Leave in gear, or not ?

[Dezzy]

Originally Posted by moltuae

weird Saabs.

Saab's are cool. Well i say that the 9000 i had was cool, not sure about the others


In gear for me.
clutch in to start regardless if i've took it out of gear, ready for selection.

[The_Laird]

Originally Posted by Lee S

my regime is get in the car, belt up, depress clutch, start engine and clutch out at same time as handbrake off.

Now, as I park in a garage, this wouldn't work! It would have a few steps added:

get in the car, belt up, depress clutch, start engine and clutch out at same time as handbrake off...reverse out of garage, stop, put handbrake on, take seat belt off, get out to close garage door.... get in the car, belt up, depress clutch, start engine and clutch out at same time as handbrake off. Realise that you're now late for work......

[Professor Peach]

Originally Posted by The_Laird

Now, as I park in a garage, this wouldn't work! It would have a few steps added:

get in the car, belt up, depress clutch, start engine and clutch out at same time as handbrake off...reverse out of garage, stop, put handbrake on, take seat belt off, get out to close garage door.... get in the car, belt up, depress clutch, start engine and clutch out at same time as handbrake off. Realise that you're now late for work......

Similar for me, get in car, belt up, foot on brake, start car, select reverse, release handbrake, reverse out of garage, press 'close garage door' button, drive off! So much easier

I do however always leave the wife's car out of gear as I know she never uses such a ritual although she main learn as her current vehicle, you can't start without the clutch fully pressed in!

Where we used to live, we did have a 'parked car' try to get through the wall of our house, but fortunately a 150yr old house was much much stronger than an old Citroen (aren't most things).

[snapdragon]

I usually leave manuals in a gear but sometimes don't on the flat such as in a carpark. When I was 18, my car rolled down the hill on my street during the night and luckily it didn't hit anything or anyone and nobody noticed. It was quite some distance about 8-9 detatched houses away and stopped because the tyres had gently rubbed along the kerb. After that, I always leave in gear.

Some manuals will not allow it to crank without pressing the clutch and display a message similar to how our say press the brake.

[pete-p]

Where's the poll..!

I always used to leave mine in gear, it's much safer than just relying on the handbrake, also if I was parked for a while I probably wouldn't use the handbrake as it used to seize.

After reading somewhere that putting the clutch in to start takes some strain off the starter I've always clutched in before starting, and usually checked it's in neutral or know which gear it's in!

[Turbo Tony]

I always start a manual car with the clutch down but very rarely leave it in gear when parked.

That doesn't stop me making sure it's in neutral before starting though.

[paulrstaylor]

It depends.......

When i drove a manual car regularly I'd be a "in gear and clutch to start" guy habitually, but I guess I've been spoiled a but with auto boxes.

I still have an S4 manual, with that used to leave it in gear with the handbrake off, as it can stand for a while so as to not have the brakes stick.

Then one day I went out to it expecting the battery to be dead, no idea what came over me but I put the key in and turned it (think I was used to the A8/auto) whilst sat next to the car........ yes it did start, and off it went down the drive straight toward my A8. I literally dived in head first and applied the brake with my hand (as in the middle pedal) luckily with enough force to stall it, got out to realise I had about three inches to spare before a very difficult insurance claim form.

Since then I have avoided it, still leave it without the handbrake sometimes but rely on a level gravel drive rather than 1st gear.


Edited to say - I hope the damage was minimal

[moltuae]

Forgot to add: I always depress the clutch in a manual too. Partly because it lessens the load on the starter motor but also, as Lee points out, why not? ... you need to depress the clutch to put it into 1st/reverse gear anyway.

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Saab's are cool. Well i say that the 9000 i had was cool, not sure about the others

I agree. I didn't mean they're weird in a bad way. I like weird, that's why my car ownership history contains various hydropneumatic Citroens.

Funnily thing is, most of the work done on my S8 is done by an independent Saab specialist, mainly because the garage is local, the owner is a customer and friend of mine, he's a very good mechanic who I trust, and also because I used to get to drive some of his weird Saabs while mine was in for repair.

Of course with Saabs on the decrease now he's moved on to other vehicle makes .... mainly Audi, thanks to me

[homer simpson]

Manual gearbox, never put it in gear unless on a hill or I know the handbrake is weak

On my auto gearbox, I never used to use the handbrake but I know park on a slight incline so have got into the habit of using it

[tonupkid]

Manual. Always in gear, steering positioned to kerb, handbrake on, clutch in to start
Auto. Always use park and handbrake. (Handbrakes tend to seize when underused.)


Cars in the 60's had effective handbrakes, working on rear drums. Later cars have the difficulties, with the introduction of rear disk brakes. And Citroen's in particular. When their suspension settled the handbrake cable would slacken off.