automatic owners, how do you park?

T

Taz

Lifer
 Saddleworth
this question applies to all auto owners so should be in the E89 section also

as an auto drive when i park up i just pull up, bang it in park and walk away - no hand brake, i've always done this

today i have been told i should pull up, put the hand brake on, stick it in neutral, let it settle onto the handbrake then stick it in park, this means its not resting on the gear box and will extend the life of the box

any thoughts?
 
Who told you that Taz.. BMW or 'someone'?

I've always used the ebrake, never just left it in park. So as you'd expect most users to do, I stop, put on the ebrake, and turn off the engine (which automatically puts the DCT into park).
 
had autos of all german variant bar audi for 16 years & always pull up , gear into park , handbrake on ( or with mercedes apply foot brake to park)
& leave car .
 
I recently adopted my Father's approach of simply leaving it in park like you Taz, especially in the garage which is flat. Mainly because the handbrake is sh1te anyway. When I did use the handbrake I'd stop, stick it in Park, then pull on the handbrake. Now I am worried I have been doing everything wrong and am hurting my baby :cry:
 
I've done this on all my autos
Stop car
Apply handbrake
Put into Park

For manuals
Stop car
Put into Neutral
Apply Handbrake
 
for those like me who just stop and stick it in park do you ever find that some times when you start up it can be a tad stiff taking it out of park?

apparently if you adopted the handbrake then park method you never get the stiffness, this is because the car is not sat on the gears

you will notice this more on hills
 
bluestreak56 said:
I've done this on all my autos
Stop car
Apply handbrake
Put into Park

For manuals
Stop car
Put into Neutral
Apply Handbrake
Click to expand...

Me too, apart from leaving a manual on a very steep incline, in which case I might leave it in gear to counter the direction of the hill. But autos always handbrake and park.
 
Taz x said:
for those like me who just stop and stick it in park do you ever find that some times when you start up it can be a tad stiff taking it out of park?

apparently if you adopted the handbrake then park method you never get the stiffness, this is because the car is not sat on the gears

you will notice this more on hills
Click to expand...
+1
I don't think it would damage the gearbox.
I never trust the handbrake hence rarely use it.

The only concern is if someone crashes into your parked car which runs the risk of breaking the box. But that would be the least my worries if that happened.
 
There is a parking prawl which is engaged when you put it into P, the bit about handbrake first is good practice, and I would definitely not leave in P without the handbrake being on.

Same goes for coasting in N, shouldn't be done. Just leave it in D.
 
If stopping on level ground, I just stop and put into to park, get out and walk away happy, I can't see me putting the handbrake on first is going to make a lot of difference, I do apply the handbrake first if I am on a hill, and then leave put into neutral, let the handbrake take the slack, then put it into park, I have had german autos for donkeys years and never had a problem, I think the oil changes and how how hard a car is driven have much more effect than parking it without the handbrake.
 
Wondermike said:
goes for coasting in N, shouldn't be done. Just leave it in D.
Click to expand...
Coasting an auto in neutral will damage the box. Putting the car in park and walking away will not. I believe.
 
Taz x said:
for those like me who just stop and stick it in park do you ever find that some times when you start up it can be a tad stiff taking it out of park?

apparently if you adopted the handbrake then park method you never get the stiffness, this is because the car is not sat on the gears

you will notice this more on hills
Click to expand...

I find this with mine, I wonder if a previous owner put it in park and left the handbrake down..
 
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