Should You Engage the Handbrake or Shift Gears First When Parking?
3 Answers
Shift gears first. When starting the car, you must first press the clutch and shift gears, then release the handbrake, and press the clutch and accelerator to get the car moving. The reason for shifting gears first is that the traction force can control the car, preventing it from rolling back after engaging the handbrake. Below is an introduction to the clutch and handbrake: 1. Clutch: The clutch is located inside the flywheel housing between the engine and the transmission, with the clutch assembly fixed to the rear plane of the flywheel using screws. The output shaft of the clutch is the input shaft of the transmission. 2. Handbrake: The professional term for the handbrake is the auxiliary brake. Unlike the principle of the main brake, it uses a steel cable connected to the rear brake shoes to apply braking force to the car.
Having driven manual transmission cars for decades, I've developed a habit when parking: first pressing the clutch and brake to come to a complete stop, then shifting to neutral, followed by engaging the handbrake. After releasing the foot brake to let the car be secured by the handbrake, I finally shift into first gear or reverse to prevent rolling. With automatic transmission, it's different—I engage the electronic parking brake after stopping, release the brake to confirm the vehicle is completely stationary, and finally shift into P (Park). Especially when parking on slopes, this method protects the transmission gears from being forcefully strained. For some older cars with loose handbrake cables, shifting into gear becomes particularly crucial. Last week in an underground mall parking lot, I saw a car roll back half a meter because the owner forgot to shift into gear and only relied on the handbrake—it was extremely dangerous.
With my automatic transmission SUV, I'm used to pressing the electronic parking brake button after stopping and holding the brake, waiting for the parking brake light to illuminate on the dashboard before shifting to P and turning off the engine. Nowadays, many new cars come with an auto-hold function, eliminating the need to even engage the parking brake. But when driving a manual transmission pickup, on slopes, it's essential to use both gear engagement and the parking brake for stability. Once, a friend drove my car and shifted directly to P before pulling the parking brake, resulting in a clicking sound from the transmission. The mechanic said this habit could easily damage the transmission's locking mechanism, especially when parked on a slope, emphasizing that letting the parking brake take the load first is crucial.
