Clunking foot/hand brake?

[MercedesBent]

First time recent owner of a Merc (W202)

Getting used to the hand/foot brake routine.

One question, is it just mine or do all of the release mechanisms sound clunky (similar to the sound the catch release makes when pulling a bonnet release lever on any other car)?

Cheers

MBent

 

[Will]

Yes that is normal. If you wish to try and 'silence' the sound it makes, you can hold the pedal with your foot whilst 'gently' releasing the handle.

But to answer your question, nothing to worry about!

Cheers,

Will

 

[grasmere]

you can hold the pedal with your foot whilst 'gently' releasing the handle.

Yes definitley - if you release the parking brake by just pulling the release lever its a horrible clunking sound and probably not good mechanical practice in the long term.

What I do to release it is take hold of the release lever, press down on the parking pedal, pull the release lever out then when ready eg traffic lights go green, lift foot off parking pedal and accelerate to move forward.

All very easy and silent

Try it in eg a car park, it works a treat.

 

[guydewdney]

ok - i wanna see you do that in a manual car - on a hill....

 

[MercedesBent]

Yes definitley - if you release the parking brake by just pulling the release lever its a horrible clunking sound and probably not good mechanical practice in the long term.

What I do to release it is take hold of the release lever, press down on the parking pedal, pull the release lever out then when ready eg traffic lights go green, lift foot off parking pedal and accelerate to move forward.

All very easy and silent

Try it in eg a car park, it works a treat.

Not so easy in a manual, when on a hill balancing clutch though!!!

Need a third foot!!

 

[R2D2]

..........here we go again!

 

[MercedesBent]

..........here we go again!

 

[Shude]

All it takes is a mention of the footbrake and a few posts later it's always automatic vs manual arguments again

 

[BenzComander]

Without your foot on the footbrake, when you release the handbrake should the car, on a level surface and in drive move forward?

 

[Shude]

Without your foot on the footbrake, when you release the handbrake should the car, on a level surface and in drive move forward?

Yes, although that's not the way I'd choose to set off

 

[BenzComander]

So is it good practice to release the park brake before putting it in drive?

 

[MercedesBent]

All it takes is a mention of the footbrake and a few posts later it's always automatic vs manual arguments again

Would have prefered an auto myself, but the price this one was available for I couldn't refuse it!

Have to say, not a very well thought out process by MB for the manual option, this foot operated handbrake mallarky is it?

Otherwise an excellent car

 

[Shude]

So is it good practice to release the park brake before putting it in drive?

What I do is release the park before doing anything else then not touch it until I am parked up again, it's just not needed on an automatic.

 

[Benzowner]

I had a manual W124 when my car was in for repair some years back, and I must admit hill stars were a bit tricky at first, but I soon got used to it. Let the clutch bite first and release the brake.

As regards regards letting the park brake off either before or after putting the car in drive, in order to put the car in drive, from P you need to have your foot on the footbrake, or is it just my car, so the car is held on a brake anyway

 

[MercedesBent]

I had a manual W124 when my car was in for repair some years back, and I must admit hill stars were a bit tricky at first, but I soon got used to it. Let the clutch bite first and release the brake.

So we're back to balancing the clutch with left foot and 'clunking' the handbrake - unable to use the technique of keeping food on handbrake pedal whilst releasing with right hand

 

[Benzowner]

So we're back to balancing the clutch with left foot and 'clunking' the handbrake - unable to use the technique of keeping food on handbrake pedal whilst releasing with right hand

On a hill start yes. But I clunk my handbrake off even in my auto, at least I know the brakes off

 

[guydewdney]

the new ones have a damper dont they? so the brake is released gently over a second or so -

<whisper>bmw have this - and have done for ages

 

[GrahamC230K]

I sense a mod coming on. Dare I say it, a useful mod with a real world pratical use and not purely for looks!

So, diagrams of the w202 and w203 mechanism please EPC guys!

I wonder if somwhow the mechanism can be damped with the w203 damper??

 

[Shude]

...in order to put the car in drive, from P you need to have your foot on the footbrake, or is it just my car, so the car is held on a brake anyway

Yes, but if you take your foot off the brake pedal while in D but with the parking brake on, you're still going nowhere.

It's not very clever but I test my reversing lamps this way - let's see manual transmission owners try that trick!

I sense a mod coming on. Dare I say it, a useful mod with a real world pratical use and not purely for looks!

So, diagrams of the w202 and w203 mechanism please EPC guys!

I wonder if somwhow the mechanism can be damped with the w203 damper??

Easy, it's probably the same lever and probably mostly the same mechanism. The parking brake is about as basic as it gets I expect.

We need to confirm that this actually happens on the W203 and if so I'll need a VIN to start the investigation.

 

[GrahamC230K]

It's not very clever but I test my reversing lamps this way - let's see manual transmission owners try that trick!

Engine off, ignition on, car in reverse gear = lamps on. I know as I had to test for a live reverse wire when installting my Sat Nav.

We need to confirm that this actually happens on the W203 and if so I'll need a VIN to start the investigation.

It was the only improvement I could find with the C200K loan car I had once, so I think the w203 mechanism is more refined.