Be sure to use your parking brake!
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Can I share a parking brake story?
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
Well my wife isn't big on common sense, so one day she (let's number the idiocies, shall we?) (1) Let our 6-year-old daughter sit in the front passenger seat. Then she (2) Parked the car--daughter inside--without applying the parking brake. You can imagine the rest. Daughter plays with shifter, it goes into Neutral, car starts rolling backward down a hill that leads directly to a parkway... Fortunately my wife was able to get back into the car in time, but it still horrifies me to think what might have happened.
So now I've got her applying the bloody parking brake, but I'm still working on teaching her that it needs some force behind it to work properly. You can't just push on it like you're stepping on an egg you don't want to break.
My sister and I had a similar experience when we were kids... In a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 280S.
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
Well my wife isn't big on common sense, so one day she (let's number the idiocies, shall we?) (1) Let our 6-year-old daughter sit in the front passenger seat. Then she (2) Parked the car--daughter inside--without applying the parking brake. You can imagine the rest. Daughter plays with shifter, it goes into Neutral, car starts rolling backward down a hill that leads directly to a parkway... Fortunately my wife was able to get back into the car in time, but it still horrifies me to think what might have happened.
So now I've got her applying the bloody parking brake, but I'm still working on teaching her that it needs some force behind it to work properly. You can't just push on it like you're stepping on an egg you don't want to break.
My sister and I had a similar experience when we were kids... In a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 280S.
if you had a good automatic trans and put it in park it wont go any where.
Originally Posted By: glum
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
It wasn't too many years ago, that many (or most) cars were like that. Heck I've got one that can be shifted out of Park even without the key in the ignition; I believe it stems from some shoddy repairs to the steering column by a previous owner.
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
It wasn't too many years ago, that many (or most) cars were like that. Heck I've got one that can be shifted out of Park even without the key in the ignition; I believe it stems from some shoddy repairs to the steering column by a previous owner.
Originally Posted By: morris
if you had a good automatic trans and put it in park it wont go any where.
Had I known they kept that idiotic design I would not have let her buy that car.
Originally Posted By: css9450
It wasn't too many years ago, that many (or most) cars were like that.
My 1997 BMW didn't have that deficiency. There's no excuse for it. I know there are many in the crowd who would say "Well if you're too stupid to apply the parking brake, your kid deserves to die!" but I'm more sane and safety minded.
if you had a good automatic trans and put it in park it wont go any where.
Had I known they kept that idiotic design I would not have let her buy that car.
Originally Posted By: css9450
It wasn't too many years ago, that many (or most) cars were like that.
My 1997 BMW didn't have that deficiency. There's no excuse for it. I know there are many in the crowd who would say "Well if you're too stupid to apply the parking brake, your kid deserves to die!" but I'm more sane and safety minded.
Originally Posted By: glum
Can I share a parking brake story?
My father-in-law did something similar about 15 years ago when he borrowed my pickup once. He had one of my sons with him, who at that time was about the same age as your daughter or possibly younger.
The short story is the truck mowed down a wooden split-rail fence across the street from his house while my son was grinning from ear to ear. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Can I share a parking brake story?
My father-in-law did something similar about 15 years ago when he borrowed my pickup once. He had one of my sons with him, who at that time was about the same age as your daughter or possibly younger.
The short story is the truck mowed down a wooden split-rail fence across the street from his house while my son was grinning from ear to ear. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
Originally Posted By: glum
My 1997 BMW didn't have that deficiency. There's no excuse for it. I know there are many in the crowd who would say "Well if you're too stupid to apply the parking brake, your kid deserves to die!" but I'm more sane and safety minded.
No, no one is saying that. I wonder, though, could the Mercedes have been broken somehow? I thought the brake-shift-interlock was a law in this country; I know GM cars have required use of the brake pedal before shifting since about 1992, for example.
My 1997 BMW didn't have that deficiency. There's no excuse for it. I know there are many in the crowd who would say "Well if you're too stupid to apply the parking brake, your kid deserves to die!" but I'm more sane and safety minded.
No, no one is saying that. I wonder, though, could the Mercedes have been broken somehow? I thought the brake-shift-interlock was a law in this country; I know GM cars have required use of the brake pedal before shifting since about 1992, for example.
I always apply the parking brake as well despite having the auto tranny, it's a habit from driving the manual, but it's just an extra safety net, plus keeps all the parts moving and keeps them from sticking when I do need to use the parking brake.
I told my wife that the tranny in Mazda is very weak and that if the brake is not applied, it will eventually break from extra forces. I said that if the tranny breaks because she doesn't apply the parking brake, I will not buy another automatic car ever again to avoid the expanse (she is terrified of driving stick shift).
She applied the parking brake every time
I told my wife that the tranny in Mazda is very weak and that if the brake is not applied, it will eventually break from extra forces. I said that if the tranny breaks because she doesn't apply the parking brake, I will not buy another automatic car ever again to avoid the expanse (she is terrified of driving stick shift).
She applied the parking brake every time
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Originally Posted By: css9450
No, no one is saying that.
I was being preemptive.
Originally Posted By: css9450
I wonder, though, could the Mercedes have been broken somehow?
Good question. I'll try to find out. I had been assuming it was just a stupid design, based on my old experiences with the 1977 Mercedes.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I always apply the parking brake as well despite having the auto tranny
It's a good habit. Some ATs (as I'm sure you know) can get stuck in Park if on a hill without the PB applied, or PB applied but not hard enough. I believe it also isn't good for the AT even on mild inclines to not use the PB.
No, no one is saying that.
I was being preemptive.
Originally Posted By: css9450
I wonder, though, could the Mercedes have been broken somehow?
Good question. I'll try to find out. I had been assuming it was just a stupid design, based on my old experiences with the 1977 Mercedes.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I always apply the parking brake as well despite having the auto tranny
It's a good habit. Some ATs (as I'm sure you know) can get stuck in Park if on a hill without the PB applied, or PB applied but not hard enough. I believe it also isn't good for the AT even on mild inclines to not use the PB.
Yeah our '94 grand cherokee could shift without you pressing the brakes when it was not running.
Thankfully Chrysler had a recall for it, installed some kind of brake pedal detent lock.
Thankfully Chrysler had a recall for it, installed some kind of brake pedal detent lock.
My Jeep has the brake shift interlock, although turning the key one click forward to the 2nd off position (all electronics off, but steering unlocked) bypasses it. Otherwise, key must be on and foot on brake to get it out of park. Personally, on flat ground, I don't use the parking brake. However, I use it if I'm on a hill. I also make a point to park nose-up on hills, as the parking brake currently works great going backwards, but hardly works at all going forward.
Originally Posted By: morris
if you had a good automatic trans and put it in park it wont go any where.
While that is true, there are several reasons to use the parking brake:
1. Redundant safety (see all the stories of cars rolling when they slip out of park...).
2. On steep hills, the parking brake makes it easier to get out of park by taking the load off the parking pawl itself.
3. Some cars (like my truck) have the self-adjusting drums linked to the parking brake. If you don't use it - the regular brakes slowly lose effectiveness through poor adjustment.
4. Using the parking brake is recommended by every manufacturer.
if you had a good automatic trans and put it in park it wont go any where.
While that is true, there are several reasons to use the parking brake:
1. Redundant safety (see all the stories of cars rolling when they slip out of park...).
2. On steep hills, the parking brake makes it easier to get out of park by taking the load off the parking pawl itself.
3. Some cars (like my truck) have the self-adjusting drums linked to the parking brake. If you don't use it - the regular brakes slowly lose effectiveness through poor adjustment.
4. Using the parking brake is recommended by every manufacturer.
Originally Posted By: glum
Can I share a parking brake story?
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
I would get rid of the car tomorrow.
Can I share a parking brake story?
My wife drives a 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230. This vehicle has an idiotic design that allows the transmission to be shifted from Park without the brake being depressed.
I would get rid of the car tomorrow.
Can you say behind on the payments, or the mileage is way over, and the lease is up!
I bet it had one of those moronic column mounted tiny gear selectors. I like to call them the "Retardo-Stub"
Now before you start in on me about the greatness of the column shifter in your Crown Vic or Dodge Ram, the Siben-er's selector was about the size of a Mitsubishi cruise control stub and worked in a similar fashion. You didn't grab it with your whole fist,pull it towards you and move that selector up in to park like a good old TH350 or C4...nope. IIRC, you had to take the tip of your index finger and push in on it to select Park. It was annoying and even the most staunch defenders of BMW oddities like the i-Drive tended to hate the "Retardo-Stub."
BMW has since quadrupled it in size and stuck it back down on the console. It's still more of a joystick than a shifter.
Now before you start in on me about the greatness of the column shifter in your Crown Vic or Dodge Ram, the Siben-er's selector was about the size of a Mitsubishi cruise control stub and worked in a similar fashion. You didn't grab it with your whole fist,pull it towards you and move that selector up in to park like a good old TH350 or C4...nope. IIRC, you had to take the tip of your index finger and push in on it to select Park. It was annoying and even the most staunch defenders of BMW oddities like the i-Drive tended to hate the "Retardo-Stub."
BMW has since quadrupled it in size and stuck it back down on the console. It's still more of a joystick than a shifter.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I told my wife that the tranny in Mazda is very weak and that if the brake is not applied, it will eventually break from extra forces. I said that if the tranny breaks because she doesn't apply the parking brake, I will not buy another automatic car ever again to avoid the expanse (she is terrified of driving stick shift).
She applied the parking brake every time
Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who tells automotive white lies to their significant other for the good of the cars! He parked it on a steep hill once and couldn't get it out of park, and I've got him convinced that the parking pawl is barely hanging by a thread now. Uses the parking brake every time!
I told my wife that the tranny in Mazda is very weak and that if the brake is not applied, it will eventually break from extra forces. I said that if the tranny breaks because she doesn't apply the parking brake, I will not buy another automatic car ever again to avoid the expanse (she is terrified of driving stick shift).
She applied the parking brake every time
Haha, I'm glad I'm not the only one who tells automotive white lies to their significant other for the good of the cars! He parked it on a steep hill once and couldn't get it out of park, and I've got him convinced that the parking pawl is barely hanging by a thread now. Uses the parking brake every time!
Hmmmmmmmm.........???????? Las Vegas? 18% Home vacancy and unemployment? That is the capital of self car torching. I wonder how many payments he was behind.
Agreed with slickrocko1
Read this article
Agreed with slickrocko1
Read this article
My late Mom grew up in Indiana, and back in about 1940 when she was a little kid, her branch of the family would visit cousins in Michigan at the beginning to middle of winter. There was this lake popular for ice fishing, and he cousins would always drive a truck out on the ice to test if it was strong enough. One morning the ice was just not up to par, but they at least got the truck out to where the water was about 20 feet deep before it sank. No one was hurt though.
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