Should you leave a manual in gear / auto in park on a ferry?
Discussion
It's not going to be controversial that it's sensible to leave your car with the handbrake on hard with a ferry. But is there any sense in leaving your car in neutral at the same time? The reasoning being that doing so means in really stormy seas everything rolls at once and most importantly in very high seas while all the cars would potentially bang into one another there would never be very high relative speeds. Or is that total rubbish?
I do suspect, by the way, that the car should be left in gear or left in park, depending upon the transmission. But because I've never heard any guidance about this and don't have the wherewithal to work out what is best, figured might as well ask.
I would also not be surprised if the answer changes depending upon what other people do.
I do suspect, by the way, that the car should be left in gear or left in park, depending upon the transmission. But because I've never heard any guidance about this and don't have the wherewithal to work out what is best, figured might as well ask.
I would also not be surprised if the answer changes depending upon what other people do.
I've never really given this any consideration...
I've a manual RWD car so I just apply the handbrake one click more than usual and leave it in neutral. The rear wheels are holding the car stationary.
FWD car? If you use handbrake and leave it in gear/park, you have a braking effect on all 4 wheels.
Auto RWD car- the rear wheels are braked by the handbrake anyway, so no particular benefit in using 'N' over 'P' or visa versa.
For what it's worth, I'd much rather my car remained stationary rather than 'rolling about'!
I've a manual RWD car so I just apply the handbrake one click more than usual and leave it in neutral. The rear wheels are holding the car stationary.
FWD car? If you use handbrake and leave it in gear/park, you have a braking effect on all 4 wheels.
Auto RWD car- the rear wheels are braked by the handbrake anyway, so no particular benefit in using 'N' over 'P' or visa versa.
For what it's worth, I'd much rather my car remained stationary rather than 'rolling about'!
HustleRussell said:
I've never really given this any consideration...
I've a manual RWD car so I just apply the handbrake one click more than usual and leave it in neutral. The rear wheels are holding the car stationary.
FWD car? If you use handbrake and leave it in gear/park, you have a braking effect on all 4 wheels.
Auto RWD car- the rear wheels are braked by the handbrake anyway, so no particular benefit in using 'N' over 'P' or visa versa.
For what it's worth, I'd much rather my car remained stationary rather than 'rolling about'!
Basically this. On a RWD car the handbrake and leaving in gear are operating on the same wheels, so the only reason to use the 'leave in gear' is in case your handbrake fails. And actually this is good practise.I've a manual RWD car so I just apply the handbrake one click more than usual and leave it in neutral. The rear wheels are holding the car stationary.
FWD car? If you use handbrake and leave it in gear/park, you have a braking effect on all 4 wheels.
Auto RWD car- the rear wheels are braked by the handbrake anyway, so no particular benefit in using 'N' over 'P' or visa versa.
For what it's worth, I'd much rather my car remained stationary rather than 'rolling about'!
On the FWD car it brakes both axles if you use gear and handbrake, and you've got two independant systems in case one or other fails.
In short, I can't see any justification for NOT using the park in gear function on ANY car.
Somewhatfoolish said:
It's not going to be controversial that it's sensible to leave your car with the handbrake on hard with a ferry. But is there any sense in leaving your car in neutral at the same time? The reasoning being that doing so means in really stormy seas everything rolls at once and most importantly in very high seas while all the cars would potentially bang into one another there would never be very high relative speeds. Or is that total rubbish?
Your theory would be ok if the ferry was full and the cars didn't have much room to move but if the car deck was only half full there would be a hundred metres of empty space for the cars to roll about in so there could be a fair amount of damage.When rough weather is expected trucks are chained down to the decks too to stop them moving about.
Somewhatfoolish said:
But is there any sense in leaving your car in neutral at the same time? The reasoning being that doing so means in really stormy seas everything rolls at once and most importantly in very high seas while all the cars would potentially bang into one another there would never be very high relative speeds. Or is that total rubbish?
Not comprehending the line of thought. Is there any advantage to leaving your car in neutral?
bless
The reason learners are taught to leave the car in neutral is because - most cars being FWD - it can be easily towed away by the parking gestapo! It is, however, very bad practice, and can be potentially dangerous . . .
A friend told me of a MINI demo car which was taken out by two approved driving instructors - they brought it back, and went on their way. My friend thought nothing of it for an hour or so, when he found that the car had run across the dealership car park, over a kerb, down a steep grassy slope, over a pavement, down a kerb, across a busy road, up a kerb, across another pavement, and down another grassy slope, finally coming to rest about a foot from the back wall of a large shop, without damage.
The reason? The ADIs had left the car in neutral, and as the aluminium rear calipers cooled down the handbrake released enough to let the car roll downhill! So much for teaching people good habits.
The VW Golf uses the same rear calipers, and VW issued a notice to all buyers telling them not to park in neutral as 'In cerain circumstances the handbrake may release' - I wonder how BMW dressed this one up?
A friend told me of a MINI demo car which was taken out by two approved driving instructors - they brought it back, and went on their way. My friend thought nothing of it for an hour or so, when he found that the car had run across the dealership car park, over a kerb, down a steep grassy slope, over a pavement, down a kerb, across a busy road, up a kerb, across another pavement, and down another grassy slope, finally coming to rest about a foot from the back wall of a large shop, without damage.
The reason? The ADIs had left the car in neutral, and as the aluminium rear calipers cooled down the handbrake released enough to let the car roll downhill! So much for teaching people good habits.
The VW Golf uses the same rear calipers, and VW issued a notice to all buyers telling them not to park in neutral as 'In cerain circumstances the handbrake may release' - I wonder how BMW dressed this one up?
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