55
votes
Accepted
Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?
Not at all, in fact there are many occasions when you would want the tires at an angle to the body of the car. Any time you're parked on a hill it is prudent to angle the wheels of the car so that if ...
- 14.4k
26
votes
Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?
Perhaps my post is a bit late, but make sure you always face your wheels to an angle if you park your vehicle on a hill. A brake failure can lead into some heavy damage.
If you parked your vehicle at ...
- 371
25
votes
What are the pros and cons for the two possible "gear directions" when parking the car on a hill?
You've got several things wrong, as you've made a lot of assumptions.
First, in an engine if the ignition isn't turned on (ie: if it doesn't have power), you cannot push start it. You can turn that ...
- 153k
14
votes
Accepted
Should I leave my wheels straight when I park my car?
The only time you really need to turn your wheels when parked is when parking on a hill. Uphill you should point your wheels away from the curb. When pointing downhill you should point your wheels ...
- 153k
12
votes
Smart and effective ways to light up a garage without relying on power outlets?
Battery operated flashlights or worklights which share batteries with your cordless tools would be a good option.
These will allow you to work on the car even with a dead or disconnected battery. ...
- 350
11
votes
Smart and effective ways to light up a garage without relying on power outlets?
There are a number of ways to do this, but the two that come immediately to mind are battery-powered LED work lights. (A quick internet search will turn up many). Two varieties might be of use/...
- 2,847
9
votes
Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?
(I would have added this as a comment but I don't have the reputation yet)
As dlu pointed out, on steep hills you want to angle your front wheels towards the kerb, but there are also situations where ...
- 91
8
votes
What are the pros and cons for the two possible "gear directions" when parking the car on a hill?
The gear ratios in most manual transmissions are such that first gear has a lower ratio than reverse (actually a higher numerical ratio is a better way to express this but I'll follow the convention ...
- 81
7
votes
Accepted
Why doesn't a car parked in first gear roll backwards?
Engaging gear increases the effort needed to move the car
Typically (assuming a RWD vehicle):
In neutral: car moves when wheels, axles, diff(s), propshaft & gearbox output shaft turn
In gear: ...
- 39.1k
6
votes
Smart and effective ways to light up a garage without relying on power outlets?
A "dead" car battery can still have more than enough juice to run things like LED lights, phone chargers, etc. - and lots of us have one kicking round the workshop we haven't got round to disposing of....
- 466
6
votes
Accepted
Running cables from rear camera and parking sensors to car front in a Honda Fit 2015
A common way to run cabling from the back of the car to the front is tucking it under the floor carpet near an edge, where passengers' feet don't frequently stomp.
For example you could route it ...
6
votes
Gauging tight parking spots
One thing I found with myself, after learning to drive on farms at a very young age, is that I seem to naturally "know" or "feel" where the outer limits of my car is. It's strange and I can't fully ...
- 1,586
6
votes
Accepted
Car with broken left driveshaft won't stay in park
While the other answer is basically correct, it really doesn't tell you why it does this.
These two things are related because of the differential. The differential is made to allow either side to ...
- 153k
5
votes
How to not hit the car in front whatever the car?
Once you have driven a few cars for a while you will get used to knowing from walking up to a car and getting in just how big it is. But until that time you can use some useful tricks:
parallax: if ...
- 18.6k
5
votes
Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?
The reasons taught by driving instructors to keep wheels angled to the kerb:
one so that if the car rolls on a slope the tyres hit the kerb (as above);
to avoid the wear and tear of turning the ...
- 151
5
votes
What are the long term effects of parking outside?
I live in the Netherlands.
Ice on the windows is an issue, but can be mitigated. And we don't have too many days where temperature is below zero.
To avoid bird droppings, don't park under a ...
- 4,422
5
votes
Accepted
Park gear not holding wheels when on jacks
When park is selected it is only the gearbox output shaft that is locked in place, the open differentials that are fitted to the car are still able to do their job and allow relative rotation of the ...
- 24.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Car manual says I have to wait a few seconds before shifting to reverse, why?
This is to protect the transmission. I don't know if your vehicle is automatic or reverse, but in either case it is good practice to completely stop the vehicle before going from one direction to the ...
- 153k
4
votes
Proper way to stop auto transmission car
You may not need do it one way or another, but the correct habit would be to stop and then Park the vehicle before turning it off.
Why? Well, you're not doing any damage making the selection on the ...
- 1,096
4
votes
Proper way to stop auto transmission car
You may not have a choice. On many "button cars" you cannot just kill the engine while the transmission is still in gear. This is a safety feature to prevent you from bumping it and turning off the ...
- 9,326
4
votes
Best way to store a car off pavement
Gravel would be better than parking on dirt, mud, straight grass, or anything with a lot of water in it. However its not ideal.
The problem is exactly as you state - water rises and slowly damages ...
- 2,838
4
votes
Is it necessary to have the wheels of a car aligned with the body when parked, due to weight on the axle?
It depends on other circumstances.
If you are on a slope angled wheels secure your car from rolling down. In the worst case you will damage your tyre agains curbs.
In parallel parking, aligning ...
- 377
4
votes
Can towing a car damage transmission while the Parking Brake is on?
The last option is easily solved - straps and / or chains are used to secure the vehicle to the flat bed.
In fact these are usually used in all cases as the load has to be properly secured, this is ...
- 34.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Best way to park an automatic car on a slope without cause damage to the gear box
If you stop the car and put it in park and then release foot brake before engaging park brake you will cause the transmissions parking pawl to bear the force. This can cause shifting out of park ...
- 3,032
4
votes
Is It Bad for the Car to Park it Regularly on a Surface Covered with Wood Mulch
In a word, No. Wood mulch will not cause you any issues. Also, I don't think you really understand why grass is an issue. It isn't being parked on grass which is the problem, it's allowing the grass ...
- 153k
3
votes
How to not hit the car in front whatever the car?
As said in the other answers, each car is different, and it's mostly experience, if you don't have these little electronic helpers.
But I have one trick: Watch the light cones of your front light. As ...
- 7,047
3
votes
Should I leave my wheels straight when I park my car?
As Paulster2 says, as far as your car is concerned, it really doesn't matter, but if your parking brake/gear fails (from being tapped by another car, e.g.) you want the curb, if there is one, to act ...
- 1,502
3
votes
Smart and effective ways to light up a garage without relying on power outlets?
My take is slightly different, though related to what has been said. Obviously, LED lighting is the way to go. The reason for this is because the for the amount of light, it uses very little battery ...
- 153k
3
votes
What are the long term effects of parking outside?
The areas exposed to the sun are the most vulnerable. Paint, rubber trim and moldings, and the interior are the most vulnerable.
Keeping the car clean and waxed will prevent virtually all paint ...
- 4,129
3
votes
What are the long term effects of parking outside?
I think the real danger is a tree growing up through your vehicle. Tree sap can be washed off, and a car can be repainted, but it's much more work if a tree grows through your car. Here's some ...
- 671
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible