safe parking......??

[frank horton]

notice the rocks under the front wheels....
OH, and the position on the road......

this was on the local news........
u think u 've got it bad......hahaha.....at least the sun is out........

 

[RWD3M]

Oh dear, doesn't say much about the Greek equivalent of the MOT test

Mind you, that does look like a pretty steep bit of road.

 

[bert]

That looks like a 45 degree slope. Anything steep here I leave a manual in gear as well as the HB.

My auto gets park and the HB but I've never parked on anything steep enough to think I need to chock the wheels too

 

[colnerov]

Auxiliary handbrakes.

 

[colnerov]

That looks like a 45 degree slope. Anything steep here I leave a manual in gear as well as the HB.

My auto gets park and the HB but I've never parked on anything steep enough to think I need to chock the wheels too

Hi, Be careful about using park on steep inclines, it can load up the pawl on the rack and can be difficult to dis-engage it. Especially if the handbrake has crept a bit.

Colin

 

[Robotstar5]

Hi, Be careful about using park on steep inclines, it can load up the pawl on the rack and can be difficult to dis-engage it. Especially if the handbrake has crept a bit.

Colin

So would leaving it in 'D' have the same effect as using 1st on a manual box?

 

[RWD3M]

So would leaving it in 'D' have the same effect as using 1st on a manual box?

It sort of would, but equally sort of wouldn't. What's being forgotten it the big old fluid drive between engine and gearbox that would offer little or no resistance to the car rolling away down the hill if the handbrake failed.

That said, I don't know of any auto box that would physically leave a gear engaged when there is no pressure from the pump.

 

[Morrisman]

So would leaving it in 'D' have the same effect as using 1st on a manual box?

No, there's no physical mechanical lock, just the minimal resistance from oil in the torque converter. That's also why you can't bump start a car with an auto box.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Better to have rocks under the wheels than risk car rolling away

 

[GRW]

Citroën Xantia's used to have the parking brakes on the front discs.
A friend told me that he parked his at the top of a hill (not in gear) - & on return it was parked at the bottom!

Apparently as the front discs cooled & contracted, the parking brake calipers wouldn't have enough grip on the disc, allowing the car to slowly creep away.

 

[bert]

No, there's no physical mechanical lock, just the minimal resistance from oil in the torque converter. That's also why you can't bump start a car with an auto box.

The smart roadster you can, not sure on others though

 

[Erie Fred]

Better to have rocks under the wheels than risk car rolling away

Better to do like my relatives in Pizzaborg taught me, park with your tires angled
into the curb.
Those rocks are very small, might as well carry some proper wheel chocks with you.

 

[Robotstar5]

Citroën Xantia's used to have the parking brakes on the front discs.
A friend told me that he parked his at the top of a hill (not in gear) - & on return it was parked at the bottom!

Apparently as the front discs cooled & contracted, the parking brake calipers wouldn't have enough grip on the disc, allowing the car to slowly creep away.

I remember that fault, don't know if Citroen did a recall to modify them.

 

[mike os]

I was always taught if brakes are iffy or hills steep turn wheels into the kerb

 

[colnerov]

No, there's no physical mechanical lock, just the minimal resistance from oil in the torque converter. That's also why you can't bump start a car with an auto box.

Unless it has a rear oil pump, not common back in the day and less so now. It can't be done at walking pace like a manual, it really needs to be towed at circa 20 mph to load up the torque converter and clutches or band servos. I'm not familiar with the roller skates Smart car so can't comment.

Colin

 

[Pete.]

Citroën Xantia's used to have the parking brakes on the front discs.
A friend told me that he parked his at the top of a hill (not in gear) - & on return it was parked at the bottom!

Apparently as the front discs cooled & contracted, the parking brake calipers wouldn't have enough grip on the disc, allowing the car to slowly creep away.

That's right they ran a news article on the TV where they parked one up and stood around waiting to see if it would let go. The reporter just started to say that they had tested it out and the handbrake on that car was working fine when the brakes let go and the car set off on its own.

 

[Morrisman]

Unless it has a rear oil pump, not common back in the day and less so now. It can't be done at walking pace like a manual, it really needs to be towed at circa 20 mph to load up the torque converter and clutches or band servos. I'm not familiar with the roller skates Smart car so can't comment.

Colin

Tow start, not bump start. Unless you have a crowd of rugby players who can push a car at 20mph.

Modern auto boxes might be different, but probably loaded up with electronic computerised doohickeys that make it even harder.

 

[Pond frog]

I was always taught if brakes are iffy or hills steep turn wheels into the kerb

Although this is normal practice it’s probably not the most effective for the car in the picture as it’s nowhere near a kerb

 

[Nomad]

Citroën Xantia's used to have the parking brakes on the front discs.
A friend told me that he parked his at the top of a hill (not in gear) - & on return it was parked at the bottom!

Apparently as the front discs cooled & contracted, the parking brake calipers wouldn't have enough grip on the disc, allowing the car to slowly creep away.

There were reports in the 90s where some Vauxhalls were doing the same. HB was connected to large solid disks on the rear, HB worked fine when they got parked hot, the disks got thinner as they cooled so the HB didn't hold any more.
It's not a problem for newer cars with disks all round as the back has either a drum HB inside the disk brake, or vented disks that don't expend/shrink with temperature changes.

Saab 99 was another that had HB on the front wheels.

 

[GRW]

There were reports in the 90s where some Vauxhalls were doing the same. HB was connected to large solid disks on the rear, HB worked fine when they got parked hot, the disks got thinner as they cooled so the HB didn't hold any more.
It's not a problem for newer cars with disks all round as the back has either a drum HB inside the disk brake, or vented disks that don't expend/shrink with temperature changes.

Saab 99 was another that had HB on the front wheels.

Missus' Kia Rio has rear discs where the inside if the disc is the drum for the HB shoes & mechanism.
Great when working, & a massive PITA when you've got to get at them.
One of the retaining spring clips that hold the shoes in place corroded through on her car, resulting in the HB not working properly.... but when trying to get the damned disc off - the shoe tilted at an angle & wedged the disc on.
I broke the pad off the shoe getting the sodding thing off - so had to buy new brake kit, then have a fight changing the shoes to fix the beggar.