Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm starting to think that I am the only one who leaves any car in neutral with the parking brake on. It seems everyone else leaves it in gear with the brake off.
Is there a "proper" way, and what would make it proper?
David

I would say neutral and parking brake on.

Why? Because that's what my Dad taught me all those years ago.

I guess it's safer if somebody just gets in and cranks the engine. The car won't jump forward.

On a hill, I may leave it in gear too, and turn the wheels so it will wedge against the curb if it moves.

No handbrake on for long term storage, but probably wheel chocks, or put it on axle stands to spare the tyres.

Definitely NOT in gear for long term storage. There is a thread somewhere on the forum seeking advice regarding gearbox damage, allegedly caused by long term storage in 1st with handbrake off.

In any case. Doesn't handbrake on/in neutral when parking still form part of the driving test?

When I leave mine parked on the drive I leave the handbrake off and in neutral as the drive is level. When I use it I always use the handbrake and leave it in gear which I was taught when I learnt to drive 32 years ago. Two years ago I parked on a slight hill and put the handbrake on and the cable snapped luckily it was in or it would have rolled away. My uncles cable also snapped and it was in gear and luckily didn't land up at bottom of the hill.

On a slightly different tack, when you sit behind a car at traffic lights, notice the lack of handbrake use, and the blinding from stop lights instead. Are people too tired to pull a lever? ----- I'll answer myself, Yes! Hope I haven't offended anyone here!!!!!

les wrote:On a slightly different tack, when you sit behind a car at traffic lights, notice the lack of handbrake use, and the blinding from stop lights instead. Are people too tired to pull a lever? ----- I'll answer myself, Yes! Hope I haven't offended anyone here!!!!!

According to my wife she was taught to be ready to set off as soon as the lights change so to sit in gear only using footbrake. I advised her of the error of her ways and asked if she would pay for a new clutch if she kept doing it and ruined the release bearing. Expect people maybe trying to prevent the stop/start system operating in newer cars.

Anyway, I always park my modern car in gear with handbrake on as our last car rolled across the drive. It was checked for faults at a service and the excuse from Audi was that you have to press footbrake whilst applying the handbrake. I know that day I had parked as normal and later rolled the car forward a foot or two without starting and just pulled handbrake on and obviously didn't hold as half an hour later a neighbour noticed it on other side of the road, handbrake was still pulled up!

Some years ago there was spate of modern cars rolling away even though the handbrake was applied sufficiently.
Upon investigation - applying the handbrake when the pads/disc are hot would hold the car but when the pads/discs cooled down the pressure on the pads/discs was considerably reduced and the end result was that the car rolled away if on a slope.
One of my work colleges had it happen to him with the car ending up severely damaged.

When applying the handbrake - press the pawl release knob/lever as just pulling the handbrake on wears both the ratchet and pawl.

Once drove a Volkswagen pool car with a button to apply the electric handbrake. Arrived at my destination but could not get the handbrake to apply so had to stay in the car holding my foot on the brake whilst my colleague went and did the business. After that I refused ever again to drive the Volkswagen.

Expect people maybe trying to prevent the stop/start system operating in newer cars.

Ah, yes the wonderful stop start system, designed I believe to save fuel (tough you arguably could use more by restarting the car each time than by it just idling) and make them (appear) greener....................
Fine until it fails (to restart) at traffic lights or a road junction, causes a queue and potentially blocks the road.............
There is also the potential to roll backwards into the car behind once you have released the handbrake in anticipation of it restarting -- leading to more aggro)
I wonder if car manufacturers could be sued for the tension / stress caused by such a situation (putting it politely).........

Best wishes,
Mike.

My 'modern' is a Focus Ecoboost with stop/start. The stop/start feature can be deactivated and in any event it seldom works in current weather conditions as it detects if I'm using the aircon and puts comfort ahead of the environment. As it also doesn't work below 6c ambient temperature, the 'green benefits' are few and far between. Only 20 quid a year to tax though! There is also a system to prevent accidental roll-back (or forward).

So much for modern cars 'green credentials'...............

I always leave in gear for short term parking. Tho not in moggie unless on a steep hill. Dont trust the handbrakes on any car. My cousin had his golf runaway once. If your on a slippery slope 2 wheels is not enough. Iv been driving off road since the age of 13 and doing car trials where you have to really so iv just got into the habit.

Mate of mine always left his old XJ6 auto in 'Park' and never used the handbrake, which caused him MOT failures year after year... seized handbrake every time!

I'm one of the 'Both' brigade. As an airline pilot I have always been predisposed to utitlise all methods to prevent problems before they start so the 'Both' methods fits in with my mental model. I also have a brick to prevent the car being parked too close to the end wall. I also turn the steering wheel if parked on a hill.

I am normally with Rob in taking belt and braces precautions. My modern car has a traditional handbrake like the Morris. I am driving a litre car since someone drove into the back of me on a slip road on the M 25 9 (NOT THE MORRIS OR I WOULD BE ON REMAND FOR GBH OR WORSE) .

The hire car a brand new (previously unmarked) Kia has one of these strange stubby little flaps, operating an electric servo by the sound of it, in lieu of a proper handbrake, Having parked the car at my sister's house with a very slight slope, I operated (or so I thought ) this excuse for a parking brake, got out, locked the car and a minute or so later, her Carpenter came running into the garden to tell me that the car had rolled backwards some 20 feet or so into a small fir bush (NO, not a ginger one!) Its progress had been impeded by a rubbish bag, but the cut ends of the bush - it had been trimmed (!) have scraped and dented the plastic bumper which is incredibly pliable and thin. God knows what it would look like after areal shunt.! Even if I had failed to operate the parking brake, one would have thought that engine off and doors locked, would have done so.

Ho hum!

Give me a good old fashioned Minor type handbrake any day!

Handbrake on and, if on a slope, in gear as well, just in case the handbrake fails. And yes, wheels turned into curb. That's in my Moggie. Couldn't tell you anything about a modern car...........

Back in the late '70s there was an old bloke in our village who would chain his car to a lamppost when he went on holiday. Long chain around the back axle and a big padlock. More of an anti-theft precaution, but it wasn't going to roll away either. The council made him stop. It was in the newspapers at the time.

Killjoys, there are a lot of them around !!

Some years ago I was in the Office as a work colleague phoned up from home to say that he would be late in because someone had stolen his car from his driveway.

An hour or two later he turned up with his recently stolencar which the Police has quickly found.

He lived on an urban dual carriageway and the Hand brake had failed, or similar. The car then rolled driverless across the two lanes and buried itself in the hedge on the wide central Reservation. The Polizei thought it quite amusing apparantly - but he had to pay a fine anyway.