Motorist reveals the ‘correct’ way you’re meant to park your automatic car to avoid putting pressure on the gearbox – and it will blow your mind
- Driver took to TikTok to reveal the ‘correct’ way to park an automatic vehicle
- His tip has divided social media users who say it is an unnecessary technique
- Driving instructor said it was a valid way to park but did not make big difference
A driver has revealed the ‘correct’ way to put an automatic car into park – but his lesson has left motorists divided who say it is unnecessary.
The driver took to TikTok to share his parking tip after a woman asked for driving advice on the social media app.
‘I put the car in park and then I put the handbrake on,’ the woman says. ‘Is that not what you’re meant to do?’
The driver immediately shot down the technique, saying the woman had been parking her car incorrectly.
The driver, whose username is ‘holycrapitsjean’, immediately shot down the technique saying the woman had been parking her car incorrectly
‘When you put your car in park, and then put the handbrake on, the entire weight on the car is resting on the park brake rather than the handbrake, which means it’s resting on the gearbox,’ he said.
‘That f***s your gearbox up.’
He then goes on to explain how drivers should be parking their cars to avoid putting more strain on the gearbox.
‘Pop it in neutral, then put the handbrake on – that way the weight of the car is resting on the handbrake and not the gearbox – then you pop it in park, then you take your keys out.’
His advice has divided social media users with some saying the handbrake can be raised last as long as the driver’s foot is on the brake.
‘No my guy,’ one person wrote. ‘Foot on brake after stopping. Put in park. Handbrake then foot off brake. Then your car is fine.’
Another person wrote: ‘The handbrake and footbrake do the exact same job. You’re just making life harder for no reason.’
Other social media users were quick to swoop in and defend the video.
‘How is this the first time I’ve heard of this?’ one person wrote. ‘Like not even driving instructors tell you this.’
Another person replied with a tongue-in-cheek saying: ‘People who drive a manual (stick) be like’.
Expert Drivers Academy instructor Ajit Singh told Daily Mail Australia it was a perfectly valid technique to use when parking the car.
His advice has divided social media users with some saying the handbrake can be raised last as long as the driver’s foot is on the brake
He said the technique shifted the weight of the car from the gearbox to the handbrake and placed less strain on it.
Though he admitted it did not make a huge difference on the lifespan of the gearbox.
He said it was perfectly fine if the driver held their foot on the brake pedal, shifted their gearbox to neutral before putting it into park, and then put up the handbrake.
‘Before you put your car into park you must always change the gear to neutral first,’ he said.
Mr Singh said the technique shown in the video could be used by more experienced drivers.