About 80% of the comments below are from people saying either: 1. My car has an electric handbrake and it does it itself, so I don't need to worry 2. My user manual says select park first 3. I've just use Park and no handbrake or park first and my car is just fine If you're parking your car on a slope or any ground where the car could move just an inch, then you should ideally (manually) apply the handbrake before selecting park, if you want to prolong the reduction gearbox and parking selector mechanism. Even better would be to apply the handbrake, then release the footbrake (so the weight shifts), then select Park. I didn't include this as I assumed it was obvious and I wanted to keep the message simple. But cars with electric handbrakes that automatically apply themselves, do not often do things in the right order and the handbrake actuator takes a few seconds, so the weight of the vehicle (on a slope) still shifts putting pressure on the park pawl too. So even with these vehicles, it a good idea to do things manually if parking on slope and particularly if you're doing this regularly (if you have a sloped driveway for example). I didn't include this in the video either, but I've had calls from EV owners who have been unable to start their EVs, because they can't get it out of park and this is due to too much pressure on the park pawl. Rocking the car back and forth resolves this. And finally, some EVs, this doesn't apply too as they don't have a park pawl and I covered this in the video (mentioning Tesla & Zoe ZE50 as two examples), but clearly people weren't getting that far into the video before commenting about that either. Anyway, I was only trying to help as this is a real issue and probably more so in the UK as the majority of EV drivers have probably never driven an automatic before, so none the wiser. Just remember, if you hear or feel a clunk, you could be doing it a better way.
To take the 'tediousness' (as my wife would call it) one step further, I have always done this with our EV's & autos, but between hand brake and park I put it in neutral (on the Leaf pull and hold gear selector to the right). This way you properly know all weight is just in the park brake. After a few times it just becomes habit.
Shouldn't the sequence be to RELEASE the footbrake after applying the handbrake but BEFORE engaging park? Most vehicles on a slope will "settle" on the suspension when transitioning from 4 wheels braked to 2 wheels. Such movement would also apply some load on the transmission defeating the purpose of this sequence (depending on the amount of free movement in the gearbox) On the flat none of this makes much difference.
Surely it makes sense to go to neutral before Park as well. So, Stop using foot brake, apply handbrake, select neutral and remove foot from foot brake (now the car will settle and all weight will be on hand brake) then select park. That is how I do it in an Auto.
@@migsg7238 you are correct neutral would leave the car with no load on the drive line. Depends on the vehicle, an ICE automatic would be gently pulling the car forward so neutral first would help. An electric car may or may not have creep, so neutral and drive may be the same thing on those cars when stationary. In reality though when you shift an automatic transmission from drive, through neutral and reverse to park you should have your foot on the brake, and some cars require that to enable shifting. ICE vehicles with a mechanical transmission will have a delay as they shift between each mode so there will be time when the transmission has no load on it before the parking pawl is engaged. Personally I think cars should be engineered so that drivers don't have to do these rituals, and the majority of vehicles are engineered that way. The parking pawl mechanism should be robust enough, and if there is a sequence that lowers the load on it this should be implemented in software, especially now vehicles often have electric handbrakes. The best solution would be no parking pawl at all, but that does require a robust parking brake with redundant application (i.e. an in caliper motor so that each wheel is separately actuated for redundancy, although this doesn't provide locking of all 4 wheels in front wheel drive vehicles).
Well said! That's very important tip and actually applied for ALL cars, the most important for automatic transmissions. Don't leave the vehicle with shafts & gear on high tension! Let's stay in place with the parking brake doing whole job!
Thanks. But 50% of the people commenting here though don't agree....or at least think because they've not experienced any damage by selecting Park first, they'll continue doing it!
Only trouble is my car doesn't have a mechanical parking brake, it's all done when you select park on the "gear knob". Also the car has auto hold when stopped and in drive.
@@GoGreenAutos MG ZS EV Trophy LR, I find that the green brake light on the dash is lit when I come to a stop and pressing Park puts that light out and the red parking brake light on so the brakes are applied before selecting park buy the car and not me.
Our Enyaq doesn't have neither. I just put the car to hold via brake and either activate the parking brake or open the door. In either case the car doese the everything by himself. No manual brake available. I assume its equal withthe VW IDs.
Sorry but I have for my entire driving career and with my 28kWh Ioniq put car in Park then put park brake on. The BYD Atto 3 puts the park brake on when you put Park on so the Park Brake button isn't used. Funny your the only one that has brought this up, had it been an issue pretty sure manufacturers and other UA-camrs would say something. I'll keep doing what I'm doing and have done for the last 35yrs of driving. I keep my foot on the brake though until the car is in park and then put it the park brake on unless it was an Atto 3. I'll do brake, park, brake thanks.
This has always been the case with automatic gearboxes regardless of the 'engine' type. Handbrake on first. The Park function is effectively a backup in case the handbrake fails. In the 'good old days' drivers were taught to turn the wheels so that if the handbrake failed the car would run into the kerb or bank and not roll off down the hill. A manual gearbox would also be left in gear - 1st if facing down a hill, reverse if facing up. That way the car would be trying to turn the engine over against the compression if it tried to roll off. In my auto I only use Park if I am getting out of my car. If I am leaving my car I always use Park - having put the handbrake on first. Whatever you do, in any type of car, do not try and engage Park when moving. That will really do some severe and expensive damage.
Surely, if car pointing uphill, use a forward gear to get the gearbox to stop the car going backwards - then reverse gear when pointing downhill to stop the car going forwards?
@@computerbob06 If facing uphill put the car in reverse. This is because any movement of the car would tend to be downhill which would make the engine tend to turn in its normal direction . Engage first gear and the engine would turn backwards which could be detrimental to it.
I think my Zoe does it all for me. When I stop the car and turn it off, the car puts itself in neutral and also puts itself in park. Also as I walk away it locks itself. Unless I'm missing something.
"it locks itself" yeah. ive been using a Clio from the service centre for the last few days and good god is the self locking and unlocking annoying. i spent 10 min standing next to the car and it kept locking and unlocking, folding and unfolding the mirrors(sounding like a sick cat every time it does). makes me feel like i should park in at least 20 feet away from my tent if i ever go camping in it, otherwise it will discharge the 12V and make sure my stuff gets stolen. never mind that i don't want the car to be locked if its sitting at home in the(already locked) garage since i probably won't remember to bring the key if i just want to take something out of the car. my Leaf has a perfectly handy button on the door handle so i never have to pull out the key which is shaped somewhat like a key and actually attaches to a keychain. oh and not to mention that i intentionally avoid places where i have to use the handbrake in winter and i couldn't do that with a car that does it automatically every time. French cars are dumb.
@@yvs6663 Take two clean crisp packets and put the fob inside or use kitchen foil. You can also buy a small bag which does the same (mine was a present) in which you can place it.
@@yvs6663it takes a few seconds to go into the settings on the screen and switch off the hands free locking if you don’t like it. You can then use buttons on door handle or key fob to unlock/lock. I wouldn’t tell your insurance company that you regularly leave the vehicle unlocked and don’t even bother to use the parking brake!
Wow Matt, glad I’ve seen this one! Just recently got a 21 Kona, and the main dealer salesman went to great lengths to tell me “1)Footbrake, 2)Park button, 3)Handbrake lever”. One way to get a car in for some serious repairs…
the Ioniq manual has the following instructions : 1. Hold down the brake pedal while the vehicle is parked. 2. While depressing the brake pedal, shift to P (Park). 3. While depressing the brake pedal, engage the parking brake. 4. While depressing the brake pedal, press the POWER button and turn off the vehicle.
May i just add from my experience owning automatic cars/vans for some time its also important to release foot brake after engaging handbrake as a car or van can still roll backwards or forwards after you release a foot break as parking brake could be on a different set of pads/pistons or parking shoes
Sorry, I don’t quite get what you mean. When you engage the parking brake, usually you will be about to leave the vehicle, so of course your foot will be off the brakes. What is there to mention?
@@Nikoo033 its mainly important down or up steep slope like for example a driveway . Hadbrake on before selecting automatic gearbox to park but when parking brake is engaged you will find that car will still move forward or backwards a bit when releasing brake pedal, that's because parking brake is on rear wheel and automatic gearbox normally on front wheels and they can move a bit and lock your transmission in park or brake stuff because of what Matt mentioned So handbrake on while holding brake pedal then release brake pedal and after all that its safe to select park on transmission Also it's safest to do all that in neutral And when getting back to car when parked on slope sequence also should be kept in order brake pedal fully in, drive or reverse gear, then release parking brake 👍 Its in rear occasions when parking up on down the slope or hill but it happens more often than people realise
@@Nikoo033auto gearboxes, and EVs, need to have their transmission put into "park" before turning them off. Transmission Park isn't the same as "hand brake".
@@terryjimfletcher I know that. But the video states that putting handbrake on first is crucial to protect the gearbox from the car’s weight and then changing to P. However, as I have mentioned, the weight of the car (in the case of a Hyundai Ioniq) is already held by you pressing on the brake pedal. So with the Ioniq, doing: brake pedal, switch to P, handbrake, power off, then release the break pedal, does not cause any strain on the gearbox either. And that’s how Hyundai instructs to do. 🤷🏻♂️
My EV only has a "P" button and no other park brake - I was surprised to see the Nissan has a foot parking brake. I have previously mostly driven automatics and, inline with the UK Highway Code, I have always put the "Handbrake" on before selecting "Park". My wife is American and they never use the "handbrake" - this caused a big accident when she first moved here to UK - car ran across the road and into the house opposite
A UA-cam video review of a BYD Atto 3 some time ago thought the "P" on the gear selector made the "Park" function (effectively a hand-brake equivalent) on a separate selector excessive and therefore redundant. Your explanation provides the rationale for BYD's functionality, and I shall now use all the selectors in the order you have shown, as although I park on a flat surface I never used the hand-brake equivalent that often.
Yes that's right. But in the UK, many EV drivers have come from a manual ICE car so don't know this. And from the comments here, quite clearly many people can't see the point of using the handbrake!
An extremely useful video Matt - thank you for explaining it. I'd hazard a guess the vast majority of drivers new to EV's won't know this, as I have to admit I didn't. I have clearly been doing it incorrectly for the last 2 years with my 2021 Hyundai Kona. It is my first EV and the Hyundai dealer I got the car from (on lease) did not mention anything about this. In their defence, I didn't ask either. My drive is on an uphill slope and I've often heard the 'clunk' when selecting reverse to back out onto the road. Now I know what I was doing wrong I'll do it correctly from now on; Foot brake, Parking brake, Park
When on a slope, its even better to release the foot brakes after applying the park brake, then selecting park. It then means the weight of the vehicle really is being held on the rear brakes, which will put less strain on the gearbox park pawl.
A good explanation, especially with the images of the transmission. In some cars, like the Toyota hybrid, the rear brake “electric parking brake” is applied automatically, and released automatically with a degree of interlocking with various items - e.g. it won’t release the rear brakes automatically if you are not wearing the seat belt (but it can be done manually then). It can be switched off if need be, e.g. in severe frost weather to reduce the risk of the brake pads being frozen on though.
That is very sound advice and I doubt most people would be aware of the issue unless franchised dealers mention this when you buy a new car from them? Just glad that my Fiat 500e automatically applies the handbrake and puts the car into park for me when I switch it off.
While this is true, also for traditional vehicles to some extent, the BMW i3 makes it even more complex. The handbrake is electric/electronic. The actuator is electric, also known to fail, and expensive to replace. So what we're doing is not using the handbrake when parking level, but always using it when parking on any sort of incline.
On my Ioniq 2018, I simply stop the car with the brake, pull the handbrake and usually switch off the power. This also puts it in the park selection on the gearbox.
You can also simply switch the power off, and by the sounds it makes, it seems to put both Park and handbrake on automatically, presumably in the right order 😄
My Nissan Leaf has an electric parking brake when you turn off the ignition the car automatically selects park when the power goes off, and if I apply the parking brake when I put it back into drive the car will automatically release the parking break when I drive off.
@@GoGreenAutos “hold it on the brakes” - just like the multitude of moron drivers who sit with the high intensity brake lights glaring, for minutes on end, while waiting in traffic queues!
@@GoGreenAutos There is no excuse for not applying the handbrake when in long traffic queues. It hisses me off, so I stop far enough behind to make sure my headlights illuminate them. My auto ICE car did not need to be held with the brake lights on, my little hatcback does not need it and my EV doesn’t, either. When I took my test, the emergency stop was brake safely, apply the handbrake and ensure the vehicle was in neutral. The poster, on this thread who drives into his sloping drive forwards most likely should reverse in and drive out forwards, making his first move a safe one. There are drivers and ‘aimers and steerers’ in this world and the quality of driving is certainly falling.
Great explanation! I didn't know that. On my EV, I am used to press the foot brake and while it is pressed, i press park, then press the electronic park brake, then release the foot brake. Since the weight of the vehicle stays on the wheels brake pads, is that way of doing it is okay as well ?
My car has no handbrake it only has a foot brake i thought it was the other way around because when its done like you describe the car almost jumps forward a little when you apply footbrake before neutral or park position i have a NISSAN LEAF 30 KW 2016 model.
Same process as for automatic transmission vehicles. One of the specialist Toyota mechanics on YT recently showed how small the parking pawl is in the auto transmission, and after many years of having the weight of the car resting on it, it can break.
While letting the car do it automatically is fine for most of the time, if you're parked on a slope, you should definitely do it manually, so the handbrake first.
6:25 Hold the park button a bit longer in a Tesla and it will engage an electric parking brake. It shows up in the display as a extra brake. It’s talked about in the Owner’s Manual, but who reads that?
They have changed the software now so that gets engaged however long you hold park. The purpose of the long press is / was to nip it on a bit tighter. In Tesla it applies the handbrake and shifts to park as soon as driver makes to leave the vehicle, so you could legitimately never use that button. Although relying on a safety system is a bad idea, footbrake works on 4 wheels, handbrake and Tesla park only on two wheels... in low grip situations the car could slide away once the foot brake is released, making it better to be in the vehicle.
That method is completely opposite to what driving instructor teach. Most teach that you stop your vesical with the brake pedal, then with a ice manual transition put it in first or reverse, with an automatic transmission put it in park then apply parking brake then release brake pedal.
the most important factor is not releasing the foot brake until both park gear and the handbrake are applied, right? as long as you don't release the foot brake until both of those things are done, then it doesn't matter what order you select park or apply the handbrake, yes?
Thats not what the Leaf manual says though...... "Parking the vehicle 1. When stopping the vehicle, apply the foot brake, then push the P (Park) posi- tion switch on the shift lever. Confirm that the vehicle is in the P (Park) position by checking the shift indicator located near the shift lever or on the vehicle in- formation display. 2. Apply the parking brake. For models with the pedal type, firmly depress the parking brake. For models with the switch type, the electronic parking brake is applied automatically (or for manual operation, pull the electronic parking brake switch up). 3. Push the power switch to the OFF position."
That is pretty interesting. I wonder what difference it makes, then, or how crucial it is. To me, engaging the parking brake and releasing the service brake before engaging the parking pawl would make sense mechanically.
Great useful video. Ive got a Ioniq electric. So would you advice not to use the Auto Hold function near the centre console on a slope. Does this apply the footbrake when temporarily stationery? A lot of cars with automatic gearbox have this Auto Hold function
I have a question. after you engage the handbrake, do you lift your foot off the footbrake ? or you keep your foot on the foot brake then you put the car into park mode and then you lift up your foot off the footbrake ? 1. Is it footbrake, then ,handbrake without lifting off your foot off the Footbrake, and then park. Or 2. is it Footbrake, then handbrake, then taking your foot off the foot brake, then park. Which is better?
On my CR-V Hybrid it is set up so when I press the power button to switch off it shifts into P and applies the handbrake automatically. Just need to keep foot on the brake while it's doing it.
Interesting video. So what's the plan on an ID.3 or CUPRA Born where the park and electronic brake are on the same button? I guess just make sure that the footbrake is pressed before hitting the button?
Anytime I've been in a Tesla they just seem to press the gear selection stalk and leave the car. On the rare occasions when I've had to move a Tesla I couldn't see any physical handbrake?
@@GoGreenAutos Thanks for your response... Can I have another question? for a while. the Classic FM/dab music title info appeared in the very bottom section of the drivers display.(It has a shaped half frame around it) Then it stopped showing & hasn't since... How can I get that to display again ?
Interesting. Therefore, if you have applied the ‘physical’ handbrake or equivalent what purpose does the ‘P’ on the EV gearbox serve? Just ensuring the car won’t move when started? I assume the reverse is true when unbraking: ‘P’ EV release, then release the physical brake.
The park pawl is a sort of backup if the park brakes fail. Its an historical thing when rear brakes were drums. On modern cars with electric handbrakes, its not needed. Hence why some newer EVs no longer have one. Yes, you're right about the reverse.
I drive a Tesla Model Y. Your interesting video is an eye opener for me. Tesla has none of these mechanisms. The outdated technology you show is shocking.
Not that long ago I was in a transit electric driving slowly across our compound on a rough bit of road with undulating pot holes. Basically it was that bad I bounced out my seat. This put the vehicle into park. The noise it made as it stopped was amazing.😂😂😂
Auto hold applies either the foot brake (using the same actuator the emergency braking system uses -you will feel the pedal move) or the electronic handbrake (e.g. i-pace) to stop the vehicle moving and reduce strain on the gearbox or free roll in an electric car. On hills, Cars with a torque converter automatic gearbox will usually hold themselves. Cars with a DSG auto gearbox would burn out the clutch plates which is why they usually have hill start assist to hold the car with the clutches disengaged when you move off the brake pedal to apply the throttle (also necessary to give engine stop start time to start the engine). DSG gearboxes are designed as part of a system to avoid holding the car on the clutch bite point because they have smaller less robust clutch plates.
Auto Hold is not the same as the parking brake. Auto Hold is effectively doing the same as pushing the brake pedal down, so applying the brakes on all four wheels. Its for when stopping at lights, junctions etc. The parking brake is applying the rear brakes only when parking and leaving the vehicle and is a mechanical applying the brakes.
@@insanityideas No.this mode locks brake fluid in the system effectivly keeping the pads tight on the disc without the footbrake being pressed. Hill hold on manual ICE cars does the same thing
@@derekhenry2120 the system I was describing does that by activating a motor which pushes down on the brake pedal then releases it once enough power is applied. Although the jaguar i-pace for reasons known only to jaguar does this using the electronic handbrake actuator... which means the hold function doesn't work very well due to the time it takes to apply and release the parking brake. Some systems require the driver to push down on the brake pedal to generate brake pressure which the car can then hold and release.
Thanks for those tips. I have a 2011 Nissan Leaf (Japanese import) with an electronic handbrake by the gear selector and the PARK button and will follow your suggestion. I wondered also what I should do when I come to stop at lights or similar. Should I just keep my foot on the brake or should I put my foot on the brake and put the car into neutral (like I would on a manual car). Should I put the handbrake on in such circumstances? Another thing when coming to a stop at lights for instance, is the car is still trying to pull forward as you press the footbrake. Is it ok to put the car into neutral as it is coming to stop (say at around 3-5mph) and taking the drive force away?
The car must stay in drive unless you anticipate being stationary for a long time (several minutes) in which case you should shift to park. Shifting to neutral might be a driving test fail, certainly would be whilst moving as the vehicle isn't under positive control. You can shift in and out of neutral whilst driving without damaging the gearbox, but there is no benefit. There may be some drag whilst the car is in drive and held on the foot brake, but this depends on gearbox design and is expected behaviour (i.e. won't damage the car). Newer cars will engage engine stop start when foot is on the brake, an electric car won't apply any power. In short, leave it in drive, it's safer, easier and how the manufacturer designed it to operate.
If you get into the habit of messing with the gear selector whilst moving- especially in an electric car like the Leaf - sooner or latter you WILL mess up and end up trying to put the car in park while it is still moving. You don't want to do that.
@@xmiller7691 most cars inhibit things like selecting park whilst moving or selecting reverse whilst going forwards too fast... do it whilst moving at 2mph and you might get an abrupt stop tho. But messing with controls whilst driving is a bad idea, ending up unexpectedly in neutral can be dangerous too. I would be more worried about doing this in an ICE vehicle that has an actual multi speed gearbox. The electric car single speed reduction drive is more robust and doesn't care which way it's rotated, gear selection is a request to the computer not a mechanical action.
I've always wondered what would happen if a child leaned over and selected Park or R when driving at 70mph.. Hopefully nothing as the car would prevent damage, but I don't want to test this theory!
I've never driven an ID3 but it will be like a Tesla - its automated. It will still have a handbrake on the rear wheels, but they've automated its function and removed the switch.
@@GoGreenAutos Yes. pressing the Park button engages the electrically operated parking brake on the rear wheels. If you do not press it it automatically operates it as you open the door. To leave the car without putting the brakes on (very rare) there is a procedure in the manual to do this.
In the only automatic driven car I've had, I was always taught to only use Park when leaving the vehicle, otherwise at the lights/waiting for someone to pass etc, foot brake and put into Neutral.
I never had any instruction on when I got my first automatic. I used to used Park exclusively and very VERY rarely use the hand brake. Also when at lights/waiting, the car would judder a little whilst my foot was on the break and it was 'fighting' creep, so I'd knock it into neutral for comfort.
You can only change gear on the Hyundai Ioniq once your foot is on the brake pedal. Meaning that the weight of the car is held by the regular brakes each time you want to change gear anyway. Basically, when pressing P before using the electronic handbrake, the Ioniq driver is already holding the weight of the car with the brakes. So the order you describe seems therefore a bit irrelevant and contradicts your reasoning, doesn’t it?
Same with my Leaf 2019. U need to have your foot on a brake to change the gear or to put into parking. When pressing the P I already have my leg on the foot brake anyway and then I am applying the hand brake. It is a different order, but the same principal.
but soon as you take your foot off the brake pedal it’s going to stick all the force of the car on the parking arm and motor (if you don’t set hand brake first to hold the car) The point is you don’t want the car to be sitting on the parking transmission pin as the parking motor has to work extra hard to yank it out of the slot, handbrake first park second > D first then handbrake off
@@leexgxread my comment again. With the Ioniq, you keep your foot on the brake pedal throughout: the order is: foot on the brake pedal (so weight of the car is held), press P (still foot on the brake pedal), pull electronic handbrake (still foot on brake pedal), power off, release brake pedal. I don’t see how at any point the weight of the car is an issue when doing this way (which is what Hyundai tells to do anyway).
@@Nikoo033Whether you engage the handbrake and then P or P and then handbrake, is irrelevant, as long as you keep the brake pedal pressed. His point is not to leave the car without the handbrake on, which must be engaged while holding the break.
@@Nikoo033the video describes putting the parking brake (not transmission Park) on before you release the foot brake. You are doing the same but keeping your foot on the foot brake so that at no point is the transmission Park taking any strain.
You said this about the Hyundai ioniq, however in the hand book it states you put it in park then parking brake then power off. I’m confused now as what to do.
I have just googled it and what you are saying is true. Bloody hand books. I will do it the way you said . Thanks . Keep up the good work I’ve learned a lot about my ioniq from you.
My only query is the Ionic has auto hold so when i come to a stop effectively my handbrake is already on so couldn't i just then put it into park then put on the electric parking brake?
Auto hold is holding the hydraulic brakes (all the brakes), not the handbrake (rear brakes) - so its just effectively holding the brake pedal down for you. Auto hold does not change anything in terms of the message in the video. When parking and leaving the vehicle, still apply the handbrake first, then select Park last. If you're on a slope and you really want to look after your reduction gearbox, then it would be even better to apply the hand brake, then select Neutral, then turn off auto hold, then release the brake pedal to allow the weight of the vehicle to be held by the handbrake, then select Park.
I don’t think it’s necessary, because you are holding the car stopped with the foot brake pedal / brake discs, then you are shifting into P while still holding down the brake pedal, so the car is still being held by the brake discs, and not the gearbox. Then you are applying the handbrake, and then releasing the foot brake. So at no time is the gearbox holding the car, right? 🤔 Or I am missing something? 🤷🏻♂️
If you are on absolutely level ground yes. But if not, even by a few mm, the car will move and the weight of the vehicle is then on the park pawl or at least additional pressure is put on the park pawl.
@@GoGreenAutos But how? The car doesn’t move when you have the brakes applied, you are not letting off the brake pedal before the handbrake is engaged, how can the car then move? You have the brake pedal pushed down all the time, so it should not matter if you go into P and then engage the handbrake before letting off the brake pedal. How I see the problem is when people go into park, and not applying the handbrake, or that people are letting the car roll a bit in P before they engage the handbrake. Then we are having the problem, that the weight of the car is putting pressure on the gearbox. But I simply can’t see it should matter if you always have the brake pedal pushed down, and go into P first and then the handbrake, because you are still holding the car with the brakes, and first letting off the pedal when the handbrake is on. 🤷🏻♂️
This advice doesn’t work for Teslas. There’s no handbrake as such. You select “p” and then the parking brakes are engaged on the rear wheels via what sounds like a worm drive on the rear brake pad callipers. If you then push and hold “p”, then you engage “emergency brakes”. This isn’t explained well in the manual but it sounds like a single click from outside the car , which I’m guessing is consistent with a pin driven into the gear mechanism (hopefully for the front wheel drive) So the sequence of selecting “p” in a Tesla to all intents and purposes will engage your brake pads onto discs, but that’s only two wheels braked in park. For four wheels to be engaged (e.g. on a slope or a ferry) I’m left to guess work, but I’m hoping emergency brakes will be fine.
@@GoGreenAutos Normally yes, but it can be marginal on an icy slope with just two wheels braked. On a violent sea crossing, it could also be insufficient. When I boarded a ferry, the deck crew insisted that all cars were put in gear in addition to parking brakes being applied. I suspect if Ferry companies become wise to Teslas only having two wheel braking capability then they could deny boarding.
Not applicable to ID4 which when Park is selected as far as I can ascertain only engages the electric parking brakes on the rear wheels. There is no parking pawl in the gearbox
Page 15 of the Warranty /Maintenance book for my 2022 LEAF :- On a steep hill check that the vehicle is held securely whilst the vehicle is in the P (Park) position without applying the brakes. The next paragraph refers to a similar test for the parking brake. There is no memtion of any order for operation in daily use.
You're doing it wrong ! 1 Put in neutral 2 Pull the Hand break 3 Release your foot from the pedal to be Sure all the weight is on the breaks 4 Then select the P mode.
Does it matter if I brake then put it in neutral, handbrake the car and last put the car in park? Or is it best to go from drive ,brake ,handbrake, park?
@GoGreenAutos one question remains. What to do in winter when it's below zero? My driveway is flush so no hills. Can I still use the handbrake? Or will it be better not to use it when it's freezing cold?.
@GoGreenAutos one question remains. What to do in winter when it's below zero? My driveway is flush so no hills. Can I still use the handbrake? Or will it be better not to use it when it's freezing cold?
I find that when parking on a slope, when I i follow this sequence, the car moves as i release the for brake after pressing Park. I'm assuming this isn't good for the transmission. Therefore I do: footbrake, handbrake, release foot brake, press Park.
Yes, spot on. As you saw from the video, there's a little bit of play in the transmission as sometimes the park pawl wont be dropping straight into a slot in the sprocket.
@@GoGreenAutos I guess I'm also experiencing a bit of movement caused by switching from foot to hand brakes too? Not really my area of expertise, but very interesting stuff..
@@decimal1815 shouldn't be. On the majority of cars, the handbrake uses the rear brake pads, so is the same as holding the car on the footbrake (albeit that is using all four wheels).
on my ioniq I alway use foot brake to stop completely my car then use electric parking brake then I release my foot from brake to ensure my car isn't moving and is holded by the electric parking brake and only after that I activate the P gear.
Hi , I am na ev user from india , here we have a model called tata nexon ev Whic have a electronic park ( p) option , and seperate a auto hold option. My doubt is # while standing in traffic . 1. Should we just put the car in d( drive mode ) with autohold or 2 . Should we put car in d ( drive ) to N (neutral ) and put auto hold Will it have any problem on electric gear knob
Stay in D and hold your foot on the brakes or use Auto Hold if your car has that. If you don't want your rear brake lights to be lit, you could apply the handbrake and select N. No need at all to use P, especially if not on level ground.
Is it just me, or do British people use the parking brake unnecessarily? Example being, on perfectly flat ground. Personally, i only use it, if the car is on a decent incline/decline to keep the weight off of the parking pawl.
@@Charlesbjtown Sorry, I was meant to say "you're spot on there", but not to your comment. I don't know why it put it there. I've seen this a few times now where UA-cam puts replies in the wrong thread.
put vehicle in neutral - press brake-pedal - apply park-brake - and finally into park on the drive selector.. this ensures no stress on the gearbox while parking.
Yes absolutely. I didn't include this as it would only complicate the message further. Clearly from the comments, there's enough complication causes already!
How much credence can you give to someone who rips up a parking brake lever without pushing the button to stop the ratched wearing? My Soul EV automatically activates the parking brake once the system is switched off, but Park is engaged first. I appreciate what you're saying about not stressing the great box pawl, but cars are designed to be sold world wide and no driver in North America would dream of using "the emergency brake" for everyday parking :)
Why does the motor burn out? If the parking pawl is engaged in the gear, then why would the motor remain energized? I can see that there would be significant stress on the pawl but I cannot understand why the motor is overloaded?
This sounds like a poorly thought out design from the car manufacturers. Either they need to make the part available without having to replace the whole gearbox or like with Tesla and Renault is design the car to not need 2 brakes and a park. The other issue is most electric car owners or at least the vast majority are on lease and they traditionally don't really care about the car having to last longer than the 3 years after they get it. This would be my same issue with battery management. Manufacturers should have code built in that only charges batteries to 80% but asks owner if they want to override to 100% this would solve alot of over charging and faster degradation of batteries meaning less waste in the near future.
LFP batteries need to charge to 100% fairly regularly to balance the cells and calibrate the BMS. They aren't as stressed by charging to full as NMC batteries and should last longer anyway.
@@Markcain268 no, no you don’t. But to ensure the best maintenance of the battery it is better not to charge to 100% all the time or run the battery below 20% every time. It means you can use the full range when necessary, just like you don’t bounce your ICE car off the Rev limiter every time you go up the road😂😂
On an MG ZS EV, am I doing it right it I press the foot brake, then press park, then switch off? Can I just switch off with my foot on the brake? I can hear it out the electronic parking brake on. Manufacturers who will only supply a complete new reduction gear box are thieves, frankly.
Many vehicles with an electric handbrake will apply the handbrake automatically when you press park or stop the car, but that's not a good idea if on a slope as the order will be wrong still and the weight of the car will not be held by the handbrake.
Well that's not how i do it, i put my leaf or any car in neutral first with my foot still on the main brakes, then pull the hand brakes then release the main brakes, while car is still in neutral then i put it in park.
i usually aim to do that whenever i feel like there is enough of a slope to need to pull the handbrake but 1. the people designing the car aren't stupid and probably designed the thing to be able to hold the car wo damage 2. i think the car actually sometimes won't initiate charging if its parked but doesn't detect weight on the transmition thingy.
You do what now? That makes absolutely no sense what's so ever. Had a leaf and never did it, anything newer you hit park and the electronic parking brake then applies automatically?
About 80% of the comments below are from people saying either:
1. My car has an electric handbrake and it does it itself, so I don't need to worry
2. My user manual says select park first
3. I've just use Park and no handbrake or park first and my car is just fine
If you're parking your car on a slope or any ground where the car could move just an inch, then you should ideally (manually) apply the handbrake before selecting park, if you want to prolong the reduction gearbox and parking selector mechanism. Even better would be to apply the handbrake, then release the footbrake (so the weight shifts), then select Park. I didn't include this as I assumed it was obvious and I wanted to keep the message simple.
But cars with electric handbrakes that automatically apply themselves, do not often do things in the right order and the handbrake actuator takes a few seconds, so the weight of the vehicle (on a slope) still shifts putting pressure on the park pawl too. So even with these vehicles, it a good idea to do things manually if parking on slope and particularly if you're doing this regularly (if you have a sloped driveway for example).
I didn't include this in the video either, but I've had calls from EV owners who have been unable to start their EVs, because they can't get it out of park and this is due to too much pressure on the park pawl. Rocking the car back and forth resolves this.
And finally, some EVs, this doesn't apply too as they don't have a park pawl and I covered this in the video (mentioning Tesla & Zoe ZE50 as two examples), but clearly people weren't getting that far into the video before commenting about that either.
Anyway, I was only trying to help as this is a real issue and probably more so in the UK as the majority of EV drivers have probably never driven an automatic before, so none the wiser. Just remember, if you hear or feel a clunk, you could be doing it a better way.
To take the 'tediousness' (as my wife would call it) one step further, I have always done this with our EV's & autos, but between hand brake and park I put it in neutral (on the Leaf pull and hold gear selector to the right). This way you properly know all weight is just in the park brake. After a few times it just becomes habit.
I do same, and I briefly let the foot brake go when in neutral so the car can roll into the parking brake. Already did this on my automatic ICE cars.
Thank you for this interesting and helpful video Matt
Shouldn't the sequence be to RELEASE the footbrake after applying the handbrake but BEFORE engaging park? Most vehicles on a slope will "settle" on the suspension when transitioning from 4 wheels braked to 2 wheels. Such movement would also apply some load on the transmission defeating the purpose of this sequence (depending on the amount of free movement in the gearbox)
On the flat none of this makes much difference.
Surely it makes sense to go to neutral before Park as well. So, Stop using foot brake, apply handbrake, select neutral and remove foot from foot brake (now the car will settle and all weight will be on hand brake) then select park. That is how I do it in an Auto.
@@migsg7238 you are correct neutral would leave the car with no load on the drive line. Depends on the vehicle, an ICE automatic would be gently pulling the car forward so neutral first would help. An electric car may or may not have creep, so neutral and drive may be the same thing on those cars when stationary.
In reality though when you shift an automatic transmission from drive, through neutral and reverse to park you should have your foot on the brake, and some cars require that to enable shifting. ICE vehicles with a mechanical transmission will have a delay as they shift between each mode so there will be time when the transmission has no load on it before the parking pawl is engaged.
Personally I think cars should be engineered so that drivers don't have to do these rituals, and the majority of vehicles are engineered that way. The parking pawl mechanism should be robust enough, and if there is a sequence that lowers the load on it this should be implemented in software, especially now vehicles often have electric handbrakes. The best solution would be no parking pawl at all, but that does require a robust parking brake with redundant application (i.e. an in caliper motor so that each wheel is separately actuated for redundancy, although this doesn't provide locking of all 4 wheels in front wheel drive vehicles).
Well said! That's very important tip and actually applied for ALL cars, the most important for automatic transmissions.
Don't leave the vehicle with shafts & gear on high tension! Let's stay in place with the parking brake doing whole job!
Thanks. But 50% of the people commenting here though don't agree....or at least think because they've not experienced any damage by selecting Park first, they'll continue doing it!
Many Thanks for explaining the components affected within the gearbox, when the hand/foot brakes are incorrectly applied!
Only trouble is my car doesn't have a mechanical parking brake, it's all done when you select park on the "gear knob". Also the car has auto hold when stopped and in drive.
What car do you have?
@@GoGreenAutos MG ZS EV Trophy LR, I find that the green brake light on the dash is lit when I come to a stop and pressing Park puts that light out and the red parking brake light on so the brakes are applied before selecting park buy the car and not me.
Our Enyaq doesn't have neither. I just put the car to hold via brake and either activate the parking brake or open the door. In either case the car doese the everything by himself. No manual brake available. I assume its equal withthe VW IDs.
My ID.3 does not have a “handbrake”. Only has Park.
The New Niro is the same, you select transmission Park, it puts the "hand brake" on too.
Good tip thanks. Reminds me of old American tv shows where the car jumps as they're getting out of it.
Sorry but I have for my entire driving career and with my 28kWh Ioniq put car in Park then put park brake on. The BYD Atto 3 puts the park brake on when you put Park on so the Park Brake button isn't used. Funny your the only one that has brought this up, had it been an issue pretty sure manufacturers and other UA-camrs would say something. I'll keep doing what I'm doing and have done for the last 35yrs of driving. I keep my foot on the brake though until the car is in park and then put it the park brake on unless it was an Atto 3. I'll do brake, park, brake thanks.
This has always been the case with automatic gearboxes regardless of the 'engine' type. Handbrake on first. The Park function is effectively a backup in case the handbrake fails. In the 'good old days' drivers were taught to turn the wheels so that if the handbrake failed the car would run into the kerb or bank and not roll off down the hill. A manual gearbox would also be left in gear - 1st if facing down a hill, reverse if facing up. That way the car would be trying to turn the engine over against the compression if it tried to roll off.
In my auto I only use Park if I am getting out of my car. If I am leaving my car I always use Park - having put the handbrake on first. Whatever you do, in any type of car, do not try and engage Park when moving. That will really do some severe and expensive damage.
Surely, if car pointing uphill, use a forward gear to get the gearbox to stop the car going backwards - then reverse gear when pointing downhill to stop the car going forwards?
@@computerbob06 If facing uphill put the car in reverse. This is because any movement of the car would tend to be downhill which would make the engine tend to turn in its normal direction . Engage first gear and the engine would turn backwards which could be detrimental to it.
I think my Zoe does it all for me. When I stop the car and turn it off, the car puts itself in neutral and also puts itself in park.
Also as I walk away it locks itself.
Unless I'm missing something.
As I showed in the video, the Zoe ZE50 doesn't even have 'park' in the transmission. This is how all vehicles will eventually be.
"it locks itself" yeah. ive been using a Clio from the service centre for the last few days and good god is the self locking and unlocking annoying. i spent 10 min standing next to the car and it kept locking and unlocking, folding and unfolding the mirrors(sounding like a sick cat every time it does). makes me feel like i should park in at least 20 feet away from my tent if i ever go camping in it, otherwise it will discharge the 12V and make sure my stuff gets stolen. never mind that i don't want the car to be locked if its sitting at home in the(already locked) garage since i probably won't remember to bring the key if i just want to take something out of the car. my Leaf has a perfectly handy button on the door handle so i never have to pull out the key which is shaped somewhat like a key and actually attaches to a keychain. oh and not to mention that i intentionally avoid places where i have to use the handbrake in winter and i couldn't do that with a car that does it automatically every time. French cars are dumb.
@@yvs6663 Take two clean crisp packets and put the fob inside or use kitchen foil.
You can also buy a small bag which does the same (mine was a present) in which you can place it.
There should be a setting which allows you to turn off that feature @@yvs6663 You'll need to check the User's Manual for where that is.
@@yvs6663it takes a few seconds to go into the settings on the screen and switch off the hands free locking if you don’t like it. You can then use buttons on door handle or key fob to unlock/lock.
I wouldn’t tell your insurance company that you regularly leave the vehicle unlocked and don’t even bother to use the parking brake!
Wow Matt, glad I’ve seen this one! Just recently got a 21 Kona, and the main dealer salesman went to great lengths to tell me “1)Footbrake, 2)Park button, 3)Handbrake lever”. One way to get a car in for some serious repairs…
The thing about salesmen is they have very little product knowledge.
the Ioniq manual has the following instructions :
1. Hold down the brake pedal while the vehicle is parked.
2. While depressing the brake pedal, shift to P (Park).
3. While depressing the brake pedal, engage the parking brake.
4. While depressing the brake pedal, press the POWER button and turn off the vehicle.
I’ve just I realised I’ve been using that method in our Ioniq without even thinking about it.
Same
I use this method but the car move a Little bit After i turn it off, Is Okay?
@@riccardomarinoni6733 car shouldn't move if parking brake is on before release foot brake
@@sp1es with parking brake on It move only 3-4 cm
I hope the pre owner of the Ioniq i bought today did watch this video^^ great info here, greetings from germany
You are absolutely right, I am thinking about this since I own a Ioniq. Makes absolutely sense to me! Thank you!!
The procedure I use in my ioniq, is brake hold, park, park brake, brake release.
Done it this way since new.
May i just add from my experience owning automatic cars/vans for some time its also important to release foot brake after engaging handbrake as a car or van can still roll backwards or forwards after you release a foot break as parking brake could be on a different set of pads/pistons or parking shoes
Yes, I should have added that too.
Sorry, I don’t quite get what you mean. When you engage the parking brake, usually you will be about to leave the vehicle, so of course your foot will be off the brakes. What is there to mention?
@@Nikoo033 its mainly important down or up steep slope like for example a driveway . Hadbrake on before selecting automatic gearbox to park but when parking brake is engaged you will find that car will still move forward or backwards a bit when releasing brake pedal, that's because parking brake is on rear wheel and automatic gearbox normally on front wheels and they can move a bit and lock your transmission in park or brake stuff because of what Matt mentioned
So handbrake on while holding brake pedal then release brake pedal and after all that its safe to select park on transmission
Also it's safest to do all that in neutral
And when getting back to car when parked on slope sequence also should be kept in order
brake pedal fully in, drive or reverse gear, then release parking brake 👍
Its in rear occasions when parking up on down the slope or hill but it happens more often than people realise
@@Nikoo033auto gearboxes, and EVs, need to have their transmission put into "park" before turning them off.
Transmission Park isn't the same as "hand brake".
@@terryjimfletcher I know that. But the video states that putting handbrake on first is crucial to protect the gearbox from the car’s weight and then changing to P. However, as I have mentioned, the weight of the car (in the case of a Hyundai Ioniq) is already held by you pressing on the brake pedal. So with the Ioniq, doing: brake pedal, switch to P, handbrake, power off, then release the break pedal, does not cause any strain on the gearbox either. And that’s how Hyundai instructs to do. 🤷🏻♂️
My EV only has a "P" button and no other park brake - I was surprised to see the Nissan has a foot parking brake. I have previously mostly driven automatics and, inline with the UK Highway Code, I have always put the "Handbrake" on before selecting "Park". My wife is American and they never use the "handbrake" - this caused a big accident when she first moved here to UK - car ran across the road and into the house opposite
A UA-cam video review of a BYD Atto 3 some time ago thought the "P" on the gear selector made the "Park" function (effectively a hand-brake equivalent) on a separate selector excessive and therefore redundant.
Your explanation provides the rationale for BYD's functionality, and I shall now use all the selectors in the order you have shown, as although I park on a flat surface I never used the hand-brake equivalent that often.
Good advice. The same applies to a combustion car with an automatic gearbox.
Yes that's right. But in the UK, many EV drivers have come from a manual ICE car so don't know this. And from the comments here, quite clearly many people can't see the point of using the handbrake!
An extremely useful video Matt - thank you for explaining it. I'd hazard a guess the vast majority of drivers new to EV's won't know this, as I have to admit I didn't.
I have clearly been doing it incorrectly for the last 2 years with my 2021 Hyundai Kona. It is my first EV and the Hyundai dealer I got the car from (on lease) did not mention anything about this. In their defence, I didn't ask either. My drive is on an uphill slope and I've often heard the 'clunk' when selecting reverse to back out onto the road.
Now I know what I was doing wrong I'll do it correctly from now on; Foot brake, Parking brake, Park
When on a slope, its even better to release the foot brakes after applying the park brake, then selecting park. It then means the weight of the vehicle really is being held on the rear brakes, which will put less strain on the gearbox park pawl.
A good explanation, especially with the images of the transmission. In some cars, like the Toyota hybrid, the rear brake “electric parking brake” is applied automatically, and released automatically with a degree of interlocking with various items - e.g. it won’t release the rear brakes automatically if you are not wearing the seat belt (but it can be done manually then). It can be switched off if need be, e.g. in severe frost weather to reduce the risk of the brake pads being frozen on though.
That is very sound advice and I doubt most people would be aware of the issue unless franchised dealers mention this when you buy a new car from them? Just glad that my Fiat 500e automatically applies the handbrake and puts the car into park for me when I switch it off.
While this is true, also for traditional vehicles to some extent, the BMW i3 makes it even more complex. The handbrake is electric/electronic. The actuator is electric, also known to fail, and expensive to replace. So what we're doing is not using the handbrake when parking level, but always using it when parking on any sort of incline.
On my Ioniq 2018, I simply stop the car with the brake, pull the handbrake and usually switch off the power. This also puts it in the park selection on the gearbox.
You can also simply switch the power off, and by the sounds it makes, it seems to put both Park and handbrake on automatically, presumably in the right order 😄
My Nissan Leaf has an electric parking brake when you turn off the ignition the car automatically selects park when the power goes off, and if I apply the parking brake when I put it back into drive the car will automatically release the parking break when I drive off.
Thanks for the tip. What is the correct thing to do when stopping at traffic lights?
Either press brake or use e pedal will slow down the car and stop it but you.may have to press brake sooner
Just hold it on the brakes or use Auto Hold if your vehicle has that.
@@GoGreenAutos “hold it on the brakes” - just like the multitude of moron drivers who sit with the high intensity brake lights glaring, for minutes on end, while waiting in traffic queues!
@@oliver90owner That's because most modern cars have a autohold function, so are designed to do this. Not moron drivers at all.
@@GoGreenAutos There is no excuse for not applying the handbrake when in long traffic queues. It hisses me off, so I stop far enough behind to make sure my headlights illuminate them. My auto ICE car did not need to be held with the brake lights on, my little hatcback does not need it and my EV doesn’t, either.
When I took my test, the emergency stop was brake safely, apply the handbrake and ensure the vehicle was in neutral. The poster, on this thread who drives into his sloping drive forwards most likely should reverse in and drive out forwards, making his first move a safe one. There are drivers and ‘aimers and steerers’ in this world and the quality of driving is certainly falling.
Great explanation! I didn't know that. On my EV, I am used to press the foot brake and while it is pressed, i press park, then press the electronic park brake, then release the foot brake. Since the weight of the vehicle stays on the wheels brake pads, is that way of doing it is okay as well ?
Yes that's fine, but if you're on a slope, you really want to be applying Park last.
My car has no handbrake it only has a foot brake i thought it was the other way around because when its done like you describe the car almost jumps forward a little when you apply footbrake before neutral or park position i have a NISSAN LEAF 30 KW 2016 model.
Same process as for automatic transmission vehicles. One of the specialist Toyota mechanics on YT recently showed how small the parking pawl is in the auto transmission, and after many years of having the weight of the car resting on it, it can break.
Ioniq 5 applies parking break when you press in P. It also removes it when you select D or R. No need to manually apply parking break.
While letting the car do it automatically is fine for most of the time, if you're parked on a slope, you should definitely do it manually, so the handbrake first.
6:25 Hold the park button a bit longer in a Tesla and it will engage an electric parking brake. It shows up in the display as a extra brake. It’s talked about in the Owner’s Manual, but who reads that?
They have changed the software now so that gets engaged however long you hold park. The purpose of the long press is / was to nip it on a bit tighter.
In Tesla it applies the handbrake and shifts to park as soon as driver makes to leave the vehicle, so you could legitimately never use that button. Although relying on a safety system is a bad idea, footbrake works on 4 wheels, handbrake and Tesla park only on two wheels... in low grip situations the car could slide away once the foot brake is released, making it better to be in the vehicle.
@@insanityideasThank you for the explanation.
That method is completely opposite to what driving instructor teach. Most teach that you stop your vesical with the brake pedal, then with a ice manual transition put it in first or reverse, with an automatic transmission put it in park then apply parking brake then release brake pedal.
the most important factor is not releasing the foot brake until both park gear and the handbrake are applied, right? as long as you don't release the foot brake until both of those things are done, then it doesn't matter what order you select park or apply the handbrake, yes?
I would tend to agree with your statement since the weight of the car would still be held by the brake pads.
Thats not what the Leaf manual says though......
"Parking the vehicle
1. When stopping the vehicle, apply the
foot brake, then push the P (Park) posi-
tion switch on the shift lever. Confirm
that the vehicle is in the P (Park) position
by checking the shift indicator located
near the shift lever or on the vehicle in-
formation display.
2. Apply the parking brake. For models
with the pedal type, firmly depress the
parking brake. For models with the
switch type, the electronic parking brake
is applied automatically (or for manual
operation, pull the electronic parking
brake switch up).
3. Push the power switch to the OFF
position."
That is pretty interesting. I wonder what difference it makes, then, or how crucial it is. To me, engaging the parking brake and releasing the service brake before engaging the parking pawl would make sense mechanically.
Great useful video. Ive got a Ioniq electric. So would you advice not to use the Auto Hold function near the centre console on a slope. Does this apply the footbrake when temporarily stationery?
A lot of cars with automatic gearbox have this Auto Hold function
Autohold is great on a slope as it is holding the brakes on all four wheels.
I have a question.
after you engage the handbrake, do you lift your foot off the footbrake ? or you keep your foot on the foot brake then you put the car into park mode and then you lift up your foot off the footbrake ?
1. Is it footbrake, then ,handbrake without lifting off your foot off the Footbrake, and then park.
Or
2. is it Footbrake, then handbrake, then taking your foot off the foot brake, then park.
Which is better?
On my CR-V Hybrid it is set up so when I press the power button to switch off it shifts into P and applies the handbrake automatically. Just need to keep foot on the brake while it's doing it.
Thanks Matt. Jag iPace doesnt have a parking brake at all, just the P button. How do you suggest we go about it? Thanks
It will still have a park brake, it has just automated it. So nothing you can do.
Interesting video. So what's the plan on an ID.3 or CUPRA Born where the park and electronic brake are on the same button? I guess just make sure that the footbrake is pressed before hitting the button?
Anytime I've been in a Tesla they just seem to press the gear selection stalk and leave the car. On the rare occasions when I've had to move a Tesla I couldn't see any physical handbrake?
That's correct. Tesla automates these steps and don't provide a handbrake control. But there is still a park brake on the rear wheels.
Teslas and some other evs don’t have a park pawl. Selecting Park on the drive selector is actually engaging the parking brake.
Thanks for this... Having Got an Ioniq three weeks ago I have been doing it wrong! thanks for the useful Information.!
Glad it was helpful. It will save your gearbox.
@@GoGreenAutos Thanks for your response... Can I have another question? for a while. the Classic FM/dab music title info appeared in the very bottom section of the drivers display.(It has a shaped half frame around it) Then it stopped showing & hasn't since...
How can I get that to display again ?
@@BobMuk08 I can't remember the option on the Ioniq, but generally on DAB radios you have a "display" or "txt" option in the settings.
This is good.. but in my CUPRA Born when I press 'Park' it engages the handbrake?
Great practical info that probably not many will know
Interesting. Therefore, if you have applied the ‘physical’ handbrake or equivalent what purpose does the ‘P’ on the EV gearbox serve? Just ensuring the car won’t move when started?
I assume the reverse is true when unbraking: ‘P’ EV release, then release the physical brake.
The park pawl is a sort of backup if the park brakes fail. Its an historical thing when rear brakes were drums. On modern cars with electric handbrakes, its not needed. Hence why some newer EVs no longer have one.
Yes, you're right about the reverse.
I drive a Tesla Model Y. Your interesting video is an eye opener for me. Tesla has none of these mechanisms. The outdated technology you show is shocking.
Almost all of the other traditional OEMs just do what they''ve always done.
Thanks for the information I have just been pressing park since I got my mg zs will be using the method you have described 👍
Not that long ago I was in a transit electric driving slowly across our compound on a rough bit of road with undulating pot holes. Basically it was that bad I bounced out my seat. This put the vehicle into park. The noise it made as it stopped was amazing.😂😂😂
What about auto hold, is that equivalent to using the Parking brake? without being aware, that is what I have been doing on my Hyundai Ioniq.
Auto hold applies either the foot brake (using the same actuator the emergency braking system uses -you will feel the pedal move) or the electronic handbrake (e.g. i-pace) to stop the vehicle moving and reduce strain on the gearbox or free roll in an electric car.
On hills, Cars with a torque converter automatic gearbox will usually hold themselves. Cars with a DSG auto gearbox would burn out the clutch plates which is why they usually have hill start assist to hold the car with the clutches disengaged when you move off the brake pedal to apply the throttle (also necessary to give engine stop start time to start the engine). DSG gearboxes are designed as part of a system to avoid holding the car on the clutch bite point because they have smaller less robust clutch plates.
Auto Hold is not the same as the parking brake. Auto Hold is effectively doing the same as pushing the brake pedal down, so applying the brakes on all four wheels. Its for when stopping at lights, junctions etc.
The parking brake is applying the rear brakes only when parking and leaving the vehicle and is a mechanical applying the brakes.
@@insanityideas No.this mode locks brake fluid in the system effectivly keeping the pads tight on the disc without the footbrake being pressed. Hill hold on manual ICE cars does the same thing
@@derekhenry2120 the system I was describing does that by activating a motor which pushes down on the brake pedal then releases it once enough power is applied. Although the jaguar i-pace for reasons known only to jaguar does this using the electronic handbrake actuator... which means the hold function doesn't work very well due to the time it takes to apply and release the parking brake.
Some systems require the driver to push down on the brake pedal to generate brake pressure which the car can then hold and release.
Thanks for the explanation, I will apply the parking brake before Par
That advice applies to most conventual auto gearbox cars. Particularly BMW E46;s
Thanks for those tips. I have a 2011 Nissan Leaf (Japanese import) with an electronic handbrake by the gear selector and the PARK button and will follow your suggestion. I wondered also what I should do when I come to stop at lights or similar. Should I just keep my foot on the brake or should I put my foot on the brake and put the car into neutral (like I would on a manual car). Should I put the handbrake on in such circumstances? Another thing when coming to a stop at lights for instance, is the car is still trying to pull forward as you press the footbrake. Is it ok to put the car into neutral as it is coming to stop (say at around 3-5mph) and taking the drive force away?
The car must stay in drive unless you anticipate being stationary for a long time (several minutes) in which case you should shift to park. Shifting to neutral might be a driving test fail, certainly would be whilst moving as the vehicle isn't under positive control. You can shift in and out of neutral whilst driving without damaging the gearbox, but there is no benefit.
There may be some drag whilst the car is in drive and held on the foot brake, but this depends on gearbox design and is expected behaviour (i.e. won't damage the car). Newer cars will engage engine stop start when foot is on the brake, an electric car won't apply any power.
In short, leave it in drive, it's safer, easier and how the manufacturer designed it to operate.
If you get into the habit of messing with the gear selector whilst moving- especially in an electric car like the Leaf - sooner or latter you WILL mess up and end up trying to put the car in park while it is still moving. You don't want to do that.
Thanks, I've already modified my driving accordingly.@@xmiller7691
@@xmiller7691 most cars inhibit things like selecting park whilst moving or selecting reverse whilst going forwards too fast... do it whilst moving at 2mph and you might get an abrupt stop tho. But messing with controls whilst driving is a bad idea, ending up unexpectedly in neutral can be dangerous too.
I would be more worried about doing this in an ICE vehicle that has an actual multi speed gearbox. The electric car single speed reduction drive is more robust and doesn't care which way it's rotated, gear selection is a request to the computer not a mechanical action.
I've always wondered what would happen if a child leaned over and selected Park or R when driving at 70mph.. Hopefully nothing as the car would prevent damage, but I don't want to test this theory!
The ID.3 doesn't have a handbrake lever or switch. How does this work please?
I've never driven an ID3 but it will be like a Tesla - its automated. It will still have a handbrake on the rear wheels, but they've automated its function and removed the switch.
@@GoGreenAutos Yes. pressing the Park button engages the electrically operated parking brake on the rear wheels. If you do not press it it automatically operates it as you open the door. To leave the car without putting the brakes on (very rare) there is a procedure in the manual to do this.
In the only automatic driven car I've had, I was always taught to only use Park when leaving the vehicle, otherwise at the lights/waiting for someone to pass etc, foot brake and put into Neutral.
I never had any instruction on when I got my first automatic. I used to used Park exclusively and very VERY rarely use the hand brake. Also when at lights/waiting, the car would judder a little whilst my foot was on the break and it was 'fighting' creep, so I'd knock it into neutral for comfort.
Very informative. Thank you, Matt!
My pleasure
You can only change gear on the Hyundai Ioniq once your foot is on the brake pedal. Meaning that the weight of the car is held by the regular brakes each time you want to change gear anyway. Basically, when pressing P before using the electronic handbrake, the Ioniq driver is already holding the weight of the car with the brakes. So the order you describe seems therefore a bit irrelevant and contradicts your reasoning, doesn’t it?
Same with my Leaf 2019. U need to have your foot on a brake to change the gear or to put into parking. When pressing the P I already have my leg on the foot brake anyway and then I am applying the hand brake. It is a different order, but the same principal.
but soon as you take your foot off the brake pedal it’s going to stick all the force of the car on the parking arm and motor (if you don’t set hand brake first to hold the car)
The point is you don’t want the car to be sitting on the parking transmission pin as the parking motor has to work extra hard to yank it out of the slot, handbrake first park second > D first then handbrake off
@@leexgxread my comment again. With the Ioniq, you keep your foot on the brake pedal throughout: the order is: foot on the brake pedal (so weight of the car is held), press P (still foot on the brake pedal), pull electronic handbrake (still foot on brake pedal), power off, release brake pedal. I don’t see how at any point the weight of the car is an issue when doing this way (which is what Hyundai tells to do anyway).
@@Nikoo033Whether you engage the handbrake and then P or P and then handbrake, is irrelevant, as long as you keep the brake pedal pressed.
His point is not to leave the car without the handbrake on, which must be engaged while holding the break.
@@Nikoo033the video describes putting the parking brake (not transmission Park) on before you release the foot brake. You are doing the same but keeping your foot on the foot brake so that at no point is the transmission Park taking any strain.
I think it's better to do that:
Press brake
Select N
Apply hand brake
Release brake ( car moves a little bit)
Now select P
On our EV6 the parking brake is automatically applied when you hit the park button - I'd assume it does it in the correct order?
No it doesn't. See the pinned comment.
You said this about the Hyundai ioniq, however in the hand book it states you put it in park then parking brake then power off. I’m confused now as what to do.
The handbook is wrong...if you want to look after the park actuator on the gearbox, that is. Especially if on a slope.
I have just googled it and what you are saying is true. Bloody hand books. I will do it the way you said . Thanks . Keep up the good work I’ve learned a lot about my ioniq from you.
What about just not putting the car into P at all. Just turn it off and walk away. Is that also bad?
would never have thought of this. but going to be a hard habit to break to tell the truth. i will try
My only query is the Ionic has auto hold so when i come to a stop effectively my handbrake is already on so couldn't i just then put it into park then put on the electric parking brake?
Auto hold is holding the hydraulic brakes (all the brakes), not the handbrake (rear brakes) - so its just effectively holding the brake pedal down for you.
Auto hold does not change anything in terms of the message in the video. When parking and leaving the vehicle, still apply the handbrake first, then select Park last.
If you're on a slope and you really want to look after your reduction gearbox, then it would be even better to apply the hand brake, then select Neutral, then turn off auto hold, then release the brake pedal to allow the weight of the vehicle to be held by the handbrake, then select Park.
@@GoGreenAutos ok thank you
Does this method also apply to Hybids like the Ford Maverick?
Yes, all automatics.
Does this apply the MG4 EV please?
I don’t think it’s necessary, because you are holding the car stopped with the foot brake pedal / brake discs, then you are shifting into P while still holding down the brake pedal, so the car is still being held by the brake discs, and not the gearbox. Then you are applying the handbrake, and then releasing the foot brake. So at no time is the gearbox holding the car, right? 🤔 Or I am missing something? 🤷🏻♂️
If you are on absolutely level ground yes. But if not, even by a few mm, the car will move and the weight of the vehicle is then on the park pawl or at least additional pressure is put on the park pawl.
@@GoGreenAutos But how? The car doesn’t move when you have the brakes applied, you are not letting off the brake pedal before the handbrake is engaged, how can the car then move? You have the brake pedal pushed down all the time, so it should not matter if you go into P and then engage the handbrake before letting off the brake pedal. How I see the problem is when people go into park, and not applying the handbrake, or that people are letting the car roll a bit in P before they engage the handbrake. Then we are having the problem, that the weight of the car is putting pressure on the gearbox. But I simply can’t see it should matter if you always have the brake pedal pushed down, and go into P first and then the handbrake, because you are still holding the car with the brakes, and first letting off the pedal when the handbrake is on. 🤷🏻♂️
This advice doesn’t work for Teslas.
There’s no handbrake as such. You select “p” and then the parking brakes are engaged on the rear wheels via what sounds like a worm drive on the rear brake pad callipers.
If you then push and hold “p”, then you engage “emergency brakes”. This isn’t explained well in the manual but it sounds like a single click from outside the car , which I’m guessing is consistent with a pin driven into the gear mechanism (hopefully for the front wheel drive)
So the sequence of selecting “p” in a Tesla to all intents and purposes will engage your brake pads onto discs, but that’s only two wheels braked in park. For four wheels to be engaged (e.g. on a slope or a ferry) I’m left to guess work, but I’m hoping emergency brakes will be fine.
Yes the electronic park brake is fine holding a vehicle by just two wheels. The pads are applied really tightly.
@@GoGreenAutos Normally yes, but it can be marginal on an icy slope with just two wheels braked.
On a violent sea crossing, it could also be insufficient. When I boarded a ferry, the deck crew insisted that all cars were put in gear in addition to parking brakes being applied. I suspect if Ferry companies become wise to Teslas only having two wheel braking capability then they could deny boarding.
@@anthonydyer3939 I've been on many Birkenhead to Belfast overnight ferry crossings when all vehicles were chained down to the decks.
Not applicable to ID4 which when Park is selected as far as I can ascertain only engages the electric parking brakes on the rear wheels. There is no parking pawl in the gearbox
Nice tip, think I do it in that order but now I know why!😁
Or just dont use the park function ? Ive never understood what its for anyway ?
Page 15 of the Warranty /Maintenance book for my 2022 LEAF :-
On a steep hill check that the vehicle is held securely whilst the vehicle is in the P (Park) position without applying the brakes.
The next paragraph refers to a similar test for the parking brake.
There is no memtion of any order for operation in daily use.
So maybe the user guide is wrong? Or at least unclear.
Just think of all the extra parts they had to sell 😂
Whoops guilty. Will amend my ways. Thank u 🙏
You're doing it wrong !
1 Put in neutral
2 Pull the Hand break
3 Release your foot from the pedal to be Sure all the weight is on the breaks
4 Then select the P mode.
Does it matter if I brake then put it in neutral, handbrake the car and last put the car in park? Or is it best to go from drive ,brake ,handbrake, park?
No it doesn't. Neutral on an EV isn't the same as an ICE automatic, so there's no benefit of using neutral first, but then no negatives either.
@@GoGreenAutos it's all new to me having the ioniq, but I'm starting to love the car already 😍. Thank you so much for your quick response 🙏🏼
@GoGreenAutos one question remains. What to do in winter when it's below zero? My driveway is flush so no hills. Can I still use the handbrake? Or will it be better not to use it when it's freezing cold?.
@GoGreenAutos one question remains. What to do in winter when it's below zero? My driveway is flush so no hills. Can I still use the handbrake? Or will it be better not to use it when it's freezing cold?
I find that when parking on a slope, when I i follow this sequence, the car moves as i release the for brake after pressing Park. I'm assuming this isn't good for the transmission. Therefore I do: footbrake, handbrake, release foot brake, press Park.
Yes, spot on. As you saw from the video, there's a little bit of play in the transmission as sometimes the park pawl wont be dropping straight into a slot in the sprocket.
@@GoGreenAutos I guess I'm also experiencing a bit of movement caused by switching from foot to hand brakes too? Not really my area of expertise, but very interesting stuff..
@@decimal1815 shouldn't be. On the majority of cars, the handbrake uses the rear brake pads, so is the same as holding the car on the footbrake (albeit that is using all four wheels).
on my ioniq I alway use foot brake to stop completely my car then use electric parking brake then I release my foot from brake to ensure my car isn't moving and is holded by the electric parking brake and only after that I activate the P gear.
Hi ,
I am na ev user from india , here we have a model called tata nexon ev
Whic have a electronic park ( p) option , and seperate a auto hold option.
My doubt is # while standing in traffic .
1. Should we just put the car in d( drive mode ) with autohold or
2 . Should we put car in d ( drive ) to N (neutral ) and put auto hold
Will it have any problem on electric gear knob
Just let auto hold do its job
@@GoGreenAutos thank you 🙏🏼
Sorry, this my be a stupid question. Should we even use park? Or just use a handbrake and leave it in neutral?
You could do. As I showed, the Renault Zoe ZE50 doesn't have a Park.
Is this more for EVs build on fossil platforms?. Purpose built ground up BEVs don't seem to have this issue.
when you stop at a traffic light .... stay in D or put in N or P?
Let it be i D.
Stay in D and hold your foot on the brakes or use Auto Hold if your car has that. If you don't want your rear brake lights to be lit, you could apply the handbrake and select N. No need at all to use P, especially if not on level ground.
Thanks for this content, it was informative and hopefully helpful!
Thanks :-)
Does this apply to Tesla's as well?
No. I covered that in the video, but I guess you didn't get that far.
Is it just me, or do British people use the parking brake unnecessarily? Example being, on perfectly flat ground. Personally, i only use it, if the car is on a decent incline/decline to keep the weight off of the parking pawl.
You're stop on there.
@@GoGreenAutos What does this even mean?
@@Charlesbjtown Sorry, I was meant to say "you're spot on there", but not to your comment. I don't know why it put it there. I've seen this a few times now where UA-cam puts replies in the wrong thread.
Sorry, I'm confused. Which comment were you referring to?@@GoGreenAutos
My wife never presses park see just handbrakes and switch off! What does that mean?
Depends on the vehicle
put vehicle in neutral - press brake-pedal - apply park-brake - and finally into park on the drive selector.. this ensures no stress on the gearbox while parking.
Yes absolutely. I didn't include this as it would only complicate the message further. Clearly from the comments, there's enough complication causes already!
How much credence can you give to someone who rips up a parking brake lever without pushing the button to stop the ratched wearing? My Soul EV automatically activates the parking brake once the system is switched off, but Park is engaged first.
I appreciate what you're saying about not stressing the great box pawl, but cars are designed to be sold world wide and no driver in North America would dream of using "the emergency brake" for everyday parking :)
Thank you for the clear and very useful video !
You are welcome
Great video! You just saved me a ton of money!😅
Same with any autobox electric petrol or diesel
In the new Zoe, if you turn off the car, the parking brake is automatically apply
Logical explained, Thank you!
You're welcome
Very helpful, that is new to me.
Very informative. Thank you.
I’ve always just put automatic cars into park; I’ve never used a handbrake on any automatic car for the 40 years I’ve been driving them!
Why does the motor burn out? If the parking pawl is engaged in the gear, then why would the motor remain energized?
I can see that there would be significant stress on the pawl but I cannot understand why the motor is overloaded?
With „Auto hold“ i turn off the Car (Ioniq FL) Handbreak and P do the Car alone. Sry not native speaker.😅
Well I definitely don't do that! I shall try to change my normal habit, but I can't guarantee what my wife will do!
This sounds like a poorly thought out design from the car manufacturers. Either they need to make the part available without having to replace the whole gearbox or like with Tesla and Renault is design the car to not need 2 brakes and a park.
The other issue is most electric car owners or at least the vast majority are on lease and they traditionally don't really care about the car having to last longer than the 3 years after they get it.
This would be my same issue with battery management. Manufacturers should have code built in that only charges batteries to 80% but asks owner if they want to override to 100% this would solve alot of over charging and faster degradation of batteries meaning less waste in the near future.
So in real world driving you only have 60% of the stated range
LFP batteries need to charge to 100% fairly regularly to balance the cells and calibrate the BMS. They aren't as stressed by charging to full as NMC batteries and should last longer anyway.
@@Markcain268 no, no you don’t. But to ensure the best maintenance of the battery it is better not to charge to 100% all the time or run the battery below 20% every time. It means you can use the full range when necessary, just like you don’t bounce your ICE car off the Rev limiter every time you go up the road😂😂
@@devonbikefilms no but i can fill the tank and drive until it's empty every time
A video explaining how important it is to really stop the car before changing gear would have been good. Thanks for this informative video.
On an MG ZS EV, am I doing it right it I press the foot brake, then press park, then switch off? Can I just switch off with my foot on the brake? I can hear it out the electronic parking brake on.
Manufacturers who will only supply a complete new reduction gear box are thieves, frankly.
Many vehicles with an electric handbrake will apply the handbrake automatically when you press park or stop the car, but that's not a good idea if on a slope as the order will be wrong still and the weight of the car will not be held by the handbrake.
Well that's not how i do it, i put my leaf or any car in neutral first with my foot still on the main brakes, then pull the hand brakes then release the main brakes, while car is still in neutral then i put it in park.
Yes, that's even better. See my pinned comment.
i usually aim to do that whenever i feel like there is enough of a slope to need to pull the handbrake but 1. the people designing the car aren't stupid and probably designed the thing to be able to hold the car wo damage 2. i think the car actually sometimes won't initiate charging if its parked but doesn't detect weight on the transmition thingy.
You do what now? That makes absolutely no sense what's so ever. Had a leaf and never did it, anything newer you hit park and the electronic parking brake then applies automatically?