I only put it in gear if I'm on a steep incline and the e-brake isn't holding

 

Chances are that you are not resting the car against the gear anyway if the parking brake is on. In which case the gear is just an insurance piece.

 

are we really discussing this???? ]

while we are at it , remember to always put the headrests all the way down when you get in the car, and NEVER leave a CD in the CD player!!!

 

Yes, of course, its common good practice. I personally park in the gear opposite whatever hard object I'm facing.

For example, if I park by backing into a spot, and there's a wall there, I'll select first. If I park in a parking lot with my front facing another car, then I'll select reverse. This prevents very bad things from happening if I happen to forget to put it in neutral and accidentally dump the clutch after starting. It also helps to always keep your handbrake engaged until *right* before you move off.

Regardless, why wouldn't you put it in gear? It's kind of silly to just assume a parking brake will work forever.

Also, I don't know where everyone thinks it somehow wears on the tranny. Think about the logic of your statement. How does it wear the tranny? Please explain it to me.

There's a lot more stress going through the tranny when the engine applies torque or when the wheels apply torque to the engine.

Regardless, I'm not even sure why its a concern. If you park properly, the weight of the car will be on the handbrake system and not on the gear you engage after engaging and transferring weight to the handbrake.

 

Leave it in gear
Don't leave it in gear

Honestly I do both

However unless somebody has an incident or proof that one is better, for the car then, the other... park it how you want.

 

Leaving a manual in gear after shutting the engine off doesn't do ANYTHING to the transmisison, at all. When you engage a gear (when the engine is off) you're using the COMPRESSION of the engine to prevent the wheels from turning. Think about it, the engine is not running, what prevents it from moving freely? (compression) Why do you think you big power, high compression V8's need a more powerful aftermarket starter? Very high cylinder pressures make it impossible for a stock starter to turn the motor over and start the internal combustion process. There is VERY little to zero wear on a transmission when parking a car in gear, if anything would give, the clutch would first since it's just an organic material pressed against a metal surface by spring pressure. Secondly, in first gear, due to the torque multiplication of it's very low gear ratio it sendsTHOUSANDS of pounds of torque through first gear, do you really think the 2900 lbs of tC is going to break it?

 

^^ Also, I hear a concern sometimes about damaging stuff if someone hits you from behind while you're parked.

Well, if someone hits you hard enough to turn your engine... well, let's just say you'll have much bigger problems to worry about

 

OK, someone wanted actual experience with parking in gear. Well here are two from my 45 years of driving...

(First off, I was actually taught to always park in gear as a back-up ti the parking brake.)

(1) In 1967 my '64 MG was parked, in gear, and was hit rather hard from the rear. It chipped a tooth in the tranny. (That was my first experience in rebuilding a tranny, too.)

(2) Right here in the apartment parking lot, a Ford was parked in one of the fairly steep guest spots. After being there for a couple hours, it suddenly started lurching forward about five feet every few minutes. The parking brake had failed, and the only thing holding it was being parked in gear. What was causing the odd behavior was the engine slowly bleeding off it's compression and letting the car lurch forward when it did. It gave us enough time to get the owner out there to control things before it hit anything.

(Even after having the difficulty with the MG, I still always parked in gear. Never had another problem from it in 29 cars over 45 years...)

Additionally, in "cold country" where damp/wet brakes can freeze to the drums if parked with the parking brake on, it is normal to park in one's lowest gear (often reverse) and not use the parking brake.

Tom

 

Also, it is easy to steal a car that isn't parked in gear. Just cut the cable for the parking brake and roll it away. When it's in gear, it is not so doable.

 

This is the stupidest post I've ever read. Leave it in gear and get on with it!

 

ASE Certified tech here and I agree that leaving it in gear and using the parking brake will certainly NOT damage your transmission. I once replaced an ignition switch in an old Porsche and in the process, it started up(car in reverse) and it dragged me backwards and slammed into a wall behind the car. So, i now leave the vehicles in neutral when performing ANY work on them, but i when i park them outside i put them in gear and set the ebrake.

 

i just leave it in park
;p

 

I always park in neutral and for the main reason because I have a remote start.
But on a steep parking area putting it in gear is your insurance, parking brake may not be enough and more damage or even serius injury may happen if your parking brake fails which is not uncommon specially its affected by wear. And I dont agree putting it in gear parked will damage the transmission. Some manual trannys though are better on neutral on level coz they are able to start without pressing the clutch which when a careless driver starts it on gear not pressing clutch & brake and would make the car fly either forward or back

 

I have parked every manual in gear and never had any problems. As others have stated I like the insurance incase the e brake fails. This was the only reason I declined getting a remote start.

 

One thought however - when facing down hill leave it in first NOT reverse - I don't think you end up with the same compression if the engine turns backwards as when it turns the correct direction. It would intake from the exhaust and blow it out the intake. Along the same line then when parking uphill leave it in reverse.

Being hit when in gear should apply torque to the engine and tranny mounts and still should rotate the engine - in fact you should be able to rock the vehicle and get the engine to turn over in gear. With the eBrake on there is NO give in the locked wheels and that may result in more vehicle damage by the impact. The compression leak down is interesting and I have seen that in my prior cars when parked on steep hills - that's when you need to aim it at a curb.

 

when i park on a hill I keep it in neutral and dont use the e-brake and just hope for the best.

 

you must be resting against the guy ahead of you if you have the brake off and in neutral?

 

As said earlier...If I'm on an incline - you better believe I'm parking in 1st - other than that naw, I'd rather put some extra weight on my tranny if that's the case then come back find my rear bumper smashed.

 

omg this ____es me off i hate when people park in gear i let my brother drive my car to circuit city once and i drove home and he left it in gear and when i start my car well anyone that has standard has to start it with the clutch in well i did that and i normaly let off to get my seatbelt on and situated luckyaly my parkin brake was still on cuz the car launched forwards scared the hell out of me i was like wtf i didnt put it in gear then relizing my brother drove it there and hes just sitting there laughing at me i was like uuuuuuuhhhh dude i could of creamed that car infront of mine not funny so needless to say i dont let him drive anymore

 

That's funny- I hate when people don't leave it in gear. I've been driving manuals for the last 15 years, and I have never not left one in gear (either 1st or reverse, depending on the grade of the ground and direction the car is facing).
Not that anyone else drives my car, but if they did, leaving it out of gear would be grounds for never driving it again.