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What do you do with the transmission when you park? In gear or not?
- Thread starter Perry
- Start date
Page 57 in the 2014 USA Fiesta Owners manual
Unlocking Your Vehicle
Note:When your vehicle remains locked for longer than three days, the system will enter an energy-saving mode. This is to prevent your vehicle battery running out of charge. When your vehicle is unlocked while in this mode, the reaction time of the system may be a little longer than normal. To exit the energy-saving mode, unlock your vehicle."
I ride motorcycles when its above 40F and not raining. So I ride a lot. Commute to work! I've experienced this first hand, I had to bring the key fob within 1 foot of the door handle to get the car to unlock. This was after the car was sitting for a month. Started right up, no issues. My other car would noticeably stumble on starting, but that may be due to port vs direct injection fueling. My guess is the radio transmitter/receiver in the cars doors and trunk greatly reduce their power after 3 days, and this saves lots of battery usage.
*p.s. Did no one read their entire manual? I did!
I've had a car roll down a hill because I only used the parking brake and the parking brake let go. Luckily I was parked just right and had the wheel turned just slightly to hit the curb going down with one back wheel and miss a building and tree completely. No damage except my pride. Ever since then I've trained myself to park in first gear all the time. Doesn't matter how flat the surface is. If it's a habit all the time then you won't forget to do it on the time that you might actually need it.
The parking brakes on the Fiesta work a lot better than my old car, but even so I still do it no matter what.
The parking brakes on the Fiesta work a lot better than my old car, but even so I still do it no matter what.
+1, I also always put it in 1st & pull up the parking brake and agree completely that it's important to make it a habit.
The value of making it a habit is illustrated by the time I parked my manual trans Integra at the grocery store, and then heard my license # being paged to come to the front desk there while inside. The clerk said "Sir, there's an issue with your car outside."
I ran out and found my car angled in the travel lane of the parking lot with this incredibly nice guy leaning into my trunk and holding it in place. Apparently I'd been preoccupied and didn't pull the parking brake or put it in gear in an almost flat area. It started rolling after I left and this patron saint of cars was able to stop it.
I'm a lawyer and after thanking him profusely I gave him my card and told him if he ever needed legal help he had a free one coming to him.
So, I got lucky that time with no damage but it's always good to have an extra layer of safety.
The value of making it a habit is illustrated by the time I parked my manual trans Integra at the grocery store, and then heard my license # being paged to come to the front desk there while inside. The clerk said "Sir, there's an issue with your car outside."
I ran out and found my car angled in the travel lane of the parking lot with this incredibly nice guy leaning into my trunk and holding it in place. Apparently I'd been preoccupied and didn't pull the parking brake or put it in gear in an almost flat area. It started rolling after I left and this patron saint of cars was able to stop it.
I'm a lawyer and after thanking him profusely I gave him my card and told him if he ever needed legal help he had a free one coming to him.
So, I got lucky that time with no damage but it's always good to have an extra layer of safety.
Yep, just like I don't think twice about driving a manual after driving one for years, I've also been putting the car in first and engaging the parking brake ever since I had the car roll down the hill. Never an issue since even with the old car with parking brake issues.
A random story based on cars rolling down hills. My family parked in a parking lot and walked past a truck. As soon as we all cleared it, it started rolling down the hill right toward some lawnmowers. And it was a pretty big hill. They couldn't hear us because the mowers were loud. Thankfully the truck hit enough of a bump to slow it and the mowers noticed and were able to get out of the way. Cars that aren't properly secured with the parking brake and either in gear or in park can be dangerous rather than just inconvenient.
A random story based on cars rolling down hills. My family parked in a parking lot and walked past a truck. As soon as we all cleared it, it started rolling down the hill right toward some lawnmowers. And it was a pretty big hill. They couldn't hear us because the mowers were loud. Thankfully the truck hit enough of a bump to slow it and the mowers noticed and were able to get out of the way. Cars that aren't properly secured with the parking brake and either in gear or in park can be dangerous rather than just inconvenient.
I try making it a custom to park in gear. It's not really necessary where I live right now, but anything from hurricanes, earthquakes, someone hitting your car, or hills, can move the car when parked.
For that reason, I made it a custom to park in the gear I need to depart.
If I park nose in, I'll use reverse gear + parking brake.
If I back in a parking, I choose 1st gear + parking brake.
The parking brake is mandatory, as there's plenty of occasions where the car can kick out of gear.
I'm not taking the risk.
Also first gear, or reverse. Any gears over 2nd gear can actually overpower the engine (especially on a steep hill).
For that reason, I made it a custom to park in the gear I need to depart.
If I park nose in, I'll use reverse gear + parking brake.
If I back in a parking, I choose 1st gear + parking brake.
The parking brake is mandatory, as there's plenty of occasions where the car can kick out of gear.
I'm not taking the risk.
Also first gear, or reverse. Any gears over 2nd gear can actually overpower the engine (especially on a steep hill).
Turn wheels into curb.
Engine off.
Pull parking brake only as much as needed.
Release brake pedal.
Trans in Reverse. (reverse is not synchronized so you have to be mindful of engagement)
Had my prior car for nearly two decades, so you can imagine that I've had a range of experiences. By the time I sold it a couple of years ago, the parking brake was completely useless. The teeth on the automatic adjusters were completely worn/stripped.
We live in a valley. So if you're not on a downhill, it's only because you're on an uphill. That's the first thing we notice when travelling, is how FLAT the land is. I also found out that cycling is relatively boring on flat land LoL.
For really steep grades, engine compression alone would not hold it. Most of the time I'd find some place else to park. Also kept a wheel chock in the car though I was always afraid somebody would come along and yank it, for their own entertainment.
Anyway, I always set my brake and put in gear. One day I happened to be sitting in it still, after having parked. Heard and felt a loud quick slam with some dull metal ring. That was my parking brake lever slamming into full release. I believe I had unwittingly set the lever on the edge of a "gear" tooth, which eventually resulted with a slip. That only happened once in two decades. Though, there have been a couple of times I've come out and found it in the release position. Probably just forgot to set it but it could've snapped loose again.
Rotating my tires, I had lifted the rear but forgot to loosen the lug nuts first. No problem right? Just pull the e-brake. So I did. The passenger side worked. The driver side wheel rolled as if I never pulled the lever. So my e-brake (due to rust-frozen adjuster) was only half as effective.
Engine off.
Pull parking brake only as much as needed.
Release brake pedal.
Trans in Reverse. (reverse is not synchronized so you have to be mindful of engagement)
Had my prior car for nearly two decades, so you can imagine that I've had a range of experiences. By the time I sold it a couple of years ago, the parking brake was completely useless. The teeth on the automatic adjusters were completely worn/stripped.
We live in a valley. So if you're not on a downhill, it's only because you're on an uphill. That's the first thing we notice when travelling, is how FLAT the land is. I also found out that cycling is relatively boring on flat land LoL.
For really steep grades, engine compression alone would not hold it. Most of the time I'd find some place else to park. Also kept a wheel chock in the car though I was always afraid somebody would come along and yank it, for their own entertainment.
Anyway, I always set my brake and put in gear. One day I happened to be sitting in it still, after having parked. Heard and felt a loud quick slam with some dull metal ring. That was my parking brake lever slamming into full release. I believe I had unwittingly set the lever on the edge of a "gear" tooth, which eventually resulted with a slip. That only happened once in two decades. Though, there have been a couple of times I've come out and found it in the release position. Probably just forgot to set it but it could've snapped loose again.
Rotating my tires, I had lifted the rear but forgot to loosen the lug nuts first. No problem right? Just pull the e-brake. So I did. The passenger side worked. The driver side wheel rolled as if I never pulled the lever. So my e-brake (due to rust-frozen adjuster) was only half as effective.
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