Handbreak issues

[Reggies]

My old car has a hand break that you have to press down with your left foot, a strange arrangement and a lever to release it.
I find for some reason I forget to press the peddle but I do put it in 'P' for park, if you don't I can not get the key out and it beeps at you.
The question is, can I just leave it in park, I would only do this on a very gradual slope but on a hill I would use the hand break pedal.
Hope I have explained this to you.
My daughter never uses her hand break, just the park but her car is new.

 

[MancMike]

Yes it's generally safe to leave it in park so long as it's not on a hill. If I'm just nipping into a shop, I don't generally bother with the foot parking brake, but on my sloped drive, I apply the pedal, although I've left it without many times and it's fine.

 

[whitenemesis]

Many drivers only every put the car in Park, never using the parking brake.

On many cars the parking brake won't hold the car on any appreciable slope, so the weight is taken by the autobox in Park.

In the States the parking brake is more commonly called the emergency brake and Americans routinely only put the car in P.

 

[martyz]

Yes,absolutely okay,P locks the transmission so better than a hand brake.

 

[Wjk167]

Always a good idea to use the park brake from time to time to stop it seizing up in the long run. Avoids any potential MOT issues in the future.

 

[Reggies]

Thank all, you have put my mind at rest.
I do find I have to bring my left foot up quite high and my knee touches the steering wheel but I will use it on hills and once a day.

 

[b1g1an]

Use my parking brake all the time, always have manual or automatic. The brake does hold well on steep slopes, or at least mine does, and I like the car to stay where I stopped it rather than roll forward or backward from the slack in the gearbox.

 

[CabrioDave]

Admittedly not in a Benz, but I did once roll slightly forward on a hill in an automatic Jaguar, until the Park stopped movement. ALL movement! The car was then stuck in Park, until I got a crowd of passers by to rock the car back and forth to release it. I've never used Park as a brake since. (And that was December 1975 ...)

 

[MancMike]

I think it's probably safe now.

 

[PobodY]

If I think there's a chance of the car rolling, I'll put the parking brake one. Otherwise if it's somewhere flat like a supermarket carpark I'll just leave it in P.

As above, I've had that problem where it gets stuck in park because the car has rolled on to the pawl and it can't release.

My parking brake is almost good enough to stall the car; it really doesn't want to move until I've released it.

 

[Yugguy]

I use the footbrake too - it was odd at first to press the pedal but then pull the lever but I've just got used to it.

 

[markmifsud]

I mostly just use Park also, but please note that the Park Pawl is not very strong and a whack up the backside could send your car flying.

 

[tonysmb]

I never rely simply on placing the transmission in Park. I haven't checked, but I suspect the handbook will state that the parking brake should be applied.

I've known one parking pawl break off, with expensive results.

It's also a legal requirement to set the parking brake when leaving a vehicle unattended (by a licence holder)

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/107/made

Others have a similar view:

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/why-you-should-always-set-the-parking-brake

 

[whitenemesis]

Interesting as my Lexus handbook specifically advises NOT to set the parking brake if the temperature is likely to be freezing, or if the car is to be left parked for an extended period.

 

[tonysmb]

Interesting as my Lexus handbook specifically advises NOT to set the parking brake if the temperature is likely to be freezing, or if the car is to be left parked for an extended period.

There's logic in that and, to balance things, I have 3 or 4 parked up in the garage that are used infrequently, two of which are autos, parking brakes always left 'off', autos in 'Park' but wheels also chocked. My earlier reply related to on-road use, parking on slopes etc..

Of course, with some, if not all, new autos, you can't take the key out without putting it in Park or they default to Park electronically once key removed.

 

[b1g1an]

Interesting as my Lexus handbook specifically advises NOT to set the parking brake if the temperature is likely to be freezing, or if the car is to be left parked for an extended period.

Most if not all do but they usually say to chock the wheels instead.

You can also get the brake to rust on overnight if you wash it and leave it, I always take it for a spin round the block to shake any excess out to be sure and then wipe up the inevitable drips from the doors and boot.

 

[whitenemesis]

Most if not all do but they usually say to chock the wheels instead.

You can also get the brake to rust on overnight if you wash it and leave it, I always take it for a spin round the block to shake any excess out to be sure and then wipe up the inevitable drips from the doors and boot.

Any excuse to drive it

I'm just the same