# Parking with a manual transmission **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mini, cooper\ **Created:** [March 11, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921 "2010-03-11T18:15:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ROBIEEVANS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@ROBIEEVANS](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ROBIEEVANS)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/1 "2010-03-11T18:15:12Z")
I have a manual transmission (6-speed) my driveway is off road and level. I was wondering which gear to use when I park or to put it in neutral? I have been putting it in reverse without the emergency brake. someone said it shopuld be in neutral with the brake on, incase I was ever bumped it wouldn’t ruin a gear pin. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/2 "2010-03-11T18:25:04Z")
It should be in gear [i]and[/i] have the parking brake on. This way, there is no stress on the gears and one will work if the other fails. If your car is hit while it is parked, insurance should cover any transmission damage. How likely is it your car will be bumped while parked off-road? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/3 "2010-03-11T18:30:48Z")
I second that. Reverse or first gear and the parking brake set. ---
**Author:** ![ROBIEEVANS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@ROBIEEVANS](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ROBIEEVANS)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/4 "2010-03-11T18:55:28Z")
How likely is it your car will be bumped while parked off-road? Do you have any kids? lol ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/5 "2010-03-11T19:40:24Z")
No, I don’t have any children, but what are yours bumping your car with, other cars? If they are bumping your car with their bicycles and bodies, I doubt that would be enough weight to damage your transmission. If they are bumping your car with their cars, perhaps they could use some supplemental training, for the sake of innocent bystanders, if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/6 "2010-03-11T20:04:07Z")
Put the transmission in first gear or reverse, and ALWAYS set the parking brake. Bumping the car while it’s parked won’t damage the transmission. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/7 "2010-03-11T20:57:47Z")
Thread hijack – The experts are advising ALWAYS to use the parking break (I do). But in a thread a couple of weeks ago, where somebody’s P-brake maybe got froze up, I think some of the same experts were advising NOT to use P-brake in freezing conditions. What DO you advise: Alaways, always; or always when not freezing? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/8 "2010-03-11T22:21:06Z")
In over forty years of driving in the snow belt, I have always used the parking brake and I have never had one freeze up. It could happen, but I suspect having a parking brake freeze on, is going to have far less chance of causing your or your car injury, than having it not applied when you should. BTW not using it tends to allow rust to keep it from working which could be dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/9 "2010-03-11T23:58:14Z")
Leave the transmission in first or reverse. If the car is “bumped” hard enough to damage the transmission the car will be totaled. As for the parking brake, you probably should set it, but I’ll admit that on level ground I never did. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/10 "2010-03-12T14:51:06Z")
I have seen the brake cable freeze up in the winter…I’ve also seen it freeze up in the middle of July. It’s usually not ice that’s causing them to freeze…rust, kink in cable… ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/11 "2010-03-12T15:13:36Z")
I live in the rust belt and if you always, or at least once a day, use your parking brake they don,t freeze up. They freeze up if used infrequently. If you are worried about the load on the transmission gears, set the parking brake before you put it in gear. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/12 "2010-03-12T15:54:48Z")
It is good habit to use your parking brake in conjunction of gear of choice. The reason is it keep the parking brake parts in motion on a regular basis and they do not rust up and seize. ---
**Author:** ![DfromSD](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dfromsd/32/1669_2.png) [@DfromSD](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DfromSD)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parking-with-a-manual-transmission/45921/13 "2010-03-12T18:01:32Z")
Get in the habit of using your park brake and you shouldn’t have to worry about it sticking. Most the time that happens when it has seldom or never been used, and then applied. Continual use keeps it “freed up.”