Manual car owners: Do you leave car in gear or neutral when park?

JohnnyDaJackal · 11-03-05, 02:25

I kinda have two questions; one regarding my title and one a diagnosis...

Just as my title asks, i'm wondering if manual car owner's leave their car in gear when park or if they leave it in neutral? Is there any reason why I should pick one over the other? I know for steep hills it should be left in gear, but what about normal flat ground? Would leaving my car in gear cause any problems to it?

Reason I ask is, is for the past two weeks i've been consistenly leaving my car in first gear when I park. I usually would keep it in neutral when I parked at home, but i've just gotten into the habit of leaving it in gear. Anyway today I was driving to school and was gradually rolling down a hill in neutral as the light turned green was unable to get my car in first gear. It had like a tolerance, so I quickly threw it in 2nd and was OK. I just though I was going to fast to put it in first and kinda disregard it.

Then about 10 mins. later i'm at a red light, and the light turns green, I go to put my car in first and the same thing happens. It won't let me go into first. I quickly moved the shifter to 2nd then back into 1st, and it went in, but now i'm wondering what the hell is going on? It didn't seem that cold, I know we've definately had colder mornings; and this was about half way during my commute, so I think everything was warmed up by then. I also have had a similiar problem like this with reverse, it won't go into gear, had to move shifter in and out of gear, and finally it would go completely in gear. What do you guys think is wrong with my clutch? If this happens again, I think i'm going to bring it to the dealer, and hopefully they can fix it. I'm just dreading going there because who knows what scraches and swirls my car will have afterwards, not to mention the way they treat customer's cars isn't to impressive.

I though it was kinda strange though that ever since I started parking my car in first, this happens; I do doubt this is the cause of problem though, but its what sparked my first question.

Steve530 · 11-03-05, 02:46

I always leave my car in gear when I park it. I always set the parking brake first. Then I put it in first gear, unless the car is pointed down a hill then I put it in reverse.

This should not create a problem with the transmission.

When I roll to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign, I shift into first before I stop then move the selector to neutral. It's easier to get it into gear when the car is moving. After the gears have meshed and the car is stopped, it is easy to get it back into gear.

SpoiledMan · 11-03-05, 02:48

I always leave my car in gear as an extra measure. I have also never had the problem that you seem to be having in a repeatable nature. It has happened on a few occasions but not common at all. I'd take it to the dealer and see if I could duplicate it for them.

4830Deuce · 11-03-05, 02:50

Old Skoolers leave their car in gear

...these days your parking brake will do just fine... I use just my parking brake....

-Justin

Black240SX · 11-03-05, 02:52

I leave it in neutral, unless I'm on a hill.

HRP · 11-03-05, 03:04

I and my 3 sons and my son in law all have and drive straight transmission cars. We all use the parking brake and leave the car in gear, usually 1st; and angle the wheels toward the curb (depending on whether the car is facing up hill or down).

What kind of car do you have? (and the engine type), My sons are all mechanical whizzes, and I'll bet one of them will have an explaination for your shifting problem.

Migraine · 11-03-05, 03:23

Your first and reverse gears probably don't have synchromesh.

Synchro is what lets the gears connect together. The gearbox is a really simple box with two shafts - one from the engine and one connected to the wheels.

At your red light, the engine shaft was turning slowly, and the wheel shaft was not moving. Obviously, the shafts aren't connected together through any gears as you were in neutral. As you tried to put it in first, you were basically trying to connect together two shafts of differing speed. You don't have synchromesh on first, hence the problem.

Its normal, and not caused by your parking in first

JohnnyDaJackal · 11-03-05, 03:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by HRP

I and my 3 sons and my son in law all have and drive straight transmission cars. We all use the parking brake and leave the car in gear, usually 1st; and angle the wheels toward the curb (depending on whether the car is facing up hill or down).

What kind of car do you have? (and the engine type), My sons are all mechanical whizzes, and I'll bet one of them will have an explaination for your shifting problem.

I own a 2002 Acura RSX (base model, not Type S) the engine is 2.0L

JohnnyDaJackal · 11-03-05, 03:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Migraine

Your first and reverse gears probably don't have synchromesh.

Synchro is what lets the gears connect together. The gearbox is a really simple box with two shafts - one from the engine and one connected to the wheels.

At your red light, the engine shaft was turning slowly, and the wheel shaft was not moving. Obviously, the shafts aren't connected together through any gears as you were in neutral. As you tried to put it in first, you were basically trying to connect together two shafts of differing speed. You don't have synchromesh on first, hence the problem.

Its normal, and not caused by your parking in first

It still seems wrong to me. I've shifted from neutral to 1st from a complete stop many times and never had this problem.

Amused · 11-03-05, 03:44

engaged and with ebrake always.

White95Max · 11-03-05, 04:07

I do both. I leave it in gear with the parking brake engaged if I'm on an incline, but most of the time I leave it in neutral with the parking brake engaged.

I used to have that neutral-to-first problem with the Maxima when sitting at a stoplight. I haven't had the problem yet with the Protege. A couple times I'll be unable to shift it into reverse when I first turn it on in the morning, and all I have to do is let the clutch out, push it back in, and all is well. I had regular tranny fluid in the Max, and I have Valvoline SuperSyn in the Protege. I don't think that would make a difference though.

Quickstrike · 11-03-05, 04:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by White95Max

I do both. I leave it in gear with the parking brake engaged if I'm on an incline, but most of the time I leave it in neutral with the parking brake engaged.

I used to have that neutral-to-first problem with the Maxima when sitting at a stoplight. I haven't had the problem yet with the Protege. A couple times I'll be unable to shift it into reverse when I first turn it on in the morning, and all I have to do is let the clutch out, push it back in, and all is well. I had regular tranny fluid in the Max, and I have Valvoline SuperSyn in the Protege. I don't think that would make a difference though.

Yeah, that's what I have to do w/ my older car sometimes too. Release the clutch slightly, push it back in and then it goes into first gear easily.

Also, are you guys just too lazy to hold the clutch in and leave the car in first when stopped at a light? Sometimes I just do that instead of putting it in neutral. Usually go from 4 or 3rd gear to 2nd.. stop.. then put it into 1st and hold (unless I know I will be waiting long).