Leaving car in gear yes or no?

[bramling]

How so ? Having asked that, I should note that I also switch mine off as it has the unfortunate habit of stopping just as I go to enter a roundabout or pull out at a T junction.

The start stop feature drives me mad on my newer BMW. Normally I disable it as soon as livening up the car, however if one forgets to do this (there’s a couple of circumstances where it will undisable itself as well) then you suddenly find the car shutting off. It always seems to do it somewhere where you’ve only stopped at lights for a couple of seconds.

I wish there was a way the car could be coded to permanently disable the feature, but I’m told there isn’t.

 

[dgl]

When I did a little bit of learner driving with my Gran she taught me to always start the engine with the clutch in and to park with it in gear when on a steep hill.
As for stop/start, whilst I think it can be a good idea for cars one of our vans at work has it and for our use it's silly as you'd come to a stop putting the clutch in, the engine would cut out, then the moment you'd leave the vehicle it would restart again as you'd taken your foot off the clutch. Due to it being a caravan site and lots of drop offs you wouldn't turn off the ignition off when leaving the van as you'd be back in it again in a few seconds.

 

[jfollows]

I wish there was a way the car could be coded to permanently disable the feature, but I’m told there isn’t.

I suspect it can be done but it would invalidate the warranty.
So turning it off just has to become a habit I guess. I always do.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I suspect it can be done but it would invalidate the warranty.
So turning it off just has to become a habit I guess. I always do.

Or you could leave it on and save fuel and pollution. It doesn't damage your engine, the engine is designed for it.

 

[Hadders]

I drive an automatic now but on a manual car always park in gear. I was taught to always depress the clutch when starting a car as well.

At traffic lights it depends, if I think they're about to chnge then I'll leave in gear for a quick getaway.

 

[PG]

When I did a little bit of learner driving with my Gran she taught me to always start the engine with the clutch in and to park with it in gear when on a steep hill.

Same here except that it wasn't your Gran
Press brake pedal, depress clutch, shake gear lever to check it is in neutral before activating the starter and releasing the clutch. Isn't everyone taught that?

 

[bramling]

Or you could leave it on and save fuel and pollution. It doesn't damage your engine, the engine is designed for it.

If I want to switch the engine off then I will do that, otherwise I don’t need the car to be making decisions which very often turn out to be sub-optimal, like turning off for a second or two. I find the feature a total ball-ache, I don’t like it and wish the car didn’t have it.

 

[DelW]

Same here except that it wasn't your Gran
Press brake pedal, depress clutch, shake gear lever to check it is in neutral before activating the starter and releasing the clutch. Isn't everyone taught that?

My current car is an auto, but its manual predecessor (and possibly the one before) needed the clutch to be fully depressed before the starter could be used.

The auto needs to be in park *and* brake pedal depressed.

 

[Bald Rick]

Do you leave your car in first gear when parked or left in Neutral? I leave my car in Neutral

At lights do you put the car in first gear or put it in neutral? Put it in first gear at traffic lights.

Always leave in gear when parked.

Always in neutral at lights, unless I am 100% sure they are changing in my favour imminently.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My current car is an auto, but its manual predecessor (and possibly the one before) needed the clutch to be fully depressed before the starter could be used.

The auto needs to be in park *and* brake pedal depressed.

Most manual Fords require the clutch to be down to start. It is less load on the starter and makes the chance of accidentally running someone over when it lurches forward if accidentally in gear less likely.

 

[Gloster]

Whenever I get in the car, even if I have only jumped out for a second or two, I always waggle the gear stick to check it is in neutral and then move my hand back to check the handbrake. When I stop it is: handbrake on, check gear stick is in neutral, check handbrake is fully on and only then take my feet off the pedals.

 

[Ashley Hill]

If facing downhill it’s left in reverse and if uphill it’s in first. Also the front wheels are turned so it would roll towards the kerb if the cable broke. If in a car park it’s left in the most restrictive gear.

 

[Cowley]

Always leave in gear when parked.

Always in neutral at lights, unless I am 100% sure they are changing in my favour imminently.

Yes pretty much what I do.

Last year Mrs C and myself were driving through Exeter and we came across a VW Passat estate parked diagonally across the road we were driving along right up against another parked car. A few moments later a harried looking lady came trotting along with the keys and jumped in the car to reverse it back into the space that it had rolled out of.

We really didn’t find this in the slightest bit amusing. We really didn’t…

 

[Ken H]

Strangely enough it was only yesterday morning I started the car and someone else had left it gear causing me to stall. People park so close to each other I’m lucky I didn’t bang in to anyone.

As for damaging clutches at traffic lights you are doing far more damage to your car using the start stop feature. I switch it off every time I use the car.

I was taught to depress the clutch when starting the engine. Less stuff to rotate so less strain on the electrics.

 

[Bald Rick]

I was taught to depress the clutch when starting the engine. Less stuff to rotate so less strain on the electrics.

Both my cars require the driver to depress the clutch before it will start, and puts up a sign on the dashboard saying so.

I often tell the clutch it is a useless clutch, and much uglier than other clutches. That certainly does the trick.

 

[krus_aragon]

I do the same in any stationary traffic and then apply the handbrake to activate the stop-start function.

I recently drove a diesel hire car: automatic with stop-start. I was intrigued that the stop-start would activate when stopped and holding the brake pedal, but not if I placed the gearstick in Park instead. There was no handbrake on the thing at all. :/

 

[Bletchleyite]

I recently drove a diesel hire car: automatic with stop-start. I was intrigued that the stop-start would activate when stopped and holding the brake pedal, but not if I placed the gearstick in Park instead. There was no handbrake on the thing at all. :/

It's much harder to do start/stop on an automatic than a manual, so it has to be based on some approximation. I guess hybrids and electrics remove that issue anyway. On manuals it's pretty universal that it is done by taking it out of gear and letting the clutch up regardless of the state of the handbrake, with putting the clutch down restarting. What's more of a shock is when electrical demand causes an unexpected restart, I've never quite got used to that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jan 2023 ==

Both my cars require the driver to depress the clutch before it will start, and puts up a sign on the dashboard saying so.

I often tell the clutch it is a useless clutch, and much uglier than other clutches. That certainly does the trick.

That's a fairly good safety feature - accidents where someone's kangarooed into a wall or run their kids over by turning the engine on mistakenly in gear (and then released the footbrake because of the unexpected movement) are not at all unusual. Particularly in button-start cars where you haven't got the mitigation of letting go of the key. Though I suppose you could also have a microswitch checking you were in neutral.

 

[chorleyjeff]

Generally leave it in gear, why would you not?

Ok unless you keep your brake lights on at traffic lights especially in the dark and wet weather.

 

[cactustwirly]

Most manual Fords require the clutch to be down to start. It is less load on the starter and makes the chance of accidentally running someone over when it lurches forward if accidentally in gear less likely.

How is it less load on the starter? The load is the big lump of engine it is turning over..

 

[Bletchleyite]

How is it less load on the starter? The load is the big lump of engine it is turning over..

You're not turning the transmission as well as the engine, which does have a reasonable amount of friction when the oil is cool on start. It does make a difference, albeit not a big one, if your battery is low it'll turn noticeably faster if the clutch is in.

 

[Ken H]

You're not turning the transmission as well as the engine, which does have a reasonable amount of friction when the oil is cool on start. It does make a difference, albeit not a big one, if your battery is low it'll turn noticeably faster if the clutch is in.

during the cold week before christmas we did not use my wifes car. I depressed the clutch because I didnt know the state of the battery. But it started first time. But not straining stuff is a good plan.

 

[Stathern Jc]

I've never usually felt the need to leave the car in gear, other than when parking on a particularly steep hill.

However, at a place where I used to work the car park did have a very gentle slope, which on icy mornings was just enough to beat even the most faultless handbrakes.
When you came out at lunchtime there would be several cars 2 or 3 yards forward of where they had been left, though fortunately I never saw one which had crept across to the other side of the car park to cause a mishap.
On those days I did leave it in gear to get some much needed hold on the front wheels as well as at the back.

 

[simonw]

Ok unless you keep your brake lights on at traffic lights especially in the dark and wet weather.

I was referring to when parking, not when driving

 

[alxndr]

That's a fairly good safety feature - accidents where someone's kangarooed into a wall or run their kids over by turning the engine on mistakenly in gear (and then released the footbrake because of the unexpected movement) are not at all unusual. Particularly in button-start cars where you haven't got the mitigation of letting go of the key. Though I suppose you could also have a microswitch checking you were in neutral.

It’s still quite easy to end up lurching forward. Clutch in to start, raise foot— oops, never checked if it was in gear. I don’t tend to start my car with my foot on the brake either.

 

[birchesgreen]

I always have the clutch in when starting the engine and in first gear. To be honest i thought everyone did that!

 

[gabrielhj07]

Or you could leave it on and save fuel and pollution. It doesn't damage your engine, the engine is designed for it.

All fun & games until the battery needs replacing at significant cost.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All fun & games until the battery needs replacing at significant cost.

Good lord, there are some technophobes here, aren't there?

Batteries in cars with this feature are designed for it, and the electronics that control it disable it if things don't "look right".

 

[ABB125]

When parking, generally I leave the car out of gear. This is what comes from growing up with a flat driveway and flat road outside.
When the car goes on an occasional excursion to suburban Birmingham, it gets left in gear (and wheels turned towards the kerb) for two reasons:

1. It's a very steep hill (around 30 degrees)
2. Students aren't very good at parallel parking. Especially on a hill. So if someone nudges it, it's less likely to roll away.

At traffic lights, always neutral + handbrake (unless the road is flat, when the handbrake might not be applied) unless I know the lights are going to change very soon and I'm at the front of the queue.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Batteries in cars with this feature are designed for it, and the electronics that control it disable it if things don't "look right".

Of course, that’s why they cost more.

 

[Taunton]

I spent time in San Francisco where it is a city law (yes), because of their steep streets but applicable everywhere, to:

- Park in gear
- Steering full lock
- Apply handbrake

People actually get tickets for omitting one of these.

Just relying on the automatic Park is not enough, because it then relies on nothing more than a surprisingly small pin in the transmission.

Handbrake is not enough either, cables can loosen as they cool down, hence runaways happening an hour or so after parking.

I did encounter a dead stand blockage on the M25 for about half an hour, and there were those ahead who spent the whole time with their foot on the brake ...