Bloody astra J

[RoverFolkUs]

10 hours ago, New POD said:

Not sure if I should sell up because of the fear, or drop the gearbox oil and inspect for debris. 

Think you've answered your own question in your own post above this one! The latter option seems prudent but better the devil you know if/when your one fails. 

No autobox is immune from failure really. You could buy a Ford powershift or VAG DSG and probably be just as likely to suffer from a failure 

[SiC]

37 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

In similar vein, they're on a slope, chuck it in park and then release the footbrake before engaging the parking brake. You hear that "clunk" and shudder with despair..!

Parking brake on an auto??

Thankfully parking pawls are tough buggers on most boxes. I certainly don't usually bother unless it does it itself. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Just now, SiC said:

Parking brake on an auto??

Thankfully parking pawls are tough buggers on most boxes. I certainly don't usually bother unless it does it itself. 

They may be tough but I still wince! It just seems so wrong..

[SiC]

They just use only park on the gearbox all the time in the US. Often easy to tell as it rocks back & forth slightly as they get out. In the states that don't do inspections, apparently it's not uncommon for the parking brake to have even been touched since it left the factory. 

[maxxo]

I must admit i rarely use the handbrake on the C5, just pop it in Park and forget about it unless I'm on a steep hill

don't really get much of a thud coming out of park unless it's a bit steep, never rolled away or broke anything yet

i rarely use the handbrakes on any autos tbh

[New POD]

2 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

In similar vein, they're on a slope, chuck it in park and then release the footbrake before engaging the parking brake. You hear that "clunk" and shudder with despair..!

Explain. Don't really understand that. 

[New POD]

2 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Think you've answered your own question in your own post above this one! The latter option seems prudent but better the devil you know if/when your one fails. 

No autobox is immune from failure really. You could buy a Ford powershift or VAG DSG and probably be just as likely to suffer from a failure 

I'm wondering if @SiCmight do a swop for a boxter.  

[SiC]

Vauxhall seats and me are not friends. The one marque that completely do my back in. GM Saab seats are perfect though.

Plus I'm trying to reduce the amount of cars and the money short term would be useful.

And a 1.6 n/a auto in a heavy car would last about 30s with me before I got bored!

[RoverFolkUs]

25 minutes ago, New POD said:

Explain. Don't really understand that. 

Ok, in the scenario I described, they are on a slope, in drive, the car is being held stationary by the footbrake. They put it in park, let go of the footbrake and now the car moves slightly, goes "clunk" against the parking pawl and now the entire weight of the car is being held by the parking pawl. Then in the time this has happened they've fumbled about and applied the parking brake. So the weight of the car is being restrained by the transmission, with the parking brake acting as a safety net. 

The better thing to do is select neutral, apply the parking brake, then select park. The weight of the car is being held by the parking brake, and then you select park to engage the parking pawl acting as a safety net. 

It's extremely unlikely you will ever damage a parking pawl, but if you're following the first scenario every day over a long period of time you are risking damage. 

With that being said, if you put it in park and then apply the handbrake while still holding the footbrake, you're achieving the same thing. Ideally though as long as the car is being held by the parking brake instead of the parking pawl especially on an incline

[SiC]

Pictures may make it clearer

 

 

[RoverFolkUs]

Ok, do us a favour, drive along at 10mph, first try yank on the handbrake, second try slam it in park. See which one breaks first and report back which is the more durable one 😀

[SiC]

Good luck getting a modern car into park when moving. Most will stop you. Either mechanically or that it's computer controlled. 

 

That said I did hit the park button on the stalk of a rental A-class when it was very slowly rolling forwards but probably not enough for it to know the car was moving. It got very confused when it slammed in park and sat there shuddering back and forth with it fighting against the engine. I imagine a software bug where they didn't envisage sticking it in park when completely stationary. 

It was a 1.5dci powered A-class too, to feel even less sorry for it.  

[RoverFolkUs]

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

Good luck getting a modern car into park when moving. Most will stop you. Either mechanically or that it's computer controlled. 

 

That said I did hit the park button on the stalk of a rental A-class when it was very slowly rolling forwards but probably not enough for it to know the car was moving. It got very confused when it slammed in park and sat there shuddering back and forth with it fighting against the engine. I imagine a software bug where they didn't envisage sticking it in park when completely stationary. 

It was a 1.5dci powered A-class too, to feel even less sorry for it.  

Yes, I know. For the record I know what you're saying and I'm sure you know what I'm saying. A parking pawl is a lump of metal of durable construction that is designed to operate under the conditions it can. My main point being that a parking brake is more durable, a parking pawl is more reliable/trustworthy. Hence if following the above procedure you can't go too far wrong. But if you're being harsh to it then you're setting yourself up for problems 

[warren t claim]

I'm sure some autos (Mercs?) could be bump started in 2nd?

[SiC]

Oh yeah but lazyness trumps the day. 

Tbh I mostly only do it to wind up my wife. It really annoys her that I haven't put the parking brake on when we are parked.🤣

While she doesn't understand or care the mechanics behind it, it's there for a reason apparently.

"Put the parking brake on!"

"Yeah but it's fine without"

"It's not fine, they put a parking brake in the car for a reason... Put it on."

She's never been one for breaking any rules.

[warren t claim]

12 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Yes, I know. For the record I know what you're saying and I'm sure you know what I'm saying. A parking pawl is a lump of metal of durable construction that is designed to operate under the conditions it can. My main point being that a parking brake is more durable, a parking pawl is more reliable/trustworthy. Hence if following the above procedure you can't go too far wrong. But if you're being harsh to it then you're setting yourself up for problems 

My old 1988 Dodge Caravan wouldn't come out of park when on a steep incline.

[warren t claim]

12 hours ago, SiC said:

Oh yeah but lazyness trumps the day. 

Tbh I mostly only do it to wind up my wife. It really annoys her that I haven't put the parking brake on when we are parked.🤣

While she doesn't understand or care the mechanics behind it, it's there for a reason apparently.

"Put the parking brake on!"

"Yeah but it's fine without"

"It's not fine, they put a parking brake in the car for a reason... Put it on."

She's never been one for breaking any rules.

Mutha_Claim always used to have a go at me for leaving my E Class in park and not using the parking brake. After she died and it was her funeral her hearse arrived and the driver just lobbed it in park. For some strange reason I had to go and ask him to also put the parking brake on as well as leaving it in park would've pissed of his punter in the back.

[New POD]

3 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Ok, do us a favour, drive along at 10mph, first try yank on the handbrake, second try slam it in park. See which one breaks first and report back which is the more durable one 😀

Brilliant. Understood.