well ive developed a really bad habit as of late. i m either forgetting to put the car in gear (reverse) when i park, and/or i m forgetting to put the E-brake on. its either one or the other...but *gulp* i have forgotten both of them at times (i know i know thats a bad thing! ) MAN i get Pissed at myself for doing it! other then making a posty on my dashboard remembering my to put the car in gear and pull the E-brake, not sure what else to do?
did anybody else have this problem? is so, how did you over come it?
thanks guys

 

almost all my vehicles have been 5 speed so i've never had that problem but i only use the e-brake.

write yourself a note... prolly sounds dumb, but whatever works.do it enough and it becomes natural

 

i ve had the car for about 6 months now, this is just a bad habit i ve started . then again maybe its just a bad habit that i ve just started to notice, thats a bad thought in itself

 

When I first got the car, I just put on the parking brake when I parked. When I heard that many people also keep the car in gear I decided to make a habit out of it so I went with the post-it note method. It took me about a week to get used to having the car in gear when I was starting it. The note may have looked tacky, but at least I didn't embarrass myself by stalling as soon as I turned the car on.

 

I haven't heard about leaving it in gear... what gear do you put it in? Why?

I just use the ol' e-brake... pulled up nice and firm.

 

well i only use the ebrake my self i know its bad cause all thats holding you car is a spring but i want to get a starter and you need to leave it in neutral for it to work but my uncle actually wrecked a car years ago cause he only set the ebrake the top of the handle broke so it shot the button off and it rolled into the street and got hit when they looked at the car the button was stuck in the windshield it hit it with that much force

 

in the manual-it says to put the car in reverse when you park it then pull the E-brake. why reverse, i m not sure- my other stick shift cars i just put it in 1st. but if the manual says it, there must be a reason, so i do....most of the time...if i remeber that is....

 

I always put it in reverse and pull the e-brake. Just a habit.

 

Either reverse or 1st will work, as they're the shortest gears and offer the most resistance to rolling. As for putting it in gear at all, it's not necessary, but it is another force keeping your car from moving should your brake fail for some reason. I always use just the e-brake, unless I'm on a hill or something, in which case I use both.

 

Unless I'm on some type of slope I have only used the E-brake. I have started leaving it in reverse on occasion from a previous thread.

 

i have a story...

went to a convenience store around about six months ago (all hail sheetz). pulled up in front, got out, went in. left the car in neutral, no parking brake. get inside the store, start to put my order in, then hear two quick horn beeps. looked outside, there's my car rolling towards the gas pumps. ran out, was just able to keyless it to open the door and jump in and slam the brakes, before it took out the pump. missed hitting the pump by about 8 inches. after that, i haven't had nearly as much trouble remembering to gear and brake.

 

That'll break your bad habits!

 

this is what i fear, or my car rolling in to a little old lady killing her dead

 

Yeah... I never forget the e-brake... I just can't let my dad drive it... he never uses them.

 

I always throw it in reverse, when I park (so I don't have to whe I leave, unless I back up into a spot) and pull the e-brake. My dad, who's been around numerous stick-shifts and the manual (book) has taught me well!!!

 

I only use the e-brake unless im on a hill as well, when i was younger and had my first 5-speed, the way i learned to remember always to set the e-brake was to put the car in neutral after turning it off, then my hand is already inches from the e-brake, just pull it up. Its amazing how proximity can help you remember things. After a couple weeks you'll rarely forget, it will become second nature to you, just be sure to let people know you used the e-brake if you drove their car

 

A close friend of mine bought his first manual transmission car a few years back, and didn't know you were supposed to put in gear when you park. He parked on a very slight hill that down the slope it it got gradualy steeper. When his e-brake cable snapped (for no particular reason, the car was farely new) the car rolled down the hill, and eventually got enough speed to cross three peoples lawns, go over a retaining wall and land on its roof 10 feet below. The car was a total write off. Put your car in gear, trust me.

 

I don't know why you would use the e brake unless you're parked on a really steep grade. With the thing in gear and engine shut off the engine is holding the car in place. If your parallel parked and there's a curb, turn the wheels toward the curb. I've driven manual full size P.U. trucks for 30+ years. NEVER leave the car in neutral when parked.

 

Always park your manual transmission car in reverse!
And yes, a note would help you. It only takes 12 days to form a habit.

 

I did it once when I was 16, seeing my car start rolling down the street was enough to fix the problem permanently. hehe. Running, unlocking the door, and getting into the car while it was moving was not a fun prospect either. hehe.

 

i drive an auto and i use the Ebrake everytime i park the car

on a side note......i wonder why the Ebrake is so weak?!! i was testing it last day facing down hill. i put the car in neutral and applied the ebrake all the way. the car still rolled down the hill slowly

 

The rule of thumb is you should always use the lowest or 2nd lowest gear. In MOST cars the lowest gear is Reverse. It just so happens that in the SS/SC tranny (can't speak for the 2.2/2.4 tranny) 1st gear is the lowest, hence the one I use.

 

funny that everybody has a story to tell about parking their cars. most of the time i back into my parking spaces, so keeping it in reverse is no prob. but at times when i get ready to park (like for example, my parking space at my apartment) i ll put her in to neutral and coast in to my space-hence fogetting to put it in to gear after i park)
does the SS s/c manual say to put it in to 1st when parking? my LT says reverse?
BTW.. thanks for the feed back gays and gals!

 

I thought the manual said 1st or reverse, but I'm too lazy to go 10 feet out my door to check.

 

There is no "SS/SC" manual, all Cobalts have the same one. But like I said, the rule is lowest gear is best, most cars it's going to be Reverse, but in some like the SS/SC it will be first. Either gear would be fine in either car.