[user828]

WRONG WAY TO PARK YOUR CAR THAT WILL DAMAGE YOUR GEAR BOX

A wrong way to park an automatic transmission car can damage the gearbox and send you looking for a replacement sooner than is expected. This is a common mistake many drivers make on regular basis without knowing it. When the car is stopped many people push directly from D to P then apply the handbrake and turn off the engine. This parking is not correct. Pushing directly into the P gear puts the stress of the whole car on the P locking hole not on the handbrake. If you continue to do this for a long time, this will damage your gearbox.

The correct method is when the car is stopped, first push to the N gear and then apply the handbrake so that the force point of the car is on the handbrake. Next, push to the P gear then turn off the engine.

I am aware many of us don't know this and have been gradually damaging our vehicle gearbox without knowing it

*NB Been doing it the wrong way and always wondered why it was hard to shift the lever from park afterwards, it would make a sound like something is broken.

 

[AccorDokken]

 

[Hudouc]

I do the push into N, then handbrake, then P more often than not. But the only time that I see a real benefit with that method is when I'm parking on a hill, I make sure to let the parking brake take the force first, then the parking pawl as a the failsafe to avoid that horrific clunk from the pawl when I move it out of P.

If it was truly that damaging, they won't have designed it like that. It only really preserve the life of the parking pawl, and those things aren't exactly known to fail.

 

[Cepega]

I demand concrete proof. I am so tired of people coming in here and just firing off if you don't do this or that, then that and that's horrible for your car and what not.

 

[mtts60]

My car has made it 221,000 miles by putting the thing in P, setting the hand brake (with my foot still on the brake pedal) and getting out.

Clearly, my transmission will fall out of the car tomorrow because I'm "doing it wrong".

 

[Cepega]

Perhaps a specific page in owners manual would be a good reference to start off with.

My car has made it 221,000 miles by putting the thing in P, setting the hand brake (with my foot still on the brake pedal) and getting out.

Clearly, my transmission will fall out of the car tomorrow because I'm "doing it wrong".

Why wait until tomorrow, go check out now, it may have worked its way out already and ran away.

 

[DARKART]

Nah

 

[slimm1469]

OP thanks for your courtesy. That's probably a good thing for hilly terrain. I usually pull the handbrake first before using P.

 

[emeron]

Many of us do know it. Lean the car on the parking brake, not the parking pawl. Although the article is a fine example of fear mongery click baiting, so points for that. The damage is not cumulative, it's either broken or not, but it still makes me cringe when I see a bro throw his truck on the transmission, and the vehicle bounces on the pawl 3 times before finally settling down.

Next: Water. Wet? Click to find out!

 

[03LXV6]

Most people I know with automatics do not use the parking brake. I guess any damage that is caused is slower than the useful life of the car because I don't see the masses with failed transmissions for that reason.

I personally always use my parking brake after going to P with my foot still on the brake. I don't see the reason to go to neutral first unless you are doing so without your foot on the brake. Like others have mentioned, it really an issue on hills. On flat surfaces the car won't roll onto the parking pawl anyway.

 

[emeron]

...
On flat surfaces the car won't roll onto the parking pawl anyway.

The only time I have seen this being an issue on a flat surface is with parallel parking situations in tight spaces. City folks will force their 2-ton SUVs in tight spaces by pushing the other cars, and the parking pawl takes all of the force. The horrors these eyes have witnessed... That's why city cars have either bumpers pockmarked like the cratered surface of the moon, or some
eyesore bumper protector.

 

[03LXV6]

Oh yes the city parking. Hitting the cars is the only way to know you're far enough into the spot.

 

[UnknownJinX]

Most people I know with automatics do not use the parking brake. I guess any damage that is caused is slower than the useful life of the car because I don't see the masses with failed transmissions for that reason.

This. How cute of whoever wrote this assume people even know what a handbrake is. I think automotive engineers probably take into account the fact that most people(who drive an auto) won't use the parking brake.

What I do with automatics now is just brake to a stop at the parking spot, pull the parking brake and then shift into P. That's it. I don't see the need to put the trans into N even if you want to be careful.

Sent from GM1917, technology or something like that.

 

[373308]

From the 2008 Honda Accord Owner's Manual, page 289:

"If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, set the parking brake before you put the transmission in Park. This keeps the vehicle from moving and putting pressure on the parking mechanism in the transmission."

 

[Hudouc]

From the 2008 Honda Accord Owner's Manual, page 289:

"If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, set the parking brake before you put the transmission in Park. This keeps the vehicle from moving and putting pressure on the parking mechanism in the transmission."

Holy S***

Lol, really should've actually read the owner's manual

 

[Cepega]

Can we get a quote from owners manual for 9th gen and not 8th.

 

[Hudouc]

9th gen:

10th gen:

7th gen:

6th gen:

Do I need to go further back?

 

[Cepega]

9th gen:
View attachment 527314

10th gen:
View attachment 527315

7th gen:
View attachment 527316

6th gen:
View attachment 527317

Do I need to go further back?

Sure the more data we have the more accurate conclusion we'll get.

 

[373308]

Regardless of gen, Honda has been advising the same during the last 30 years.

From the 1990 Accord Sedan Owner's Manual, page 62:

"After parking your car: Apply the parking brake and shift to first gear if equipped with manual transmission, or PARK on automatic transmission equipped cars."

Owner's Manuals

 

[flyromeo3]

This has been a thing since the late 90's. Surprised its 2021 and people are just discovering this