Manual Transmission - parked on a slope.

[16hypen3sp]

I have been around manual transmissions my entire life. A lot of people, after shutting down their car on a slight slope (or anywhere really) would shift into first gear to prevent a runaway car if the e-brake were to fail. Some people choose to not pull the e-brake at all and just let the transmission hold the car from running away.

I personally know of a few people that didn't use the first gear method and had a mishap with the e-brake. Most came out unscathed with the exception of one. (Wrapped itself around a tree at the bottom of a hill it was parked on... stupid I know.)

BUT, tonight, a co-worker told me about a Chevy tech who told him NEVER to park in first gear when on a slope, instead shift it into reverse... He was very adamant about this. This is something I had never heard of before so I figured I would put it on the realm of Beyond to see if anyone knows anything about it.

So does this tech know what he's talking about or is the first gear method the way to go? Maybe I didn't get the memo or it isn't common knowledge.

[e31]

Firstly, who listens to a Chevy Tech. It's usually Chevy drivers that lift their feet off the floor when crossing railroad tracks. Superstition is the main thing holding most of their product line together (shudder).

[xnvy]

I thought you park it in first for uphill, reverse for downhill? Or do you just change which direction the wheels are pointing based on the slope?

[JordanAndrew]

Originally posted by xnvy
I thought you park it in first for uphill, reverse for downhill? Or do you just change which direction the wheels are pointing based on the slope?

Nailed it.

parked uphill facing up, 1st gear.
parked downhill facing down, reverse.

You also change your wheel directions accordingly to play it safe.

At least, that's what I've been doing for the longest time. :dunno:

[16hypen3sp]

Originally posted by e31
Firstly, who listens to a Chevy Tech. It's usually Chevy drivers that lift their feet off the floor when crossing railroad tracks. Superstition is the main thing holding most of their product line together (shudder).

I agree... I'm not a Chevy guy myself. His wife owns a Cobalt and when it went in for service, the tech told him this... But the tech never really did give a reason as to why tho.

[MGCM]

i have also heard this "rumor" i have always used 1st gear for uphill or downhill, and also ensuring my front passenger tire rests against the curb too.

Here's a good one for ya, had an old 2dr sentra, parked on my driveway which has a fair incline to it, i stop in 1st, holding the brake i turn the car off, let off the clutch and leave in 1st gear, and release the brake, the car would inch backwards every few seconds randomly or sometimes it would be fine. I made sure the ebrake was up TIGHT after that lol scary times:nut:

[JustinMCS]

Originally posted by JordanAndrew


Nailed it.

parked uphill facing up, 1st gear.
parked downhill facing down, reverse.

You also change your wheel directions accordingly

Exactly. The wheel direction is in the driver's road test book also.

In my manual, it is always in gear an ebrake applied. But, because it's RWD, only the rear wheels are stopped.

I watched my 335 slide down an icy hill once. I stopped it, put it in reverse, ebrake, talked to a friend for 15 minutes, and then it just up and left! I guess after the tires cooled down on the ice they became like hockey pucks? IDK. They were winters too. I ran down the hill and got in and managed to avoid an accident with anything. Good thing I didn't go inside the house! :)

[snowcat]

You still have to turn over the engine no matter what gear it's in.

6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other

[16hypen3sp]

One thing I have noticed is new developments don't really have sharp curbs anymore. Instead they have those concave style gutters that line the streets.
There isn't really a curb to put your tire against.

A car would certainly roll over it.

[Rat Fink]

.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by 16hypen3sp
One thing I have noticed is new developments don't really have sharp curbs anymore. Instead they have those concave style gutters that line the streets.
There isn't really a curb to put your tire against.

A car would certainly roll over it.

Not likely, if it was parked correctly (i.e. parked with the tire already touching the curb, so the car can't roll and gain momentum before it gets to the curb).

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Hallowed_point]

I always do both..first gear & e brake regardless. Never had an issue.
Some people say you shouldn't use your e-brake when parking in
the winter outside, but I've never had an issue with it.

[jacky4566]

Would you not want the other way around?
So your engine is working its normal direction. New or not, Engines were only designed to move in one direction. Otherwise whats the point of reverse?

And why first? why not 5th where you will get the most resistance to turning the engine over.

Personal note. i park on uphilll everyday wheels touching the curb with parking brake but not in gear (remote start too good)

[Mibz]

Originally posted by jacky4566
And why first? why not 5th where you will get the most resistance to turning the engine over. It's the most resistance if the engine is powering the wheels, but in this case the wheels are "powering" the engine so first gear is ideal.


Originally posted by Hallowed_point
Some people say you shouldn't use your e-brake when parking in
the winter outside, but I've never had an issue with it. The e-brake on my Escort used to seize from the cold. It just turned into an excuse not to go to school.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[firebane]

Originally posted by jacky4566
Would you not want the other way around?
So your engine is working its normal direction. New or not, Engines were only designed to move in one direction. Otherwise whats the point of reverse?

And why first? why not 5th where you will get the most resistance to turning the engine over.

Personal note. i park on uphilll everyday wheels touching the curb with parking brake but not in gear (remote start too good)

Say what?

A engine is perfectly capable of rotating in both directions without causing any harm to said engine.

The reasonings of why I heard you put the car in reverse parking downhill and 1st gear parking up hill is simply to take the strain off the transmission nothing to do with the engine.

And as others have said ANYONE who has taken a proper road test will always tell you 1st uphill, reverse downhill and tires turned so if it rolls it rolls into the "curb"

[bart]

isnt 1st gear ratio the same as reverse on most cars? i park on hills when the battery is dead ;)

[Sugarphreak]

...

[CTSV]

Some older cars had to be in reverse to remove the ignition key. That was because reverse is usually lower than first. As others have already said.
And engines don't care if the rotate backwards, but hopefully you have enough compression and gear ratio so it doesn't rotate either way when you park.
I usually just leave the V in first with e brake on. I always use it in any vehicle every time I park.
I just cringe when I see someone with an automatic park on a hill and throw it in park and take their foot off the brake. Car rolls against the park sprague and makes it hard to pull out of park.

[flipstah]

I use a rock. Pretty effective, I must say.

[firebane]

Originally posted by flipstah
I use a rock. Pretty effective, I must say.

Unless truck runs over said rock and truck ends up in water hole.

:rofl:

[botox]

I have never put my manual tranny cars in any gears when parking because of the remote starters. On hills I'll turn the wheels accordingly and will roll the car to a stop then apply the ebrake. I would also adjust the ebrakes every once in a while to make sure they are holding. Even with the sloped curbs I've never had an issue with almost 20 years of driving.

[rage2]

What's a manual transmission? I park in P, that's P for park.

[RickDaTuner]

The first and reverse bits are from the carburetor days, where an engine had the possibility of becoming a runaway if the engine was turned in the right direction, due to a carburetor not needing any electrical interaction to function.

Don't sweat it, first or reverse is fine, reverse preferably due to the increased resistance required to turn the engine over.

Wheels right when facing down and wheels left when facing up, and it's always good practice to allow the tire to gentally rest on the curb, as prolonged deflection of a tire will cause it to hold the shape of the deflection.

[hellraiser456]

I use first, as its the highest gear ratio that my car has...and as far as 5 speed trannys are concerned...it is generally the highest. If you engine is going to spinning backwards....or your car is going to be moving what so ever, maintain your fucking hand brake...its not only there for parking...but also in case your main brakes fail...which i have seen happen and have had happen to me, more so important in older cars where the flex lines going to the calipers are old and stiff. Want to feel your gut come out your ass, try driving down a road and hitting the brakes and nothing happens...then you see the friendly "e brake" light come on and stay on. good times.

[AudiPWR]

Maybe just habit for me, but I put the car in which ever gear doesn't have an obstruction in front of it. If I have reversed into a stall and there is a parking block behind me, I will keep the car in 1st. If i pulled into this same stall, I'd keep the car in reverse..