Park brake? Select "P" or "N"?

[sowlerthjh]

I have a 1990 W124 300D auto.

With an automatic, should one always apply the park brake (handbrake), or will "P" on the gearbox hold the car?

Is it bad for the gearbox to make "P" hold the car on a hill?

Is it best to leave the car in "N" or "P" when parked?

Thanks

 

[telletubby]

I always used to miss out on using the handbrake because I thought there was no need with the transmission locked in Park.

Then a knowledgable friend pointed out that if the car were to be bumped into or moved in any way when in Park considerable damage could be done to the transmission and one should therefore always use the handbrake to help protect it.

 

[nicky]

I seldom use the park brake,just leave it in the park position..

 

[pascal]

For those who leave it in 'P' without parking brake.

Well some day yee will go out to find your car in the next road.

No serious, I got out of my 300ce a few years ago with just 'P' selected, and it started to roll down the hill. Jumped back in, just in time.

Pascal

 

[jberks]

I use the parking brake if I'm on an incline. Don't bother on the flat.

 

[paulcallender]

I don't know what yours does, but I can't take the ignition key out, unless mine is in park. So, I naturally leave it in park. Am I supposed to be able to take the key out, in Neutral??? Its a W124 230TE.

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

P= Park. It's simple! I always use my handbrake (footbrake), for safety reasons- comes from driving a manual for 2 years before Mercs.

I sometimes use it when stopped at long lights etc too- and put the 'box in N.

 

[mlc]

Im not sure how good the park feature is at holding the car, however I always use the handbrake.

I used to have a friend with a Volvo who had a steep drive. Every now and again he didnt put the handbrake on hard enough and the car would settle back onto the parking mechanism. The only way to get the car out of park was for the garage to gently push his car up the drive with a landrover until they had taken the weight of the car and the auto box would release!

It strikes me that handbrakes are cheap to fix and auto boxes arn't

Mark.

 

[pascal]

It's not a handbrake or left foot brake.

It's a parking brake. So as it's called a parking brake, it should be used when you
park your car. End of story. Afterall it is easy to engage, and dis-engage. It's
just a matter of getting used to using it.

Pascal

 

[tom7035]

Best to use the parking brake regularly. Helps keep cables etc. from seizing up.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

on flat. "P" only. on hills, handbrake too...i dont care if someone smashes into my car and it causes considerable damage to the transmission as they will have caused considerable damage to my car rear end too.

if on a hill and the transimsson brake fails your car will roll away. if you apply the handbrake/footbrake thingy lever jobby as well then it wont roll away unless that fails too. and if that fails as well you are unlucky. but if you had the foresight to point your wheels at the kerb when facing down hill and away from the kerb when facing uphill then it wont roll that far as eithert the kerb will halt the roll or the car will roll into the road and stop. where by it gets smashed into by road traffic who are driving too fast or just too stupid to see a car in the middle of the road. but at least it wont depart to the bottom of the hill.


i wonder if someone will post to say there car rolled off uphill?