What are the consequences of not engaging the handbrake when the car is in P gear?
2 Answers
Prolonged practice can cause some harm to the vehicle. More information about not engaging the handbrake when the car is in P gear is as follows: 1. P gear: Also known as the parking gear. When the vehicle is in P gear, the parking lock mechanism will lock the transmission output shaft, meaning the gears inside the transmission cannot rotate. 2. Principle of P gear: When using P gear to park, the car's gear engagement device directly hooks onto the transmission gear, causing the transmission to stop output immediately. This is equivalent to locking the transmission's drive wheel, so the car naturally stops due to lack of drive. However, if parked for a long time, most of the parking resistance comes from the transmission, which may shorten the lifespan of the transmission lock mechanism over time. Especially when parked on a slope, the harm to the transmission can be even greater. Moreover, in this parked state, when starting again at low speed, the car's startup becomes relatively difficult, and some noise may even be heard. These phenomena indicate that the car's transmission is gradually being damaged.
I remember when I was young and inexperienced with driving, I parked on a gentle slope with only the P gear engaged and didn't pull the handbrake. The car actually slid half a meter and hit the curb, scratching the front bumper. The mechanic told me that the P gear is actually a small gear lock in the transmission to stop the car, but its designed load-bearing capacity is limited. When encountering slopes or external impacts, it might not hold, leading to wear or breakage of the transmission gears. If you keep operating like this for a long time, the lifespan of the transmission will be greatly shortened, and replacing the parts would cost at least several thousand dollars. Now, every time I park, I habitually pull the handbrake first and then engage the P gear. This double-locking method is safer and more cost-effective, and it also reduces the risk of accidental sliding.
