[VIDEO] Local TikToker Shows The Right Way To Park Automatic Car To Better Protect Gearbox
Driving school is in session.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 03 Jun 2021, 11:53 AM — Updated over 3 years ago
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Disclaimer: This story has been updated to add more details about the TikTok user.
A TikTok showing the right way to park automatic vehicles has gone viral with over one million views
In the 29-second long video, Malaysian TikTok user @ciktiva said it is wrong to shift from drive (D) to parking (P) on the gearbox without stopping.
Instead, @ciktiva — whose real name is Adrian Chia, an editor at WapCar — said the right way is to shift to neutral (N), engage the handbrake, then lift the footbrake, before only shifting to P.
In a follow-up TikTok, he shared that the best practice also applies to vehicles using electric parking brakes, which is essentially a handbrake with a push or pull button.
According to him, shifting D directly to P will put pressure on the gearbox and will speed up a lot of wear-and-tear damage
Chia's tips to park vehicles the right way are not entirely new, although it may not be common knowledge to some.
Recently, TikTok user @holycrapitsjean from the UK also made a similar video. The TikToker went on to garner over nine million views and was featured on Daily Mail.
In the video, @holycrapitsjean further explains that when a driver shifts to P without lifting the handbrake first, the weight of the vehicle rests on the gearbox.
In other words, the driver is using the gearbox to keep the vehicle stationary, which is not the primary function of a gearbox.
Instead, @holycrapitsjean gives similar tips as Chia.
"What you are actually supposed to do: pop it to neutral, then put the handbrake on — that way, the weight of your car is resting on the handbrake and not the gearbox — then you pop it in park," he said.
Several car enthusiast websites also recommended the same best practice, although some suggest only lifting the footbrake after shifting to P
Malaysia automotive listing site WapCar said the right parking sequence has "no difference" while parking on a level surface.
But when a vehicle is parked on a hill, the wrong parking sequence will put the weight of the vehicle on the gearbox — ultimately damaging the parking pawl, a component that locks the output shaft of the gearbox.
