Hand Break.

I stopped on a slight hill and pulled the hand break up 3 clicks. When i took my foot off the foot break the car started rolling. I had to pull the hand break up so far that when it was hard to unengage. I have had this happen 3 times. The weird thing is it did not do it on the same exact spot the other 6 times i parked there. I started putting the car in 1st once off to help. -William

My preference is NOT to park in 1st gear but in 2nd gear. It is such an old habit that I can't remember why I started doing it. Second, I almost never use the hand brake. In the winters in Alaska we never used Parking Brakes because they tended to freeze up. And it was a bear to get them unstuck. Perhaps you have the wheels tuned into the curve or at any angle which may have made it easier to have the car hold? Anyway, try it. Try difference angles and turning the wheels s they catch the curve. It's been so long since I had Driver's Ed, the real stuff not the ticket stuff, that I can't remember the recommendations for turning one's wheels when one parks on a hill. That is, which direction, in or out?

You should take the car into Gaudin (as I recall, you're in LV right now) and have them adjust the parking brake so it will hold on an incline - but, you should also put the car in gear and curb your wheels, too... just in case... even after you get it adjusted. Either first or second will work. brad

When I firsrt got my car, my hand brake was nice and tight, now after 3 months its gotten a little loose. Obviously from usage, but is there a way to avoid the car from rolling when parked on a flat surface? Or worse yet, in my house there is a little hill that if I dont have the handbrake pulled, it will roll down. Should I be putting my car in 1st or 2nd without the handbrake? Whats the norm on handbrake usage?

If you're facing uphill, the front wheel closest to the curb should be turned away from the curb. If you're facing downhill, the wheel should be turned towards the curb. You should be putting your car in gear whenever it's parked, whether it's with or without the handbrake (which should be used at all times when the car is parked). I've been personally involved in an incident where a MT truck left in gear without the handbrake popped out of gear and started rolling backwards in a parking lot. I was a 10 year old kid alone in the car. Ended up pulling the handbrake and holding onto it for dear life until the driver came back.

Why both the gear and hand brake? The handbrake because the gear could slip, but why not only the handbrake?

Because the handbrake can slip as well. Always better to utilize two safety features instead of just one.

So then the technique would be hold brake (foot brake), apply hand brake, release foot brake and the engage 1st or 2nd gear so that the weight is on the handbrake not the gear.

yes, that's the ticket... brad

Form Risky Business, there is already one Porsche that rolled away into water. Let's not go for a repeat performance. :beer:

One Exception: DO NOT SET THE HANDBRAKE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE HOT!!! Sorry to shout, but especially at the track, if you set the hand brake (or for that matter stay on the foot brake while stationary) while the brakes are HOT, the rotors may warp. At the track, after your cool down lap, after a breif idle, turn the ignition off and place the car back in gear. I usually leave the car in Reverse, since it's the biggest ratio, ie the engine would have to be turned farther to allow the wheels to move. Using 2nd or 3rd there's more leverage from the wheels to move the engine (hence the reason you push start a car in 2nd or 3rd) Greg

Here's a nice little thread on what can happen when you don't use the handbrake and curb your wheels: Remember to pull your ebrake all the way when parked on a hill... - Club RSX Message Board

wow...thats not fun.