Which Gear Should Be Used for Long-Term Parking?
1 Answers
When parking on level ground, whether it's temporary or long-term parking, you can leave the car in N (Neutral) gear and engage the handbrake. For long-term parking, it's best to shift to P (Park) gear, as P gear can lock the transmission output shaft. 1. Do not leave the car in D (Drive) gear for long-term parking: When driving a car with an automatic transmission in traffic jams, some drivers often only press the brake pedal while keeping the gear lever in D (Drive) gear without shifting. This is acceptable for very short periods. However, for long parking durations, it's advisable to shift to N (Neutral) gear and firmly engage the parking brake. This is because when the gear lever is in D gear, most automatic transmission cars have a slight tendency to move forward. If the brake pedal is pressed for an extended period, it forcibly stops this movement, causing the transmission fluid temperature to rise and the fluid to degrade more easily. This is particularly detrimental when the air conditioning system is operating, as the engine idle speed is higher. 2. Do not start the engine in any gear other than P or N: Some drivers attempt to start the engine in gears other than P (Park) or N (Neutral). Although the engine won't start (due to the interlock mechanism that only allows starting in P or N gears), this action could potentially damage the transmission's neutral start switch.