My daughter-in-law has a 2006 Lexus with standard transmission-when she parks in in her driveway (on a hill) it moves down to the lower end of the drive over nite, She puts it in gear and applies the parking brake before getting out of the car-Any ideas whats up here? How is the car ending up at the bottom of the drive?-Thanks
The parking brake is not being applied firmly enough. Perhaps it needs to be adjusted and that’s why it’s not holding.
A correctly adjusted parking brake, firmly applied, should hold the vehicle on a hill.
Which gear is she parking in?
I’m thinking she is leaving it the gear she pulls in with 3rd or 4th. I agree on the brake-but how do you adjust it? She has had the car for some time-and this just started happening?-I think it is four wheel disc brakes.-Thanks
Well, for one, you want to leave it parked in reverse or 1st because these gears are the hardest for the car’s weight to turn the engine. Since the gear ratio is reversed, leaving it in a high gear makes it relatively easy for the car’s weight to turn the engine. And since it’s only the engine’s compression holding the car on the slope, it is completely normal for that compression to bleed off, allowing the engine to make another half revolution (if a 4-cylinder). Having it in a high gear both makes it easier for the car to turn the engine and maximizes the distance the car moves when the engine moves.
So have her leave it in 1st or reverse and check the parking brake. She should try leaving it in neutral and seeing if the parking brake alone will keep her on the hill-- it could just be she’s not yanking the handle far enough.
The parking brake is a cable that when pulled compresses the brake pads onto the rear disc. Over time the cable stretches. Eventually it stretches so much that it has to be adjusted. This is a simple job that her mechanic can do inexpensively. If you or she or a friend can do it, the cost is just right. If you want to do it yourself, you can crawl under the car and find it, or get an inexpensive manual on line or at the auto parts store. It whould describe how to do it.
I am thinking she must have a teenager. Does she have to only key to the car? This is a favorite trick we used to play on my Dad. Drove him crazy.
Over time the cable stretches. Eventually it stretches so much that it has to be adjusted.
I’ve seen cables stretch…but NOT in just 3-4 years. Usually 10-15 years.