I never bother pressing the Park button, if you switch off the power it activates Park for you. I usually activate the parking brake first if I am on a slope and then switch off, but if I am on the flat I just leave it alone and switch off.
I have never pushed the parking brake because there are no hills in South Florida. The only time I press the "park" button is when I don't want to turn the car off, such as when I am waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store and want to keep listening to the audio.
I just turn off the car and walk out. No parking brake, no "park" button as a general rule.
Well, I've tried it both ways and finally decided on "push park first, then set the parking brake". I decided on this because when I do it "per the manual", the car moves slightly when I press park (after the brake is set). Also, and I know I'll draw fire for this, but "park" uses the transmission as the brake, exposing it to unnecessary stress, which could lead to additional wear and tear. The parking brake is specifically designed for this purpose and should be the primary system. “Park” acts as a backup to the parking brake! I live in earthquake country, so keeping the car from moving, even on level ground, is a priority here.
To save the transmission from having to deal with the weight of the car, I always engage the parking brake in neutral. Then I let the parking brake hold the weight of my car. Finally, I'll put the car in park. It's a habit I've picked up from owning my last car.
I think it's a good habit to set the parking brakes especially if you are parked on the street. If the car parking in front or back accidently bumps you while parking, 4000 lbs no matter how low speed, is still a lot of force on the gears if you don't set the brakes.
^What KKM said. If someone hits your car, then it's going to move.
I always come to a stop, then whil emy right foot is still on the brake pedal, I engage the parking brake with my left. Then either hit "P" or power the car off. It's not always the case, but generally I never let my right foot off of the brake pedal until all is powered down.
I also agree that not using the emergency brake means the transmission gets a small jolt of the car's weight if you're not on perfectly level ground. A lot of people will say that this is no big deal, but I would prefer to wear out the rear brakes, which were meant to be worn, and easily/cheaply replaced, vs. additional wear on the transmission, which is not easily/cheaply replaced. (I'm also planning to keep my car for a few hundred thousand miles and see how long it lasts, so this is especially important for me)
My procedure is coming to a stop with my foot on the brake, holding it there as I engage the emergency brake to hold the car in place, then either engaging Park or turning the car off (which of course, engages Park for you).
No one can pinpoint an answer to a question like that. A transmission fail will likely be a result of all factors in different mix of involvement. I would try to minimize the influence of a factor if I can.
Have you ever heard your gear shift made a loud thump (gear slapping sound) shifting from park to drive, most likely if the car was parked on a slope without parking brakes engaged? If you're inside a very silent car, have you felt a jerk different from normal? A lot of people including me hear and/or feel it on a regular basis. The sound or jerk is an indication the transmission was stressed when it tried to shift. Tell me it's not a contributor to an ultimate damage.
I laud Raidin for using the right approach as vetted by a long line of automotive experts, as like him, I keep my car for a long time.
Oh and one more point. I have been personally demonstrated by my dealership of seized parking brakes from cars that did not use parking brakes often.
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