Nearly lost my C5

[Timmo]

I always leave mine parked in gear just incase, always have but then on the old mini with drums allround, brakes weren't its strong point! Infact on my car I don't think there was a Single strong point! Haha!
One of the guys at the garage forgot to put his handbrake on once in a big car park, he was shopping and a call came over the tanoy the words we all dread! 'would the owner off a grey peugeot 205....' He went to look to find that the cars parked on the rows infront of him had gone leaving his a Good run up! Rolled across the road, over the 2 empty spaces, over the next road and straight into the back of a Very rusty shouldn't have Really been on the road fiesta! Acording to viewers, it bounced back and rolled in for another go!


Thinking about it, couple of weeks back driving down a particularly god hill into Portreath (our local beach) we saw a car that looked a bit Odd! Apart from being a smart for4 it was at an angle resting on the retaining wall for a large build of houses on the cliff, no one In sight, appears they'd parked up on the hill and gone for a walk on the coast path, no doubt a bit of a heart in mouth moment when returning to the car, if like me thinking, ooooh loook! Someones in the wall! Oh poo, its me! Hehehehe!

[Old-Guy]

I must be getting old. I was taught that cars should always be parked in 1st or reverse (facing down- or up-slope respectively), and that you ALWAYS depress the clutch when starting. In the 1960s, both were required for the driving test as was checking the handbrake was on before starting.

A foot-on-clutch-when-starting habit will save you great embarrassment when starting a strange vehicle with a sloppy gear-change that feels as though its in neutral when it is in fact in gear. This also gives you a slightly better chance of starting with a nearly-flat battery, as the starter doesn't have to stir a gearbox full of cold thick oil.

Iffy handbrakes on old bangers also taught me to always park with the front wheels pointing towards the kerb. I once had an ancient mini (a proper one) slowly make it's way downhill in a series of jerks after the rotten hand brake cable snapped. As each cylinder came on compression the car stopped until the mixture leaked past the rings, then it would roll forward several feet and repeat; fortunately these antics were noticed before it hit anything.

I know of a case where an Astra parked on a steep suburban hill started a chain reaction when it's handbrake lost its grip......

(Edit) Timmo beat me to it.

[Peter.N.]

I certainly agree with leaving the vehicle in gear in the opposite direction to which it is facing, this was particularly important with early diesel cars as to stop the engine you had to pull a control like the old fashioned choke which shut the fuel valve in the pump - I had a number of these, if the vehicle was to roll away in gear facing the same direction as the gear it was in ... well I don't have to explain do I.

As regards staritng with you foot on the clutch, safety issues aside, it depends on the vehicle, on some the clutch thrust bearing excerted more drag than a cold gear box, its easy to check, operate the starter whith and whithout the clutch depressed and listen as to how fast the engine turns over, I had a lot of experience of that as early diesel cars were notoriously difficult to start in cold weather.

Peter

[Citroenmad]

I always put my foot on the brake and pull the handbrake up hard, never had a problem with C5s running away, even on the steepest of hills. Though I often leave it in gear too. I nearly always leave the Xant in gear, they had a reputation you know

[citroenxm]

I always put my foot on the brake and pull the handbrake up hard, never had a problem with C5s running away, even on the steepest of hills. Though I often leave it in gear too. I nearly always leave the Xant in gear, they had a reputation you know

and chris has smaked the nail right on the head there! and DO try it yourselfs with xm xantia and c5...... park up and with the engine still running apply the hand brake then when you THINK its on max put your foot on the foot brake.... wow hang on the hand brake just came up another 5 notchs... Now try and bloody drive off...... YOU WON'T

it activates the auto adjuster i think and really applies the brake.. shame they dont test them like that... they will never fail then...on hand brakes anyway...

[Citroenmad]

If I remember correctly the recall on the Xantias was to remove the first few clicks from the handbrake, so if the brake is adjusted properly the footbrake must be pressed to apply the handbrake. Its a recommended procedure to apply the handbrake on a Citroen with the parking brake working on the front.

As Paul says, if yu have not tried it, you might be surprised at how much further you get the handbrake on.