Long term parking my Automatic on an incline

[mdb55]

I'm after some advice please....

After 30+ years of driving manual gearbox cars, Im just about to take delivery of my first automatic. What's the best position to park up an automatic on an incline over a prolonged period, for my particular situation please?

The details:
- This car will not be my daily runner, it will sit on the driveway for at least a week at a time, in winter months this can easily extend to 6-8 weeks between runs
- The driveway is a on a slight upward incline
- On previous (manual) cars used in ths way, the main problem I had was the brakes binding to the pads. This was easily solved by parking up in first gear, and NOT applying the parking brake.
- As an additional measure I'm able to drop one of the front wheels into a 1/2 inch dip just off the front of the driveway. That simple step down alone takes most of the weight, and the car struggles to move forward or backwards on it's own as a result. But I'd rather not 100% rely on it. I also chock one of the rear wheels to give me a 3rd independent way of stopping the car rolling backwards, but again dont want to rely on the chock alone (some day, somebody will move it when they shouldn't).

So in this case, should I park up in P, N, D or R?

N seems a bad idea. I don't think D or R will be options? All the advice I've read says don't rely on the parking pawl in P (Park) mode, apply the handbrake (which I want to avoid). But I think it wll be my best/only option?

Advice welcomed.

[mdb55]

Thanks CABC. Good advice, reminder to me to not load up the parking pawl initially when P is first engaged.

Luckily the wheel dip is enough to take most of the strain, so I think I can drive into the dip - into N and add parking brake - add the chock - into P - engine off - then parking brake off. Adding the 2nd chock is also easy.

Cheers.

Edited by mdb55 on Monday 23 October 21:49

[mdb55]

Thanks all, appreciate the advice.

I've previously tried plastic chocks, but found them to be a bit useless, have since gone with more sturdy/weighty rubber ones. Bolting them down isn't an option for me.

And it's keyless, so no issue with key removal/placing in P (...but just a different issue in needing a faraday pouch for the key).

[mdb55]

sunbeam alpine said:

If it's a new or reasonably modern car, won't it apply the parking brake automatically anyway?

Brand new. I'll tell you when it turns up, but I dont think it does apply it automatically

[mdb55]

Thanks. it's a Porsche 992.1. Seems to be mixed reports as to whether the parking brake is auto engaged when P selected or not, and no reports on a MY24 model yet.

[mdb55]

Snow and Rocks said:

Out of interest, has anyone had any issues with a modern electric handbrake sticking if the vehicle was parked up for a while?

Hi. In short yes, on two of my cars I've had the pads stick to the discs a bit (though thankfully not bind). It's part of the reason I started the thread, but given some of the replies you'd be easily forgiven for missing that fact.

healeyneil said:

Has anyone in the history of motoring ever had a problem with damage caused to an automatic gearbox be leaving it in park ?

I guess that depends on some people's loose definition of gearbox. I've seen several references to broken parking pawls, especially when the vehicle is left in Park but not using the parking brake when on an incline.

[mdb55]

TarquinMX5 said:

I have. A colleague broke the 'park' pawl on his company Granada (yes, a few years ago), by selecting Park shortly before the vehicle was stationary He didn't do it again.

Ouch...that's pretty much the guaranteed way of breaking a parking pawl.