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Do you shift into N before Park?

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Do you shift into N and engage the parking brake BEFORE shifting into P?

  • YES, I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE FIRST

    Votes: 7 28%

  • NO, I SHIFT STRAIGHT INTO P AND THEN ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE LAST

    Votes: 8 32%

  • I DON'T EVEN USE THE PARKING BRAKE LOL

    Votes: 10 40%
  • Total voters
    25
1 - 17 of 17 Posts

Tripper84

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2016 Limited
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25 Posts
Discussion starter · #1 ·
The poll says it all! I keep hearing that I should shift into neutral and engage the parking brake before I go into Park. However, why would that be necessary if I've got my foot on the tire brakes the whole time until AFTER the parking brake is engaged?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance haha
 
#2 ·
What does Toyota say? It doesn't matter if you poll thousands of people who know nothing about transmissions. I could not find anything in the owner's manual about shifting to neutral before shifting to park. Having also worked for Toyota I have not seen any TSB or anything else stating to shift to neutral before shifting to park. Do you have a credible source for what you are saying?
 
#3 ·
1. The car won't shift to park unless your foot is on the brake. Best to press firmly so the car doesn't move before you engage the parking brake. Don't need to stop at neutral.

2. The question is moot for the 5th generation RAV4 which automatically engages the parking brake when you place the transmission into park (with your foot on the brake).
 
#4 · (Edited)
I used to live in a hilly environment and thought this was common knowledge. I live in the flat Midwest now but carried the habit of #1 in the pole. I had to search for a good video for this one. Here is a video, maybe the 1st 15sec into it will explain why.

 
#5 ·
When you shift from Drive to Park your foot is already pressing the brake pedal, so the friction brakes are engaged, thus there is no concern about over-stressing the pawl. I am almost sure that the RAV4 Prime engages the parking brake automatically once the car is powered down, but I might be confusing it with the Sienna.
 
#6 ·
Tripper84 said:
The poll says it all! I keep hearing that I should shift into neutral and engage the parking brake before I go into Park. However, why would that be necessary if I've got my foot on the tire brakes the whole time until AFTER the parking brake is engaged?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance haha
Click to expand...
Am sure this is about social media. Where everybody is guessing anything that comes to their head.
 
#7 ·
Dimitrij said:
I am almost sure that the RAV4 Prime engages the parking brake automatically once the car is powered down, but I might be confusing it with the Sienna.
Click to expand...
The Prime is a 5th generation RAV4 (with automatic parking brakes). The OP has a 4th generation RAV4 which is different.
 
#9 ·
50 odd years ago, when auto transmissions were a fairly new concept, there was an issue, if you parked on a steep hill and your handbrake didn't work well. When you put the transmission in "park", a locking pin prevented the trans from turning. This was intended as a backup to the park brake only. If your park brake didn't work, sometimes the weight on the locking pin made it very difficult to get out of park. I suspect that's less of an issue with more modern cars. Either way, as a few have pointed out already, as long as you leave your foot on the brake until the park brake is engaged, then it doesn't matter when you put the transmission into "park".
 
#10 ·
vysmaster said:
50 odd years ago, when auto transmissions were a fairly new concept, there was an issue, if you parked on a steep hill and your handbrake didn't work well. When you put the transmission in "park", a locking pin prevented the trans from turning. This was intended as a backup to the park brake only. If your park brake didn't work, sometimes the weight on the locking pin made it very difficult to get out of park. I suspect that's less of an issue with more modern cars. Either way, as a few have pointed out already, as long as you leave your foot on the brake until the park brake is engaged, then it doesn't matter when you put the transmission into "park".
Click to expand...
I completely agree with you. I really did not like my cars resting on that locking pin. Back in the day when I had a manual transmission I was anal about it. The parking brake was for holding the car. So, when I parked (at home here the driveway was on a slope) I always made sure to get that brake on, and then leave it in first gear.

It drives me bonkers when I put the car in reverse and I hear that big thunk. Merry Christmas.
 
#11 ·
Tripper84 said:
The poll says it all! I keep hearing that I should shift into neutral and engage the parking brake before I go into Park. However, why would that be necessary if I've got my foot on the tire brakes the whole time until AFTER the parking brake is engaged?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance haha
Click to expand...
Leave it in nuetral after you set your parking brake then release your foot brake while on a slight grade and you’ll have your answer
 
#12 ·
cgilley said:
The parking brake was for holding the car. So, when I parked (at home here the driveway was on a slope) I always made sure to get that brake on, and then leave it in first gear.
Click to expand...
It is possible for the parking brake to freeze up in winter and not release. For this reason, the owners manual on both my 4Runner and RAV4 say to not use the parking brake in winter. Thus, you have to rely on the parking pawl in the transmission to hold the car.
 
#13 ·
FKHeath said:
It is possible for the parking brake to freeze up in winter and not release. For this reason, the owners manual on both my 4Runner and RAV4 say to not use the parking brake in winter. Thus, you have to rely on the parking pawl in the transmission to hold the car.
Click to expand...
okay, I won't argue that point. Worrying about a parking brake freeze up just comes across as weird to me. Really weird. Then again, I live north of Atlanta and we don't deal with cold weather here much. I have a 2018RAV4, so I'm going to make a note to go check that to see what it says. :) interesting note. I miss changing oil, plugs, and adjusting timing.
 
#14 ·
FKHeath said:
It is possible for the parking brake to freeze up in winter and not release. For this reason, the owners manual on both my 4Runner and RAV4 say to not use the parking brake in winter. Thus, you have to rely on the parking pawl in the transmission to hold the car.
Click to expand...
Yes, my owner's manual recommends that the EPB not be used in wet, freezing conditions. But it also says to use wheel chocks as a substitute! Obviously Toyota's lawyers had to find a liability release for the fact that the owner's manual recommends not to use an important safety feature at certain times.

May be we should have another member poll to see how many people have ever used the recommended wheel chocks......
 
#15 ·
No, the manual is telling you that the emergency brake won't work on ice.

In the old days, common sense would prevail, i.e. if your wheels skid on an icy road, your brakes will likewise limited.

In today's society any idiot could claim damages that his "emergency/parking brake failed" because it did not hold on an icy road.

Sign of the times.
 
#16 ·
gregeusa said:
No, the manual is telling you that the emergency brake won't work on ice.
Click to expand...
Beg to differ.
1. It is not an emergency brake, it is a parking brake.
2. My owners manual specifically says: "The parking brake may freeze up, preventing it from being released." And later: "If the vehicle is left parked with the brakes damp in cold temperatures, there is a possibility of the brakes freezing."
 
#17 ·
I put emergency/parking brake later in the post... give me a break.

The part about freezing up may be true (no reason not to believe), but warnings are often self-serving... it's all about getting sued/paying out $$... I like my car, I like Toyota, but they are in business to make money, never forget that..
 
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