every time we park to keep it moving smoothly(rust belt)

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aspiringengineerJ@reddit

I think for an automatic transmission it’s fine just not best practice.

My manual car, I obviously need it and my EVs do it automatically.

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Mizar97@reddit

You really don't need it if you park the manual in gear. But it definitely helps.

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Extension_Fuel_6391@reddit

My F150 with the Mazda 5 speed will turn the engine over on a hill without the parking brake. So it depends on how much compression the engine has to stop it from moving.

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Mizar97@reddit

Ah that's true. Without the ignition on it won't actually start but it may roll until the hill levels out.

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Extension_Fuel_6391@reddit

Exactly

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aspiringengineerJ@reddit

Good points.

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Average-Monk@reddit

For an automatic it's even more important to use the parking brake than when it's a manual that's been left in gear. The parking Paul that locks the gears in place is tiny and can't handle a lot of force being applied to it, such as might happen if someone backs into you. Better a dented bumper than a dented bumper and having to pull the transmission apart.

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Total-Improvement535@reddit

automatic with a level surface? it’ll be fine automatic on an incline? use it

as fragile as engines and transmissions are, they are just as tough and are made of heavy metals that will hold a car in place via the parking pawl

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spoiledpoptart73@reddit

Every time except when temps are below freezing

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hexadecimaldump@reddit

Do you have a manual transmission? If yes, I would suggest using it on any sort of incline. If your car is an automatic, park works in most situations, but if on a steep incline I would suggest using it.

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Careless_Studio_1293@reddit

I always do. It can’t hurt, and if you make it a habit, it becomes reflexive - so you never forget when you actually need it.

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Jasperleemuchen@reddit

i use it on a slope, then i put my car in park or when i leave to gear

emergency on > park > get in car> gear > emergency off > leave

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Calendar-Careless@reddit

Not with modern auto transmissions.

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artlessknave@reddit

I don't think mine works. I never use it.

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69lms@reddit

I use it everyday.

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deltalew@reddit

For an automatic I’ve never used it. I use it when I pop the truck on ramps, or steep incomes but even then, my parking brake is trashed lol.

So no I don’t use it

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rice1204@reddit

Is it 100% necessary? No. Is it good practice? Absolutely.
I've personally seen 3 rollaways

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Dawn_Piano@reddit

I always engage mine. Might not be necessary but it’s certainly not hurting anything

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Bird2525@reddit

Same

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Booyahshakeit1@reddit

Stop the car put shifter into park with brake applied then pull e brake into place with foot still holding brakes then release all and shut off car…letting the car roll into locking position is very bad for it…only when it is totally level should u not use e brake

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kidskwid@reddit

If im on even the slightest incline I engage it. I drive a subcompact with a CVT i have to give the transmission a fighting chance.

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fenderstratsteve@reddit

I had GM vehicles for 15 years, never once used the parking brake. On my G35S with the brake on the floor, I never once used the parking brake. Never had to park on a steep incline though. On my Audi, because it’s right beside the shifter and convenient, I use it. Go figure. Helps that the Audi disengages it automatically upon acceleration.

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lord_scuttlebutt@reddit

Yes