mmade22

Well, I'll start this thread and say, i'm an ass! I've had manual cars for the past ten years and never ever leave my car in gear unless on a good incline or decline...

The story goes like this...

Driving home from a work trip from Frederick, MD to Charlotte, NC. I decided to pull off into a rest stop off of interstate 81 in VA. I pulled my E-brake, got out of the car, shut the door and went to take a leak.

I came out a minute or two later to see another car parked where my car was! I was freaking out....I couldn't see the car anywhere.... I guy says "Hey man, you own a white Acura?"......I'm thinking ok what the hell happened...I said yeah, and the next words he said almost had me fall on my ass.

He said "I was pulling in and I noticed your car backing up on it's own and it went over the curb and down by the ditch!" WHAT!!!!!! I go running out past an eighteen wheeler and about 150 feet from where I parked, my car is up almost under the trailer against the right front rear tire..

I was happy to see my car didn't go into the ditch, hit and injure anyone or hit a car. The rest is history. I'm an ass for not putting the car in gear...Lesson learned, but boy what a day. The underside of the car is fine too. For the amount of length it rolled and what it ended up hitting, it was as good as it could have been.

Here are the pictures to let you see where it was and where it went. I was lucky!!!

Here is the parking spot my car was at.



A view from the curb looking down.. That 18 wheeler wasn't there....Another one was about 10 feet back.




The curb had just enough ice on it to send it over with any damage to the car.... The tractor trailer it hit is the white one.

Went over this....



It turned and hit the front right wheel on the trailer and slid up against the trailer and used my quarter panel as the brakes.....




The damage......













I'm lucky and pissed all at the same time. It could have never happened had I had it in gear but it did, and my car could have ended up over in that ditch had it not been for the truck being there. No damage what so ever to the truck, and the driver was cool. So, I went to the body shop and it still comes to 3500 dollars in damage to repair it the right way. Thought I would share this with you but letting a car roll that many feet and having that little damage.....I'll take it.

SouthernBoy

Lesson learned. First gear is for more than just starting out. Good thing that's all that happened.

Yonkers914

iTrader: (1)

WTF ^^^ That sucks bro i feel for you. I"m gonna start putting my car in gear now. seriously. Was your E-brake lose though???

djbonsu

iTrader: (3)

OUCH! that defintely SUCKS! well as i am sure you are, be glad this was all the damage. I was just thinking about how i NEVA put my car in gear and that my e-brake needs adjusting as well! looks like i gotta make a new habit and start putting the car in gear when i park it. damage isnt too bad but i good bodyshop will have it looking new again in no time.

myron

iTrader: (4)

this happened to me as well but I forgot to pull the ebrake brake and when i got out of the car, I must have hit the shifter and the car rolled into my other TL, fender was a little bent and there are 2 scratches on the passanger door, and a scratch on the side view mirror. Good luck with everything man.

did the ebrake just give out?

ussi

iTrader: (1)

DAMN!!! that sucks. Does your parking break need adjustment, is it not tightening all the way?? I rarely put my car in gear when i park...then again i park on a level surface 99% of the time.

Etohprn247

iTrader: (6)

Oh man bummer, I always use just my hand brakes yours must be loose or defective or you didn't pull it up hard enough? Anyhoo good luck.

mmade22

My brake lever was pulled up, just not all the way up. It has a good hold all the time but with a decline like that, it wasn't enough. Put it in gear and never have to worry again. I am changing my habits for the better. Put it in gear and be safe!

Etohprn247

iTrader: (6)

Poor WDP she has bruises from her negligent owner tisk tisk...Just kidding

Yeah your really lucky it didn't go in the ditch. Oh yeah I use both 1st gear and hand brake ALWAYS IN ANY DECLINE hehehe. Cuz I worry too that this may happen to me. lol

mn2trance

I always put mine in gear and never use the e-brake when parking except for parking on a hill. The only time I'll use the e-brake is if I'm going to check my mail while the car is running. I had experienced the same thing as you where my car would roll back despite pulling the e-brake up all the way. However, it had rolled back enough for me to notice to not do that again.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Sorry to hear, but glad nothing worse happened.

Souljah

I just sent my lil bro a link... I tell him to always put it in gear.
He always argues with me.

Sorry about the pain but as you stated... could of been much worse.

JERU

That is the nature of the beast with manuals. Some guy parked his BMW at the top of a hilly parking lot and didn't put on the ebrake. It slowly rolled in an arc, side swiped one car, hit my Maxima (at the time). He paid out of his pocket for all three cars, afraid to work thru his Insurance. Sucks, but all it takes is one time and a small incline...

murph145

crazy never seen that happen before but always thought about it... usually the PB if pulled up should have held it on that slight incline... like u said sucks but ur lucky it could have been worse!

o4Komodo

iTrader: (2)

I'm very sorry to hear/see what has happened!
You are indeed lucky as the damage and the outcome could have been far worse.

Similar story happened to me... except my e-brake is wearing out. [I need new e-brake pads/shoes].
Only difference is that my TL hit the pillar of my house... The driveway is on a huge incline usually my e-brake maxed out is enough to hold it.
Since then I've always put the car in gear with e-brake no matter the road condition.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Damn Jon I'm so sorry

We all make mistakes...that's just life.

AckTL05

iTrader: (18)

I believe that our parking brakes are self adjusting.

wonton

that sucks. when i had my CL that happened to me too but luckily it just rolled in the middle of the street and someone had to tell me my car was blocking the street. I never trust the ebrake completely to depend on it by it self on an incline after that. The only thing I had to get used to was to take it out of gear after i start it. Too many times where i start and forget i was in gear and my car would jerk violently and stall when it was cold.

mrempp

its definitely a good habit to have. I always put it in first or reverse when parking, and use the e-brake if im parked on any kind of incline.

subinf

At least you realize what caused it to roll and likely won't let it happen again.

enigmaos

iTrader: (4)

good thing it didn't go into the ditch.

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

Only case where "5AT FTW" might be acceptable.

Sucks man.

JERU

How so?

SCS15

iTrader: (3)

Defly AT FTW!!!!!!!!

Anyway that sucks bro atleast the damage was minimal and no one got hurt.

Bender

Yea, looks like you were on a slight incline too. Noob move. That sucks.

odehboy

noob move? its not bad enough that what happened... happened.. and you want to call him a noob?

Morrissey25

iTrader: (4)

Oh man, That sucks. My old accord rolled down the hill at my house, across the street (bleeding coolant all over the place), down my neighbors driveway and straight into her garage. Needless to say the car was totaled. The old lady who lived in the house tried to pay me for fixing her garage. What a day that was. Long story short... It could have been so much worse.

Maybe you should change your Always driving my 6mt to always leaving the car in gear

mmade22

HaHa...I might have to change that...

Bender, noob move? Yeah agreed but as you can see, it's a move that a lot of the fellow MT owners do as well....

The car hit 172,000 miles 10 miles after this happened. The ditch would have killed her with that milage.

The parking brake isn't self adjusting and I have adjusted the cable about a year ago. I just didn't click it up far enough.....Noob move right Bender? LoL!~

ABP_04TL

iTrader: (2)

ouuuchhhh!! suks bro... but hey atleast is just that lil damage and not worst

InFaMouSLink

iTrader: (10)

sorry to see that happen to you bro.

The rear brakes are adjustable. maybe tighten them up a bit for all others that do not leave their car in gear. i know i need to tighten mine as they dont even grab right now lol my car is always parked in gear until i fix them

Phambam12

i like ur front grill

SouthernBoy

Around 2001 or 2002 (not sure when), I went up to a local gas station one night to get put gas in my wife's BMW 328i. As I was waiting for the traffic to clear for a left hand turn, her car was suddenly struck by the rear end corner of another car. Seems the driver had pulled up to get some smokes and didn't engage the emergency brake (she swore she did, but it was clear she had not). Her car was a manual and it did what it would do on a very slight slope. My wife's car suffered damage on the driver's side to the rear quarter panel and both doors.

Bender

Yea, If your on any kind of incline you always put it in gear. As my parents learned when I was 4 and I released the parking brake on the work van and it rolled into traffic.

Whoa, 172k? That's a lot of driving. I think i have 46k on my 05. Will insurance cover it?

salu8819

Holy Shit bro.....I never put my car in gear when parked either. Sorry for ur car damage but it could of been alot worse. Ill be putting my car in gear from now on

slowaccord

it happens. it once happened to me after i got taco bell in my freinds prelude. i was so hungry that i parked the car and forgot to put on the brake. about halfway into our burrito my freind screaming "MY CAR" we both start running but dont get to the car until it runs over a curb and ends up in the street. thank god a car wasn't coming! and his car is stock so no damage whatsoever

Chessie724

Been there, done that, got lucky (relatively) as well with my 5MT Maxima. Forgot something at home, parked the car in the driveway, thought I put it in gear as always. Next thing I know the wife comes running downstairs to get me because the car rolled into my boat and trailer. Like you, there's nothing you can do but thank God it didn't roll down into the street, hurt someone, etc. I knew you're supposed to put it in gear always. It wasn't lack of skill or intelligence, it was an accident, which is something that despite practice, intention, anything, just happens.

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

just wondering can you just leave it in 3rd or 4th? or does it have to be first? I am still pretty new to this. I pull e-brake + put it in gear even on flat surface.

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Geez Jon sorry to see this happening to your beloved TL! Everyone has those moments where you just leave the brake and forget to put it in gear. I hope you'll be up and running in no time!

Let me know if you need a ride or something for work, I'll be happy to drive down to FL or NY lol make a road trip out of it.

Chessie724

I'd like to hear a more technical explanation, but from what I've heard, you should put it in 1st gear or reverse because they are the lowest gear ratios and that's a mechanical advantage to keep the car from rolling.

funkytype

how does leaving it in gear stop the car from rolling? (yes noob)