hello All;<p>After one week with my A4 I already see 800 miles on the odo (it had 9 when I first drove it).<p>1.) So far I have been parking the car with gear shifter in neutral position. Is there any harm in parking the car with shifter in gear?<p>2.) What glass cleaner should I use for the windows? Obviously I want something that won't damage the paint on the car.<p>3.) Has anyone tried Scotchguard on the carpets? Any caveats for using such a thing?<p><p>tnx all,<br>-K. '99 1.8tqMS

#1. No harm in leaving it in 1st or Reverse. In fact if you live in a colder climate in the winter you shouldn't apply the emergency brake for possibility of it freezing.<p>#2. Pick up some automotive glass cleaner and stay away from any containing Ammonia if you have tint.<p>#3. No opinion.<p>RobS<br>

I never do. I live in Toronto and I've never had a parking brake freeze on me (another reply suggested this is a possibility. It had never occured to me...)<p>The main reason to never leave it in gear is if your car gets bumped it could damage parts of the drive train (tranny, diffs, etc.).<p>Enjoy your new toy!<p>98TQMS<br>

The owner's manual for my 96 says "Leave the car in gear (1st or Reverse) while it is parked." and I believe this is for a safety reason.<p>For the same reason, the owner's manual also says "Start the car in neutral as you depress the clutch."<p>Starting the car in neutral with the clutch depressed and parking it in gear was required to pass the driving test in my native country and I still do it although the parking brake always works fine. <p>I never had any transmission problems with my cars,and it's hard for me to belive leaving the car in gear is harmful.<br>But I'm no engineer...<p>Nozomi<br>

I don't usually leave my car in gear if I'm parked anywhere where the car is likely to be hit, such as in a parking lot where someone will pull in in front of you. If the lot is steep though, I will try and park on the upper side of the slope, facing downhill, and will put the car in gear. I figure there is less chance of some idiot hitting the front of my car if they are aimed up hill. Any time you are on a hill where the car would likely roll without the parking brake, it's a good idea to put it in gear though. If there is a curb or something in front, then don't worry about it. If your car gets hit while in gear, the driveline can get damaged. That being said, since I don't like people hitting my front bumper, and I don't want my transmission damaged, I always try and find parking places with curbs in front of me :-)<p>Charles<p>PS: I just use Windex on my windows. Works fine!

Don't use Windex--Ammonia is bad for the paint-use alcohol based cleaner