Transitioning from driving a manual to an automatic car was, honestly, a no-brainer for me. The appeal of ditching the clutch pedal and shift stick was too tempting, especially after years of grinding gears in traffic. But, as I discovered, there’s a learning curve—even if it's supposed to be easier!
My first day with the automatic was… interesting. I climbed in, foot itching to stomp on the clutch that no longer existed. It must have been muscle memory, but I kept whacking my left foot into empty space, only to remember, "Oh, right. This car shifts for me." One time, I forgot altogether and stomped the brake instead. Let’s just say the guy behind me was not thrilled with my "expressive" braking.
Then there was my new habit of trying to downshift at stoplights. I'd grip the gear stick, only to realize I was clutching the air (and probably looked like a mime to other drivers). And don't even get me started on hills! My manual-trained brain was in full panic mode, expecting the car to roll backward. Meanwhile, the automatic sat there, calm and steady, waiting for me to just hit the gas.
In the end, I realized that driving an automatic was like being on autopilot. You just go. No more fighting with the clutch on steep inclines, no more praying you didn’t stall in the middle of an intersection. Although I still occasionally reach for that phantom clutch, I’m definitely enjoying the smoother ride—and fewer stares from fellow drivers!
A few days ago, I watched a video that randomly popped up on my X feed about parking an automatic vehicle. All my life, I've only known one method of parking and this has always been the right way for me - march the brake, shift the gear stick to p (for parking), engage the handbrake, and then shut off the engine. When I saw the video and the title, I felt it was just clickbait, but my inquisitiveness made me click and watch.
According to the author of the video, what I've been harboring as the correct way of parking could shorten the life span of my car's engine and transmission system. Shifting the gearstick to park without first engaging the handbrake shifts the weight of the car on the parking pawl and other transmission components. The pressure on these components will eventually lead to their failure, causing costly repairs. A quick browse of the web to fact-check this claim affirmed the author's position. In other words, if you have been parking your automatic cars by just shifting the gearstick to P position and shutting off the engine with or without engaging the hand brake, you've been parking wrongly.
What then, is the correct way of parking?
According to the author and corroborated by other sources, the best parking algorithm is to first shift the gear to the N (or neutral) position, engage the hand or parking brake, and then shift the gear stick to the P position.
I have simply been parking wrong all my life. Are you also like me or you already know this cardinal rule for a while?
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Sorry, I don't understand the link between these two stories. I never used the P position or the parking pawl because there's no such thing on a manual transmission. The car will roll if neither the clutch nor the handbrake is engaged. If it's not on a perfectly flat surface, you'll notice this soon enough. 😃
When I'm parking on a hill and the front of the car is higher than the back, after applying the handbrake, I'll put it in first gear to avoid rolling in case the handbrake fails. And in reverse when the car is facing down. In the French Alps, I had to park inches from a ravine sometimes, and didn't want to take any chances. 😬
Manual cars are another breed entirely when it comes to parking. When I was using a manual car, I usually shift the gear to 1 and engage the hand brake in order to park. That's if the hand brake works. If it doesn't, just shift to gear 1 and that's it.