Common mistake drivers make when parking that could cost thousands

A SIMPLE mistake drivers are making every day could be costing them more than £1,000 in damages.

Many motorists are confused by the order they should put their car in park and pull the handbrake – here’s everything you need to know.

1

An urgent warning issued by one user on TikTok who has pointed out that many of us don’t know how to safely stop our vehicles.

A confused TikToker posted a video asking for someone to explain why her car makes a clunk sound after she places the gearstick into park and then pulls up the handbrake – “What most people do.”

In response, one motor enthusiast told her: “This is really not what you’re supposed to do.

“When you put your car into Park and then put the handbrake on, the entire weight of the car is resting on the Park brake rather than the handbrake which means it’s resting on the gear box.

“That f**ks up the gearbox.”

He then offers a solution. He says: “Here’s what you’re supposed to do:

“Pop it into Neutral, then put the handbrake on. That way the weight of the car is on the handbrake not the gear box.

“Then put it into Park, and take your keys out.”

The helpful TikToker also pointed out another common mistake people make when stopping a traffic lights.

“A lot of people tend to sit at the lights with the car in drive and their foot on the brake.

“This isn’t as much of a problem if you’re only sat at the lights for a short period of time but if the lights have just gone red and you’re gonna be sat there for a while, put the car in Neutral – that way it’s not wearing out your gearbox.

“I hope this helps.”

This information was backed up by The Brake Port.com who suggest this will ben an issue especially if a driver has parked on a hill.

If this is the case, motorists may hear a clunk when they try to shift out of park because something called a parking pawl is having to work overtime.

The parking pawl is the pin or lock of the transmission output – it is engaged when you put the car in park.

If you shift into park first, then pull up the handbrake, the car is actually resting on the pawl – which is only a tiny piece of metal – and overtime this will cause damage as well as a large unpleasant noise when moving out of park.

Experts at The Break Report said: “Parking pawls can break.

“It might not look like much, but this little broken piece can be nuisance to fix.

“Sure, it’s a tiny metal bit, but that tiny broken piece can jam up some crucial parts in your transmission.

“Sometimes, you might even notice people shifting into “P” at traffic lights. It’s not a great habit.”

How to avoid the clunk sound

When you park on a hill you should:

1. Bring the car to a complete stop.
2. Keep the foot brake engaged
3. Shift the car into Neutral
4. Engage the handbrake and remove pressure from the foot brake.
5. Put car into park.

This will ensure the parking pawl is only acting as a fail-safe should the handbrake fail – which is unlikely – and you could save yourself thousands.

Normally a replacement pawl will cost around £500 but they can exceed £1,000 depending on the make and model of the vehicle, according to Street Smart Transmission.