# Parking brake use
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376
**Category:** NYSpeed Automotive
**Created:** [August 10, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376 "2011-08-10T17:22:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/1 "2011-08-10T17:22:24Z")
Coming home tonight I turned on to ranch trail and noticed a silver Honda Accord parked straight across the road almost entirely blocking the street. Is this an ambush, maybe kidnapping attempt? Nah, it’s Williamsville, nothing exciting happens here. I drive up slowly and see no one is in it and the owner is nowhere in sight. After parking I get out and take a look inside, noticing it’s a manual and the parking brake is up but only slightly. Being in my hood and a decent guy I ring the bell and jokingly mention to the owner that he probably didn’t set his parking brake properly. As he looks behind me the look of shock, fear and embarrassment is priceless. The guy runs back in the house and runs back out to the car without even grabbing shoes. I walk along behind chuckling a little and mention this is why I always leave my car in gear AND set the brake.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/2 "2011-08-10T17:27:30Z")
Unless I’m on a hill, I’ve always done the whole parking break up, shifter in neutral thing. It will probably bite me in the ass someday though.
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### Author:  [@pirite](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/pirite)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/3 "2011-08-10T17:28:06Z")
parking brake and in 1st/r for me.
although i do make sure that the parking brake is holding the weight of the car, and then put it into gear so there’s less stress on the trans.
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### Author:  [@llink78](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/llink78)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/4 "2011-08-10T17:30:40Z")
I drive an auto ☹ Parking brake only gets used when on a hill so from park to drive there is no grind or stress. O and a little more in the winter
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### Author:  [@rdandy5875](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rdandy5875)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/5 "2011-08-10T17:44:19Z")
> [@pirite](#):
>
> parking brake and in 1st/r for me.
> although i do make sure that the parking brake is holding the weight of the car, and then put it into gear so there’s less stress on the trans.
Same. Although my subaru has some kind of interlock or something because it makes a definitive stop if I leave it in neutral and it starts to roll. I never looked into it because I leave it in gear also.
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### Author:  [@evilsrt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/evilsrt)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/6 "2011-08-10T17:48:15Z")
> [@pirite](#):
>
> parking brake and in 1st/r for me.
> although i do make sure that the parking brake is holding the weight of the car, and then put it into gear so there’s less stress on the trans.
+1
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### Author:  [@MPD47](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MPD47)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/7 "2011-08-10T17:54:41Z")
From years and years of being at the track. It’s ONLY in gear. Parking brake is ONLY engaged if I’m on a hill… or entering a corner at speed with the intention of destroying tires 😉
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### Author:  [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/8 "2011-08-10T18:00:50Z")
My first car had remote start so since I couldn’t have it in gear I’m conditioned for the parking brake and neutral, wheels turned into the curb.
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### Author:  [@1QIKZ](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1QIKZ)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/9 "2011-08-10T18:01:57Z")
Turbo timer forces me to leave out of gear until engine shuts off. Don’t feel like waiting to drop in gear. That possible situation has occured to me however.
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### Author:  [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/10 "2011-08-10T18:09:40Z")
THANK YOU FOR CALLING IT A PARKING BRAKE AND NOT AN EMERGENCY BRAKE!
:bigtup:
That said, I only leave it in gear if I’m on a hill or after track stuff like MPD47 said. But on the street & for everyday it’s brake only.
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### Author:  [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/11 "2011-08-10T18:31:29Z")
Mine won’t shut all the accessories off unless I leave it in reverse, so reverse and parking brake.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/12 "2011-08-10T19:34:41Z")
Brake only. The the past 3 cars I’ve owned have no clutch interlock, and I like to reach in and start it without entering the car… that would be ugly if it was in gear… once jam borrowed the lotus and left it in gear and I pushed the button and it lurched to within 2" of a boat hitch… ugh, that was a closie.
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### Author:  [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/13 "2011-08-10T19:56:06Z")
if i am on a hill where the car is likely to roll forward, throw it in 1st. If the car is likely to roll backwards, it goes in reverse. Parking brake always goes on too.
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### Author:  [@BadnewsMike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BadnewsMike)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/14 "2011-08-10T20:08:08Z")
VW parking brakes like to stick on… so I just leave it in gear, only use the brake when on a hill.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/15 "2011-08-10T20:23:39Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> … left it in gear and I pushed the button and it lurched to within 2" of a boat hitch…
I can’t believe it would even let it turn over, being that it’s a Lotus.
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### Author:  [@somedude](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/somedude)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/16 "2011-08-10T20:25:24Z")
My SHO does not have a functioning park brake. I leave it in gear. Someone on SHO forum once made the argument against putting a car in gear because he just sets the brake. A while later when he was in a post office his car rolled through the window and inside the building to say hi. The joke is the car got lonely in the parking lot. I imagine the insurance was less amused. This owner may or may not be on this forum… (he is)
A habit from auctions, from track, from working in shops, and from owning car that have non functioning brakes is to never touch them. Nothing good comes from it.
edit: you don’t have a option for leave it in gear with no park brake.
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### Author:  [@Bull49](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bull49)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/17 "2011-08-10T20:27:23Z")
unless im on a hill, i just leave it in first. parking brake goes on for in/decline (in addition to leaving it in 1st.) never had an issue.
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### Author:  [@Freek](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Freek)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/18 "2011-08-10T20:30:11Z")
Option 4 … It all depends on where I am and what car I’m in.
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### Author:  [@SnowboardinWNY](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SnowboardinWNY)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/19 "2011-08-10T21:38:45Z")
In the miata, just leave the parking brake on, unless I am on a hill.
In the E36 I throw it in first. I don’t have a parking brake as of right now. When I replaced the brakes last year I still needed to order parts, and now that I have them I am to lazy to install. Only thing I don’t like about not having one is it isn’t as easy to initiate a drift at speed around tight turns. 🙂
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/parking-brake-use/215376/20 "2011-08-10T22:14:06Z")
Too much shit happens to me to not use both if they are available.
I always put the car in neutral/clutch in before putting the e-brake on, then put it in gear or park just as a back up. (if its an auto I only use the p-brake on a hill)
If it is not my car and I’m not sure I do not touch the parking brake in case it hasn’t been used in a while and is seized up.
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