I was wondering what you guys do when you park the car.

Do you leave the car in gear or neutral (with handbrake)?
My mechanic said that it's better to leave it in neutral..

Tia

 

Always in neutral with handbrake.

 

Except in a hot pit lane or when parked to change a crank pulley bolt or when parking in San Francisco or ...

 

Any idea why it's better to leave it in neutral when parked?

 

I always go handbrake first........make sure car will not roll........THEN put it into a gear as a safety measure. (thought there that there is no pressure put on the driveline directly using the engine as your brake, but, again just as a backup)

 

second gear and handbrake.

 

Is this just a habit or with a specific reason?

 

If on a hill 1st gear and handbrake. If flat neutral and handbrake. Mike

 

General Parking - Apply handbrake in neutral to ensure it grabs, then first or second gear.

Extended parking (weeks/months) - second gear and NO handbrake (don't want brake components to bind or seize).

 

+1

 

I always park a manual car in 1st or reverse according to slope. What's wrong with that?

Relying on e-brake only is iffy. In addition, I do not like to use e-brake when rear hubs are hot.

 

one bad personal experience.

few years ago I parked a manual audi s4 on a very slight incline slope in neutral and handbrake on, came back and found car slided backward, hit a big garbage can and stopped. Close to $1k of body damage.

after this episode, I always park my manual car in gear as I don't fully trust the handbrake.

 

Never use your handbrake when you come off the track, leave it in gear, or you stand a really good chance of severely warping your rotors and other damage...

If your brakes are "cool" hand brake is the way to go.

 

If you are parked on a street, with car in gear, if someone bumps you parallel parking, it can break a gear- I have been told.

 

That's interesting...looks like I will have to park in 6th gear now as I don't mind not having it.