How to Park an Automatic

JohnnyCash · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:16 am

Ugh.....I was parked on an incline and made the mistake of releasing the parking brake and then letting my foot off the brake to back up...............but I forgot I was still in "Park".
That means the Jeep's weight was now resting on my transmission instead of my parking brake.
It was hard to move and made a nice crunchy sound when I moved it out of "park" and into "reverse"
That's the first time I've done that to my poor little Jeep. It's a little pissed at me now.

Anyway just in case you don't know:

When parking an automatic, especially on an incline, you need to:
-Stop and leave your foot on the brake
-Then pull the parking brake
-Then put the tranny in neutral and take your foot off the brake so the Jeep rolls back and rests on the parking brake
-Then shift into "Park"

I didn't know this until I started driving an Automatic, so I thought maybe I'm not the only one. Then again, maybe I am.

swyszomirski · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:59 am **Posts:** 286

well, to start with, the parking brake ain't all that great, mine won't hold the KJ on an incline a lot of the time and I got the stick version. When parking just leave you foot on the brake, put her into PARK (This moves a pin in the tranny, effectively locking the vehicle in place.) Then pull the E-brake just for grins as the tranny will be doing all of the stopping really, shut'er down and exit :lol:

If your Jeep retains pissed at you and you keep hearing a "bad sound" coming from the tranny, you may have messed up that pin.

Stephen

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:40 am

The parking brake is great if you have it adjusted properly.

Mine has done that before johnny. It shouldnt of hurt a thing but I would always use the parking brake on an incline.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:06 am

Another reason to be glad for drum brakes - the parking brake actually holds the KJ even after 4 years and still the original shoes.

GPR65 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:01 am

i have the stick and rear disc brakes and if you keep it adjusted it works great. 50000 miles and still on rear pads. with drum brakes you have to keep them adjusted also or you are not having 100% of your stopping power. They are supossed to adjust them selves but they never seem to.

Chris

David Jr · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:07 pm

sleeve84028 wrote:

Another reason to be glad for drum brakes - the parking brake actually holds the KJ even after 4 years and still the original shoes.

AMEN TO THAT!!!!

I'm not a big fan of 4 wheel disc. My Mom's 300 Hemi C has them and i don't like how the brakes feel at all. Guess i'm old-fashioned.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:11 pm

First time Ive ever heard of someone NOT liking rear discs. I could never go back to drums.. Discs are much easier to work on.. Takes 10min to change the pads.. Or a caliper. :roll:

David Jr · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:32 pm

I guess that's because i can take apart and reassemble drum brakes blindfolded. Our first experience with 4 wheel disc was my Mom's 1975 Imperial. That brake system almost drove my dad and me to take up drinking :evil:

.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:08 pm

I never set the parking brake on my KJ unless on a trail and sitting on a incline or downhill.I have rear drums to,my brakes really suck but gosh darn I have one killer parking brake!My brakes will get a very big revamp soon,going to 12" vented rotors F/R and are ment to stop a 1/2-3/4 ton pickup.Gotta figure what aftermarket master cylinder will fit,maybe just scrape the power booster and go to a hydro-boost from a 1-ton pickup,decisons,decisions :twisted:

!

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:58 am

Now that sounds like a swap that I'd do... Although, I'll probably never get around to it.

skywarn · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:14 pm

swyszomirski wrote:

Then pull the E-brake just for grins as the tranny will be doing all of the stopping really, shut'er down and exit :lol:

If your Jeep retains pissed at you and you keep hearing a "bad sound" coming from the tranny, you may have messed up that pin.

Stephen

have you seen the pin?? i would never let the weight of my KJ rest on that pin...

When parking an automatic, especially on an incline, you need to:
-Stop and leave your foot on the brake
-Then pull the parking brake
-Then put the tranny in neutral and take your foot off the brake so the Jeep rolls back and rests on the parking brake
-Then shift into "Park"

This is the way i do it.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:02 pm

Quote:

When parking an automatic, especially on an incline, you need to:
-Stop and leave your foot on the brake
-Then pull the parking brake
-Then put the tranny in neutral and take your foot off the brake so the Jeep rolls back and rests on the parking brake
-Then shift into "Park"

I've been told this way ever since I started driving. My dad routinely goes well over 150k before he sells his pickups (which get hard usage) and he's never done a tranny (except that one time my brother offroaded one and got it stuck in a mud hole).

I find that since I park nose down on an incline, it's almost impossible to get it out of park unless I engage the E-brake when I park. I find that if I just engage the e brake it doesn't hold well unless i"m in reverse when I engage it, rock it back a bit till it locks, then put it in park. Come right out the next day when I put it in drive BEFORE releasing the e brake.

jdumont · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:59 pm

I also follow pretty much the same procedure myself. Just makes sense if you think about it for a minute. I don't shift into N first tho. I just pull the E-Brake then shift into P then foot off the brake.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:24 pm

Wow. You learn something every day. I'm 35 years old, driving since 15, and I've never been told this. I'll put it into practice today.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:56 pm

Yes, that's a good way to park.

When I first got the KJ, it was my first 4x4. So I checked into it a bit and realized that PARK is only as good as the tranny AND the transfer case. In other words, you have two things that could slip out of gear, and either one would leave the KJ in N.

So I used to use the parking brake first, then put it in P (which is always the recommended practice). But the KJ's disc brake parking brakes stink. So I don't use them unless I really have to. My first one broke when the KJ was pretty new (replaced under warranty). So I figure, save it for when I really need it.

But I always try to park with the tires facing the right way to minimize damage should anything go wrong. (remember reading about that in your learner's permit testing materials?)

emiperformance · **Posted:** Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:03 pm

Is there a way to adjust the rear disc brakes?
I installed new pads and have to pull the E.Brake all the way up in order to even make contact.

Metrowest_Kev · **Posted:** Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:41 am

For city parking, if your parked on an incline, turn your wheels toward the street. If parked on a downhill, turn your wheels toward the curb. Touching the front tire to the curb is another parking brake, just make sure it's turned the correct way.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:50 am

Gosh, I am really old and have likely driven well over a million miles. The last car I had was a Taurus that I put 200K on with virtually no repairs. I am sure glad I logged on here and found out that my religious non-use of the emergency brake on automatics for the last million miles was so miss guided. I promise I will change my ways in may remaining days. :roll:

kjfishman · **Posted:** Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:17 am

Jeepjeepster wrote:

First time Ive ever heard of someone NOT liking rear discs. I could never go back to drums.. Discs are much easier to work on.. Takes 10min to change the pads.. Or a caliper. :roll:

Having had both an 02 and an 05 I think the drum brakes had more stopping power. I really notice the difference when towing. The only advantage to disc brakes is they take repeated hard stops much better and aren't effected by running through water as much as drums. I agree that discs are eisier to work on but only last half as long as drum brakes and OEM rotors can warp adding another expense..

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:36 am

Drums don't look as cool and truely are a PITA to work on - but man for those 60,xxx miles between changes the drums work everytime!

I live in a flat area so I've never had to park with the wheels turned but if I ever parked on an incline I usually set the parking brake so the transmission isn't so hard to shift out of park.

How to Park an Automatic

Who is online