When parking, pull the handbrake before shifting to P.

This seemingly basic operation is not performed correctly technically by everyone, leading to long-term damage.

Nowadays, cars with automatic transmission have become very popular and are the main means of transport for many people. How to operate the transmission properly is no longer as complicated as with manual transmission cars, leading to the operation of shifting gears when parking being overlooked, such as the habit of shifting to P, turning off the engine, then pulling the handbrake, and parking.

For many people, shifting the gear lever to P or pulling the front handbrake is often considered unimportant, when the car has completely stopped and is parked in a safe position. However, according to experts, this habit will have a negative impact on the details in the gearbox mechanism in the long run.

The handbrake (parking brake) is a safety device on a car, it is designed to be used in everyday situations, not just when parking on a slope. Manual transmission cars often mention and use the handbrake more, while automatic transmission cars this part is somewhat overlooked. In fact, the mechanism to keep the car stationary of the handbrake and the P mode on the gearbox are completely different. While the handbrake applies pressure to the brake shoes on the drum or disc brake to help the car stop, the P mode in the car's automatic transmission mostly uses a parking pawl locking mechanism, also known as a ratchet gear, on the jaws on the output shaft of the gearbox, to keep the car from moving.

The handbrake is a lifesaver that helps keep the car stationary even when the ratchet cannot hold the gearbox. If you shift into P first, because there is a small gap between the ratchet and the retainer, the output shaft of the gearbox will rotate, increasing the pressure on the ratchet, this pressure is greater if the slope of the parking place is higher. This pressure can cause wear on mechanical parts in the long run. When pulling the handbrake, the car is stationary, now shift into P, the ratchet is neatly placed in the retainer without the car moving, there is no pressure. Thanks to that, the ratchet will share the task of keeping the car stationary on the slope with the handbrake, the working pressure is reduced, and wear is reduced.

According to the manufacturers' safety instructions when parking an automatic car, step on the foot brake - pull the handbrake - shift to P - turn off the engine. On a flat parking surface, putting the car in P before the handbrake or the handbrake before P after is the same because there is no phenomenon of rolling downhill after putting it in P, but on a slope, you should follow the above instructions. Many more careful drivers can add an intermediate step to N, specifically the sequence of stepping on the foot brake - shifting to N - pulling the handbrake - shifting to P - turning off the engine. This method helps ensure that the car does not jump up when accidentally lifting the foot brake while still in D.

According to VNN