Leaving handbrake on or leaving transmission in park
Discussion
I have a new 530d (auto) which needs to be positioned very accurately in my garage to leave enough space behind it. I find that if I put the transmission in Park and don't apply the handbrake the car can roll back a coupe of inches, which is enough to cause a problem. In the past I've always left my (smaller and manual) cars in gear when in the garage rather than use the handbrake to avoid stretching the cables or straining the mechanism but obviously this is not possible now. Will leaving the electronic handbrake on for long periods have any ill effects? Opinions / experiences please.
An electric handbrake is a handbrake.
Don’t worry about cable stretching - my car is a 60 reg F10 535d and still doesn’t need replacement handbrake cables.
One thing if your letting be car rest in the P MODs of the gearbox you’ll likely notice a clunk when you put it back into R or D or S from the P position - that REALLY isn’t good. There is a potential it can snap off which means gearbox our and opened up to find and then replace that part / if your lucky if not the gearbox is ruined with a chunk of metal loose in the box with all those moving parts.
When stopping to get out of my car I always put electric handbrake on first let the car settle and then put it into P via the gearbox.
Don’t worry about cable stretching - my car is a 60 reg F10 535d and still doesn’t need replacement handbrake cables.
One thing if your letting be car rest in the P MODs of the gearbox you’ll likely notice a clunk when you put it back into R or D or S from the P position - that REALLY isn’t good. There is a potential it can snap off which means gearbox our and opened up to find and then replace that part / if your lucky if not the gearbox is ruined with a chunk of metal loose in the box with all those moving parts.
When stopping to get out of my car I always put electric handbrake on first let the car settle and then put it into P via the gearbox.
As said you are worrying too much 
.
The handbrake mechanism will be fine.
FWIW a friend of mine never puts his cars into gear, fearing it's putting strain on parts! Silly I know but the Handbrake is designed to take the load.
Like many here I always leave the car in gear or Park with an auto and put the handbrake on beforehand.
This reminds me, I have a handbrake to adjust
.The handbrake mechanism will be fine.
FWIW a friend of mine never puts his cars into gear, fearing it's putting strain on parts! Silly I know but the Handbrake is designed to take the load.
Like many here I always leave the car in gear or Park with an auto and put the handbrake on beforehand.
This reminds me, I have a handbrake to adjust
Pica-Pica said:
Interesting comments about 'putting it into Park'. With my 335d it automatically goes into P when the engine is switched off (I believe it also does if; seat belt is unfastened, or driver's door opened). But it does have a manual parking brake lever!
I don't know how it works with interconnected electronic gear selector and electronic handbrake, but in theory you're supposed to apply the brake before putting the car in park, especially if the car is on a hill so you don't put too much load on the Park locking pawl. I've seen comments on US (where they almost never use the handbrake) forums of them snapping, and BMWs solution is a complete new gearbox.
Of course it does. I've never seen an auto that didn't need to be in P before you could get the key out (anyone else?) and most, if not all, electronically controlled autos do it for you when you switch off.
It's also fine to rely on that to stop the car rolling away, what else is it for? You might get a clonk putting it into gear if it was left on a hill but probably not if you have your foot on the brake when you do it.
Whilst I'd trust a modern electronic handbrake more than a manual cable type, it's easier to rely on being in P. Ask owners of cable HB VWs, of not many years ago, how reliable they are!!
It's also fine to rely on that to stop the car rolling away, what else is it for? You might get a clonk putting it into gear if it was left on a hill but probably not if you have your foot on the brake when you do it.
Whilst I'd trust a modern electronic handbrake more than a manual cable type, it's easier to rely on being in P. Ask owners of cable HB VWs, of not many years ago, how reliable they are!!
Sheepshanks said:
Pica-Pica said:
Interesting comments about 'putting it into Park'. With my 335d it automatically goes into P when the engine is switched off (I believe it also does if; seat belt is unfastened, or driver's door opened). But it does have a manual parking brake lever!
I don't know how it works with interconnected electronic gear selector and electronic handbrake, but in theory you're supposed to apply the brake before putting the car in park, especially if the car is on a hill so you don't put too much load on the Park locking pawl. I've seen comments on US (where they almost never use the handbrake) forums of them snapping, and BMWs solution is a complete new gearbox.
So from that, I see no need to engage P, before stopping engine, and the sequence says apply parking brake (manual) lever last of all, all of which seems the natural sequence. As you know the P button is a push button on the transmission selector, rather than a movement of the lever.
Pica-Pica said:
My handbook says 'Stopping the Engine; engage P, press start/stop button, apply parking brake'. Further on the handbook says 'selector lever position P is automatically engaged after stopping the engine - (also when driver's seat belt, or driver's door is opened).
So from that, I see no need to engage P, before stopping engine, and the sequence says apply parking brake (manual) lever last of all, all of which seems the natural sequence. As you know the P button is a push button on the transmission selector, rather than a movement of the lever.
I suppose there's an assumption that you'll be holding the car on the footbrake the whole time - so the last thing you'll do is release the brake pedal - that's when you get the jolt onto the parking pawl if you haven't put the hand-brake on.So from that, I see no need to engage P, before stopping engine, and the sequence says apply parking brake (manual) lever last of all, all of which seems the natural sequence. As you know the P button is a push button on the transmission selector, rather than a movement of the lever.
Sheepshanks said:
Pica-Pica said:
My handbook says 'Stopping the Engine; engage P, press start/stop button, apply parking brake'. Further on the handbook says 'selector lever position P is automatically engaged after stopping the engine - (also when driver's seat belt, or driver's door is opened).
So from that, I see no need to engage P, before stopping engine, and the sequence says apply parking brake (manual) lever last of all, all of which seems the natural sequence. As you know the P button is a push button on the transmission selector, rather than a movement of the lever.
I suppose there's an assumption that you'll be holding the car on the footbrake the whole time - so the last thing you'll do is release the brake pedal - that's when you get the jolt onto the parking pawl if you haven't put the hand-brake on.So from that, I see no need to engage P, before stopping engine, and the sequence says apply parking brake (manual) lever last of all, all of which seems the natural sequence. As you know the P button is a push button on the transmission selector, rather than a movement of the lever.
techguyone said:
Don't be like those dumb yanks who never apply a handbrake, people have died for doing that.notably Anton whostis of Star Trek movie fame, it's a handbrake - use it, that's what it is there for.
Hey? I have owned autos for he last 20 odd years now and never use the handbrake, unless parked on an incline, which is what the manual says too.
techguyone said:
Sooner you than me.
If it was the case that they were not needed, why do manufacturers still stick them in cars? Because I'm sure they'd save a few quid on each car if they just removed them, they haven't.
Why is that do you think?
In the US they call it the emergency brake.If it was the case that they were not needed, why do manufacturers still stick them in cars? Because I'm sure they'd save a few quid on each car if they just removed them, they haven't.
Why is that do you think?
Sheepshanks said:
techguyone said:
Sooner you than me.
If it was the case that they were not needed, why do manufacturers still stick them in cars? Because I'm sure they'd save a few quid on each car if they just removed them, they haven't.
Why is that do you think?
In the US they call it the emergency brake.If it was the case that they were not needed, why do manufacturers still stick them in cars? Because I'm sure they'd save a few quid on each car if they just removed them, they haven't.
Why is that do you think?
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