What is the correct sequence between the handbrake and gear shift?
2 Answers
Handbrake and gear shift sequence details are as follows: 1. Over 60 seconds: Stop the car, shift to P gear (Park), neutral, use the handbrake. If waiting at a traffic light, check the remaining time; if it exceeds 60 seconds, stop the car directly, shift to P gear, turn off the engine, and wait. On flat ground, the handbrake is unnecessary as P gear (Park) engages the front wheel brake. 2. Within 30 seconds: If the wait is under 30 seconds, simply stop and wait at the red light. Neutral has various uses, such as towing the vehicle. Automatic transmissions use neutral less frequently, but it's not recommended to shift to neutral and pull the handbrake just for waiting at a traffic light.
When parking, I'm used to first pressing the brake to bring the car to a complete stop, then pulling up the handbrake to let the braking system take the load, and finally shifting into P gear. The sequence is reversed when starting: press the brake, shift to D gear, wait for the power to engage properly before releasing the handbrake. This order is particularly important on slopes—if you shift to P gear before pulling the handbrake, the entire weight of the car rests on the transmission's locking gear, which can damage the transmission over time. Once at a steep parking lot in a mall, I tried shifting to P gear first, and when shifting out, the transmission made a 'click' sound—it was heartbreaking to hear. The same principle applies to manual transmissions: when parking, pull the handbrake first before shifting gears, and when starting, shift gears before releasing the handbrake. Developing this habit can save you a lot on repair costs.
