Does the parking gear in automatic cars serve the same purpose as the handbrake?

Question

For example, you're at a stoplight. If you put the car in Park, it won't roll back or forward and it'll just say there. But say, instead of doing that at the stoplight, you have your right foot on the brake, you're in Drive and you put the handbrake on. If you let go of the brake, will it just be like the car is in Park even thought it's still in Drive? Will the car roll back or forward if you do this?

Answer 1

its still in "drive", so it will crawl forwards grinding away your handbrakes

Answer 2

Let's break (no pun intended) this down:

#1: "Park" is not the same thing as the parking brake.

The parking brake actually physically applies the rear brakes on your car, making it unlikely to move. Your car's brakes are quite strong, and designed to slow your car from high speeds, so they are extremely unlikely to fail when your car is not moving.

The "Park" setting of an automatic transmission, however, is a setting in which the transmission "freewheels"; that is, if the engine is turning, the wheels do not, just like when you're in "Neutral". Unlike "Neutral", however, the "Park" setting also includes an internal piece that keeps the drive wheels from turning. So, when you're in "Park", the car doesn't roll.

#2: "Park" is a terrible way to hold a car in place.

The trouble with that internal piece that keeps the car from rolling in "Park" is this: it's designed to hold the car in place for brief moments when you've released the parking brake but haven't put your foot on the brake and shifted into gear. Consequently, it's a much, much weaker part than your brakes, and so much more likely to fail.

Sure, very few people actually USE the parking brake when parking their car if they've got an automatic transmission, but they SHOULD. You know those videos you see on America's Funniest Home Videos, where a parked car on a hill suddenly starts rolling away? Just about every one of those is caused by a person who put the car in park but didn't set the brake. If there have been so many captured on videotape, imagine how many haven't been!

So, what should you do?

#1: when you park your car, on a hill or flat ground, put it in "Park" AND set the parking brake;

#2: when you park your car on a hill, and you're facing downwards, park as close to the curb as you can and turn the wheel all the way towards the curb, so that if the car starts rolling forwards, the front wheels will hit the curb and stop the car;

#3: when you park your car on a hill, and you're facing upwards, park as close to the curb as you can and turn the wheel all the way away from the curb, so that if the car starts rolling backwards, the back wheels will hit the curb and stop the car.

Oh, and to answer your last question:

If you leave the car in drive, and set the parking brake, then let your foot off the brake, the car might move, or it might stay still -- it depends on how tightly you've set the parking brake. Either way, it's not recommended; the parking brake is not designed to win in a fight against your engine, which is why so many people accidentally burn up their rear brakes by accidentally driving around with the parking brake on.

Answer 3

I never use my Emergency/Hand Brake with an Automatic, it stay were I put it in park. But, I keep my Emergency Brake working in case my regular brakes not work. If, a person have a Standard Transmission it good to always park the car and use the hand brake. New the Compression should hold the car, but, as an engine get old and lose compression, on a hill the car will slowly move to the bottom of the hill, if you not set the brake. At a stop light I just hold down the foot brake and keep the car in drive.

Answer 4

The "parking/emergency brake" is a mechanical effected by stepping/pulling up on the parking/emergency brake pedal/lever as opposed to a hydraulic application effected by stepping on the brake pedal of the rear ONLY brakes.Whereas putting the vehicle in park puts a rod inside the transmission through the sprockets of a gear also inside of the transmission.Which locks the transmission so that the vehicle cannot move.In ways they do the same thing with one exception.If the parking/emergency brake is applied with the vehicle not in park and the vehicle is either hit or on a steep enough grade it could move.

Answer 5

Hello

Park locks the gearbox. Handbrake locks the rear wheels only.
In drive it will want to move forward even though you are holding it with the handbrake. When in traffic just use park. When finished driving use handbrake

Answer 6

nop