What gear do you put the car in when you park?

I put her in first.

first gear if I'm on an incline and reverse if I'm on a decline.

first gear if I'm on an incline and reverse if I'm on a decline.

exactly...someone want to change the poll :)

exactly...someone want to change the poll :)
what should i change it to?

what gear do you put your car in on flat ground?

when the car is flat... i put my ebrake up

if there is a slight incline or a slight decline i stick it in either first or reverse

what should i change it to?

what gear do you put your car in on flat ground?

usually first...but is really doesn't matter first or reverse is fine

it is easier to put it in first that is why I do it :p

always e-brake no matter what

yeah... this is my first MTX car, and i've heard different theories about 1st or reverse... i was just curious

I live in Florida. The highest point in the state is a bridge. Neutral here...

Also, if you park on a steep incline it doesnt hurt to turn the front wheels.

General rule is to use the lowest gear for parking. Reverse is definitely ok. I use first gear always no matter on incline or level. Always pull up the parking brake first, before letting out the clutch so the brakes do the holding. Leaving it in gear is just a safety in case the P-brake fails.

General rule is to use the lowest gear for parking. Reverse is definitely ok. I use first gear always no matter on incline or level. Always pull up the parking brake first, before letting out the clutch so the brakes do the holding. Leaving it in gear is just a safety in case the P-brake fails.

General rule is to use the lowest gear for parking. Reverse is definitely ok. I use first gear always no matter on incline or level. Always pull up the parking brake first, before letting out the clutch so the brakes do the holding. Leaving it in gear is just a safety in case the P-brake fails.

Yep, ditto 6speed8......first gear. Usually, I stop, pull up the e-brake, rev it to about 5k, shut it off, then release the clutch.

On an incline (nose higher than tail) reverse gear should be used. On a decline first gear should be used. On a non-rotary engine, you don't ever want it to turn opposite from the normal running direction. Selecting the wrong gear when parked on a hill could cause that to happen.

Neither, Im in FL too so I have always placed it in N...I actually get ticked if someone leaves (in my past cars) my car in 1st.

E-Break and turning the wheel is the method I use but if the incline or decline is really bad then, like he said:

first gear if I'm on an incline and reverse if I'm on a decline.

The Florida crowd sticks together! I, too, place the car in neutral and pull up firmly on the e-brake (though not too hard, I wouldn't want it to break). The e-brake seems to hold the car just fine down here.

On an incline (nose higher than tail) reverse gear should be used. On a decline first gear should be used. On a non-rotary engine, you don't ever want it to turn opposite from the normal running direction. Selecting the wrong gear when parked on a hill could cause that to happen.

:confused: Can someone explain in more detail?

currently i use

first gear if I'm on an incline and reverse if I'm on a decline.

The big question is, which way do you turn your tires when parked on a hill, facing uphill, when there's a curb?

Shocar:

What the HECK are you going on about? I was taught to always put a 'normal' engine car in First gear if facing up hill, and in reverse if facing down hill. I believe our province's driver instruction manuals even state the same thing.

Even the aussies say the same thing (http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/licence_information/dcs_unit1.html) (last point on page).

Saskatchewan, same thing (http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/drivered/incarls8.html) (search for brake, it'll be in the section about parking).

This article indicates you ALWAYS put it in reverse (http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1997/August/04.html) (no matter which way the car is pointed).

Louisiana teaches up=first, down = reverse (http://www.salsburg.com/Driver/Chapter4.html).

Neither, Im in FL too so I have always placed it in N...I actually get ticked if someone leaves (in my past cars) my car in 1st.

E-Break and turning the wheel is the method I use but if the incline or decline is really bad then, like he said:

Why would you be ticked? It's always safer to keep it in gear when parked... if the ebrake ever fails or isn't engaged enough, do you want to find your car banged up in the middle of a parking lot? I lived in Florida for 20 years and I've seen plenty of parking lots with valleys in the middle for drainage... my buddy once came out of the office to find his Integra 20 feet from his parking spot after it slowly rolled away... he was fortunate it didn't bang into anybody else's car.

The Florida crowd sticks together! I, too, place the car in neutral and pull up firmly on the e-brake (though not too hard, I wouldn't want it to break). The e-brake seems to hold the car just fine down here.


Yeah, the biggest hill in Fl is an overpass :D

I was "trained" to use 1st gear. Logically though, I'd think the highest gear would give the most "staying" power as it would be harder to turn the engine with the lower torque. Ah well, 1st has always been good enough, and too late to change now... :)

The big question is, which way do you turn your tires when parked on a hill, facing uphill, when there's a curb?

Shocar:

What the HECK are you going on about? I was taught to always put a 'normal' engine car in First gear if facing up hill, and in reverse if facing down hill. I believe our province's driver instruction manuals even state the same thing.




Yes, shocar, I think you may typed it backwards- there's no point in putting a car facing up a hill in reverse- that's just going to encourage it to roll backwards if the handbrake for some reason fails(not that the gear will catch it, necessarily, if it's a steep hill, but it may help on less of an incline). And vice-versa for the car facing down a hill.

I edited the poll for the two above options.

Yeah, the biggest hill in Fl is an overpass :D


I think officially the high point is a landfill outside of Orlando :D

I live in Florida. The highest point in the state is a bridge. Neutral here...

@Aurelius:

Good luck with that attitude. I parked mine on a flat parking lot and apparantly the wind was strong enough to overcome the parking brake.

There have been several threads on this board finding that the parking brake is exceptionally weak on the -8 mostly concluding that we (who relied on the P-brake and left it in neutral) were idiots.

Take a look here:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=31420

and check out the pictures of the "incline"
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20875

And this is the thread where some people were made fun at:

("..For Those Born Without A Brain..")

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=54993

However, something good came out. rotaryjoe explained how we can easily adjust our parking brake:

"Hey guys sorry for the post if someone already said it but there is an adjustment just inside the center console, top right corner there is a piece of plastic you pop out and there is a screw or something u can adjust to make the brake stronger. just my .02 cents."

it depends on your car how strong your e-brake is.

mine's really strong. I can stop on a steep hill and just engage the e-brake and then put it in neutral and release the normal brake and it'll hold. even then i still put it in gear (though i have forgotten it a few times, by accident though).

i don't see why you wouldn't though. it's just a secondary precaution. doesn't hurt (unless you forget to shift into neutral and release the clutch after you start your car) since it'll only come into effect if your e-brake fails. and if my e-brake fails i'd rather have it stop and put pressure on the gear than roll away.

the other thing is make sure you push your brake down all the way while pulling up your e-brake. that might make it engage better.

Why would you be ticked?

Because since I don’t do it when I start my car (previous cars) without realizing it’s in 1st I get jerked to death and the engine shuts off. That’s not good for me or the car (let alone the embarrassment factor involved) so that’s why I get ticked.

I have almost have never heard of the E-Break failing on people who use it to park. Heck…if it can’t hold the car when parked how the heck is it going to save me in a emergency situation? I think the problem is more with people who did not pull up far enough or correctly causing the E-Break to fail.

Most parking situations here in FL are (depending on area) on a level surface with no curb (store parking lots) so putting it in 1st or reverse wont help you much because the car (IF) it’s going to start rolling can go either way.

Note: Wind moving cars is what I'm talking about not one side has more of an incline than the other because if it did then you would prepare the car for that.

With that said, maybe I’m trusting the E-Break too much but I am just not real worried about it. I've been driving stick for about 10 years and none of them has ever let me down.I hope those are not my famous last words but I just have faith in the E-Break…LOL.

I’m too old to change now…LOL…just playing, I might start trying leaving it in a gear…hmmmm….

I think officially the high point is a landfill outside of Orlando.

This is true…but if you take SR-50 towards Tampa from Orlando there are a few nice hills…lol

You've been driving stick for 10 years and you don't check if the car is in neutral when you get in?

Because since I don’t do it when I start my car (previous cars) without realizing it’s in 1st I get jerked to death and the engine shuts off. That’s not good for me or the car (let alone the embarrassment factor involved) so that’s why I get ticked.

Well, most if not all modern cars have ignition interlocks via a switch on the clutch, so they can't be started without the clutch being pressed... so that's not an issue anymore. I learned on cars without this feature (70's mannys), so the first thing I do is move the stick into neutral before starting... I guess it's just habit. Believe me, you don't want to trust your beloved '8 to just the e-brake... it's always a good idea to put a manual in the gear opposite the direction it *might* roll... just in case.

I only use the e-brake 'cause, again, I'm in florida. It's mostly flat, when I do park on an incline I'll turn the wheels.

Speaking of rolling backwards... my last car was a 10 year old Honda Accord. I lived in WA state. My driveway was on a hill, and the street was steep as well. One day I came home for lunch, laid down to take a nap, woke up to someone honking their horn. A minute later there was a knock at my door. It was a neighbor who said, "Would you mind getting your car out of the street?"

I moved the car and we had a good laugh. When I got in the brake was pulled up, but I guess it wasn't enough that day. I had the brake looked at and sure enough it had failed. Of course, it was 10 years old and had over 160k on it. :o

I don't think being 10 years old with 160K means that an e-brake isn't powerful, Labop. I had an '86 accord before my 8 and it had a much better e-brake. You could actually pull it going around corners and it would grip ;)

Yes, the 8's e-brake is a PIECE OF SHIT. It looks like it's up when it's not. It's WEAK. And it stays up when it's cold out (you floridians don't need to worry about this, I guess).

You've been driving stick for 10 years and you don't check if the car is in neutral when you get in?

Bad habit I guess...but after feeling that jerk, I've learned my lesson. I check now and I teach my wife to check it too. At the time, I never checked it because it was my car and I would always leave it in N.

Could it still happen...yeah, but hopefully I'll remember to check it always.

FL people's logo...

"In E-Break we trust" LOL

You see what you all have done, now I'm worried about it...lol

With the nose uphill and the car in reverse, if the car rollls the engine will spin in its' normal direction. With the car in 1st, the engine will spin in the un-nornal direction would it not? With an ovehead cam engine the timing chain would possibly allow a slip if turned the wrong way. Of course the engine being in gear will resist rolling, but nevertheless you don't ever want it to spin the wrong way.

edit5:

thinking aloud here... (never say I'm not open to new ideas)...

Car in first, rolling forward, engine turning forward.

Car in reverse, rolling backwards, engine turning forward.

Car stopped in first facing up a hill, starts to roll backwards, engine goes backwards.

Car stopped in reverse, facing up a hill, starts to roll backward, engine goes forwards.

Car stopped in first facing down a hill, starts to roll forward, engine goes forward.

Car stopped in reverse, facing down a hill, starts to roll forward, engine goes in reverse.

K, shocar's making sense, especially when he adds the bit about timing chains being thrown for a loop (even though probably not very likely, as they'd still be following a set path with no change in tension etc), but still doesn't explain why more people aren't commenting about this... ie: there's been no safety warning come out through the various vehicle licensing people from the countries and states around the world.

My '98 Civic has to be in reverse when I'm on a hill regardless of whether it's an incline or decline. It will still roll if I put it in a forward gear, and this is confirmed by the car's manual.

My RX8 seems to be fine in 1st, but I still put it in reverse out of habit when I'm on a hill.

edit5:

thinking aloud here... (never say I'm not open to new ideas)...

Car in first, rolling forward, engine turning forward.

Car in reverse, rolling backwards, engine turning forward.

Car stopped in first facing up a hill, starts to roll backwards, engine goes backwards.

Car stopped in reverse, facing up a hill, starts to roll backward, engine goes forwards.

Car stopped in first facing down a hill, starts to roll forward, engine goes forward.

Car stopped in reverse, facing down a hill, starts to roll forward, engine goes in reverse.

K, shocar's making sense, especially when he adds the bit about timing chains being thrown for a loop (even though probably not very likely, as they'd still be following a set path with no change in tension etc), but still doesn't explain why more people aren't commenting about this... ie: there's been no safety warning come out through the various vehicle licensing people from the countries and states around the world.

At least that's one thing we rotary owners don't have to worry about (timing chain, cams, etc) :D

i actually don't put it in gear or use the e brake when i put it in my garage cause there's a nice dip that holds my car in place=) god knows what would happen if there's an earthquake!

i voted wrong by accident i meant
'First for nose uphill, Reverse nose facing downhill.'

first gear if I'm on an incline and reverse if I'm on a decline.
ditto

@Aurelius:

Good luck with that attitude. I parked mine on a flat parking lot and apparantly the wind was strong enough to overcome the parking brake.

There have been several threads on this board finding that the parking brake is exceptionally weak on the -8 mostly concluding that we (who relied on the P-brake and left it in neutral) were idiots.

Take a look here:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=31420

and check out the pictures of the "incline"
http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20875

I think you had the misfortune of having a hand/emergency brake that was out of adjustment. I hope the situation came out OK for you.

Here's some thoughts I have on hand/e-brake operation:

I've learned one key issue with operating a hand brake is probably a good idea in ANY car: RELIEVE THE STRESS on the brake actuator by firmly depressing the brake pedal before and during the hand brake application:
- firmly depress brake pedal
- slowly, but firmly engage the hand brake
- release the brake pedal

In many e-brake actuator designs, the springs can be easily overwhelmed by the leverage the hand brake lever exerts. Classic case was the 93-97 Probe/MX6/626 design (I drove a 93 PGT for 11 years -- I know this first hand...). The e-brake design on those cars was particularly fragile -- very strong, actually, but the actuator could seize under excessive load. If you weren't careful, and if you weren't paying attention, you could easily cook a rear rotor from a seized e-brake that you didn't notice... When I replaced all the calipers (at 130K miles), the e-brake hadn't functioned properly in over two years. The guy who built the calipers taught me about the design and the solution -- noproblemo after that.

The other thing to keep in mind is the fact that an e-brake that isn't used at least occasionally will have a tendency to either seize or refuse to engage properly. As an aside, it's kinda like the fact that it's always a good idea to run the A/C for at least a few minutes, at least once a week -- it conditions the seals and lubes the system.

The moral: use the right technique and exercise the equipment regularly -- you'll be confident it'll work when you need it, and it'll last longer -- good advice in general :D

I'm still not certain why people would put their car in reverse on an incline, and vice versa. I challenge you to try it on an incline (nose facing hill) ... put your car in reverse and see if it moves ... it will!!

Blue:

I was actually interested in that yesterday, and did a lot of googling about it. That one article I linked claimed that Reverse was ALWAYS the best gear because what you want is the highest gear ratio to keep it from moving.

Well, I tried experimenting today with my gear in reverse on an incline (nose facing up). Let go of the e-brake and ooops! I start rolling BACK! On the same incline, FIRST gear stopped the rollback. Now do you still want to put your gear in REVERSE on an incline?

Are you sure the reverse gear was fully engaged? Often when the engine isn't running it doesn't catch all the way. Regardless, you're probably right about using 1st in this car.

I'm a man of science. I repeated the REVERSE rollback a few times. I'm fairly certain the reverse gear was engaged and that it was not in neutral. Repeating the results that many times says that either I'm right or that I must really suck at putting the car in reverse. I'm fairly certain it's the former.

I'm a man of science. I repeated the REVERSE rollback a few times. I'm fairly certain the reverse gear was engaged and that it was not in neutral. Repeating the results that many times says that either I'm right or that I must really suck at putting the car in reverse. I'm fairly certain it's the former.


I trust Blue...really people this car is not like others...I'll test this out for further validation tomorrow but it will probably be a waste of time

I trust Blue...really people this car is not like others...I'll test this out for further validation tomorrow but it will probably be a waste of time

You're right - it's not like other cars... I've read that rotaries have a lot less resistance to moving while engaged than a piston engine, so this does make sense.

Well thats all I needed to know. From now on I'll be only using 1st gear when I'm parked on a hill.

Nuetral w/Parking Brake. Unless on a hill, then I will put it in 1st.