Parking brake reminder / warning

[Shadow]

cough## ever started a car in 1st without clutching in?? cough##

I've only owned one car in my life that was capable of starting without the clutch disengaged.

[AHTOXA]

I did that once in an old civic. Started in gear with clutch up. Oops.

[shiftmate]

After the engine is off, I'll usually just pop the shift lever into gear without stepping on the clutch.

You don't need to clutch in to move the shifter if the engine is off?

[scionkid]

Generally not. However the gears may not be in aligned so you cannot always shift into the gear you want. Just don't force it in if it doesn't want to go in

[Shadow]

After the engine is off, I'll usually just pop the shift lever into gear without stepping on the clutch.

You don't need to clutch in to move the shifter if the engine is off?

Nope. The shifter will slip into gear without using the clutch.

[Reverence]

cough## ever started a car in 1st without clutching in?? cough##

I've only owned one car in my life that was capable of starting without the clutch disengaged.

I know most cars are build with this kind of protection nowadays. Some aren't, my Peugeot isn't.

What happens when you do start in 1st without clutching in is: The car jerks forward by itself for 2-4 meters, depending on how much torque you got. Could be even more dangerous than what could occur when not parking in gear.

[Tups]

Cranking on 1st is what you're supposed to do when your car dies in the middle of a railroad crossing...

[tankinbeans]

I usually roll into my parking spots in 2nd, it's really good at creeping, and then pull up on the parking brake. Once fully stopped with the parking brake engaged I'll either go into 1st or reverse, depending on which direction I'll want to go.

The other day, though, I took my mom for a very brief lesson; she wants to learn how to move my car out of the driveway in case I ever leave it by mistake and go out with friends. Long story short I left the parking brake fully engaged when I reversed out of the driveway. There were noises and goofiness, but I didn't think anything of it. Then I look down and saw the warning light and the lever. I felt like a dolt.

[bk7794]

I did that once in an old civic. Started in gear with clutch up. Oops.

Its strange that my car (91) has a clutch interlock switch, and some guy working on an integra (92) and it didn't have the interlock switch...

[pmacutay]

Its strange that my car (91) has a clutch interlock switch, and some guy working on an integra (92) and it didn't have the interlock switch...

95 Golf here without a clutch interlock. I think they went all the way up until 1998 till the 4th generation came out to put a clutch interlock in.

[tankinbeans]

cough## ever started a car in 1st without clutching in?? cough##

I've only owned one car in my life that was capable of starting without the clutch disengaged.

I've had a few of those, but they've usually had a weird shift pattern. PRND321.

[Squint]

cough## ever started a car in 1st without clutching in?? cough##

I've only owned one car in my life that was capable of starting without the clutch disengaged.

I've had a few of those, but they've usually had a weird shift pattern. PRND321.

That's strange, the ones that I have seen were labeled PRND32L. You have such strange vehicles there...

[bk7794]

That's strange, the ones that I have seen were labeled PRND32L. You have such strange vehicles there...

One of the cars that I have driven goes PRNDD1 The first D is small with a circle around it, so its overdrive..but at first I was confused haha

[PaintDrinkingPete]

With the exception of one, I've always owned manual transmission vehicles, and I always leave it in 1st when parked and apply the parking brake...just force of habit, even on level ground.

With one car I owned ('91 MR2 Turbo), the E-brake would always get stuck when temps dropped below 20 F...so I always had to remember during the winter to try to park as level as possible and not engage the e-brake.

If you're on a hill, here's my routine: put vehicle in position, turn front wheels, apply parking brake (let off standard brake and allow car to "settle")...reapply standard brake, put car in gear, shut off motor.

Every other vehicle I've owned has been a Toyota truck, and they can start without the clutch depressed, but only if you press a button to allow it. I tried it once on my '86 pickup, and it definitively gives you quite a jolt...the reason that feature is built in to Toyota trucks is to assist in getting out of "tight situations" off-roading...and I understand why!