# Putting Car In Gear When Parking - Quesionable Advice **URL:** \ **Category:** The Show\ **Created:** [October 22, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859 "2011-10-22T17:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dad2bandt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@dad2bandt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dad2bandt)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/1 "2011-10-22T17:15:26Z")
The boys told a VW Bug driver to always park the car with tranny set in reverse. They said reverse, more than any other gear, gave the wheels “the least advantage” against the compression of the engine. I’ve been puzzling over this. In order to be true, reverse would have to be lower than first gear or higher than the highest gear, neither of which seem true. Thoughts? ---
**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:** [October 22, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/2 "2011-10-22T17:32:16Z")
“In order to be true, reverse would have to be lower than first gear or higher than the highest gear, neither of which seem true.” I believe it is true, both from what I have been told and from what I have experienced. I can remember when new drivers were taught this. ---
**Author:** ![alafrosty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@alafrosty](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alafrosty)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/3 "2011-10-22T18:10:27Z")
I was taught to leave it in first gear facing uphill, and reverse facing downhill, and on the flat, it didn’t matter. I think emergency brakes are better than they used to be, so it’s not so big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/4 "2011-10-22T18:19:26Z")
Reverse is generally about the same ratio as first, but reverse uses an extra idler gear which adds extra friction. ---
**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/5 "2011-10-23T00:10:19Z")
How much friction could an extra idler gear possibly have?? I think reverse is almost always geared lower than 1st. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Zilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@Mr\_Zilla](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mr_Zilla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/6 "2011-10-23T01:02:22Z")
If you are parked pointing uphill, then you should use first because then rolling down hill would be against the direct the engine would want to turn the transmission from the engine’s point of view. If you are parked pointing downhill, use reverse for the same reason. From my experience it has been that trucks more commonly have reverse at a lower ratio than cars for the simple reason of a truck doing work and in reverse would usually be working harder than going forward. If the same applies to cars for certain, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/7 "2011-10-23T01:17:32Z")
I have heard the same thing thru the years, but it dosen’t take more force to turn an engine backwards than forward. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/8 "2011-10-23T02:44:15Z")
The parking brake is your friend, 1st, reverse, does not matter if the parking brake is good. ---
**Author:** ![jimgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@jimgo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimgo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/9 "2011-10-23T18:14:42Z")
I’ve always had the habit of turning the front wheels into the curb, regardless of whether the car is facing uphill or downhill. They should be sure the curb is high enough to block the car–4 or 5 inches. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Zilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@Mr\_Zilla](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mr_Zilla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/10 "2011-10-24T02:32:41Z")
I know it doesn’t take a lot turn an engine backwards but every little bit helps and of course the wheels should always be turned into the curb or if not a curb then so the car will run into the ditch rather than down the hill. ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/11 "2011-10-24T02:58:35Z")
> **jimgo** — "I've always had the habit of turning the front wheels into the curb, regardless of whether the car is facing uphill or downhill." If the car is facing uphill, the front wheels should be turned _away_ from the cirb. ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/12 "2011-10-24T03:05:14Z")
> **waterboy** — "The parking brake is your friend, 1st, reverse, does not matter if the parking brake is good." If the parking brake were the ideal solution, why do all automatic transmissions have a locking pawl when placed in Park? ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/13 "2011-10-24T03:09:25Z")
> **Mr Zilla** — "I know it doesn't take a lot turn an engine backwards ..." Try putting a manual transmission into reverse and then pushing the car backward. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/14 "2011-10-24T04:22:33Z")
If the parking brake were the ideal solution, why do all automatic transmissions have a locking pawl when placed in Park? Why does a manual transmission not have a park position? ---
**Author:** ![littlemouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@littlemouse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/littlemouse)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/15 "2011-10-24T04:36:20Z")
“If the parking brake were the ideal solution, why do all automatic transmissions have a locking pawl when placed in Park?” Why do cars with automatic transmissions have parking brakes? ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/16 "2011-10-24T04:45:39Z")
> **waterboy** — "Why does a manual transmission not have a park position?" Because manufacturers assume owners with manual transmissions are smart enough to leave their cars in reverse or first gear when parking on a grade. ---
**Author:** ![Mechaniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Mechaniker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mechaniker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/17 "2011-10-24T04:50:05Z")
> **mouse** — "Why do cars with automatic transmissions have parking brakes?" To relieve stress on the parking pawl. ---
**Author:** ![littlemouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@littlemouse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/littlemouse)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/18 "2011-10-24T10:37:11Z")
Then why isn’t the parking break engaged automatically by putting the car in Park? Some would say “The [parking] brake is … intended for use in case of mechanical failure where the regular footbrake is inoperable or compromised, hopefully with opportunity to apply the brake in a controlled manner to bring the vehicle to a safe, if gentle halt before seeking service assistance.” I’ve used it for that purpose. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/19 "2011-10-24T11:32:58Z")
“I’ve used it for that purpose.” So have I. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859/20 "2011-10-24T13:18:09Z")
In my experience, as long as it is in gear, it doesn’t really matter what gear it is in. Set the parking brake, and put the car in gear … any gear … and as long as the engine doesn’t lose compression, and as long as you maintain your car properly, everything will be fine. That reminds me, the caller was negligent in not adjusting the parking brake. According to my car’s owner’s manual, the parking brake should engage in 7-9 clicks. If it takes more clicks to engage, it’s time to adjust the parking brake. How hard is it to properly maintain your car, for goodness sake?!?!?! They went too easy on the caller, in my opinion. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/putting-car-in-gear-when-parking-quesionable-advice/68859.md?page=2)