How good is your parking brake?

[corned]

See post 11.

See post #8.

I am claiming originality for the idea!!!

 

[x332race]

Always use the parking brake....its what it is there for!!....

However, I am careful about using the brake in freezing weather as I used to live in the Alps where the parking brake could freeze solid!

Also the foot operated parking brake is a bit of a pain when doing steep hill starts...especally if towing a heavy trialer....I have had to perfect using my left foot on the foot brake to enable smooth pull aways without rolling backwords...

 

[yellowbentines]

Well, I have now tried putting the car in neutral on a reasonable incline, engaging the parking brake and releasing the footbrake, and hey presto, it rolls forward slightly then holds - I can then depress the footbrake again and move the gearshift into park.

End result, parking brake does work, but needs to take up slack as suggested, before moving car into park which avoids the clunk when moving back into gear upon return.

Thanks all!

 

[renault12ts]

Always use the parking brake....its what it is there for!!....

However, I am careful about using the brake in freezing weather as I used to live in the Alps where the parking brake could freeze solid!

Also the foot operated parking brake is a bit of a pain when doing steep hill starts...especally if towing a heavy trialer....I have had to perfect using my left foot on the foot brake to enable smooth pull aways without rolling backwords...

In a manual I presume? My last C was manual, it is an art.

 

[nigel cross]

In a manual I presume? My last C was manual, it is an art.

Went to Nice a couple of years ago and hired a Citreon Zm manual, this had a foot/hand brake which made hill starts a nightmare

 

[DieselE]

I'm on my second MB, my first, a C-Class was bought from new, my current, an E-Class is a year old, and I'm wondering if everyone else has the same experience as me with their foot operated parking brake as it's starting to bug me now.

When I put the car in park and engage the parking brake the car rolls forward slightly on the slightest of inclines, moreso on steep hills. Noticeably on steep hills when I return to the car and engage drive, the gearbox clunks when shifted from park to drive.

I've never mentioned it to my MB dealer but it appears that the car rolling forward slightly suggests the parking brake is doing nothing and the car is being held by the park mechanism in the gearbox, which does the job but my worry is am I doing damage to the gearbox, and have I been unlucky in getting two cars where the parking brake doesn't work very well.

..or..am I worrying uneccesarily, do they all do that?

Don't forget that the parking brake is a separate brake from the main brake. The slight roll forward (or back) is normal. If you have any doubts, find a steepish hill with plenty of space in front of you then stop the car on the footbrake, use your right foot to hold the car on the footbrake, select neutral and apply the parking brake. If the car holds after the lurch your parking brake is working fine. If the car rolls then the brake needs adjusting.

On a steep hill I do that anyhow before putting the car into park so as to avoid too much strain on the parking pawl.

 

[Shude]

To suppress the 'bang' keep your left foot on the parking brake when you release it and control its movement back! SIMPLES!!

This is something I do without thinking but it was tricky to explain to my GF.

Modern cars have a damper on the parking brake so you can just pull the lever and it silently releases. At some point I might see if it can be retrofitted to my 202 as I imagine the technology is pretty primitive.

 

[grober]

Wait till Mercedes introduce the "electronic parking brake" as seen on most current high spec Audi and VW models, http://www.conti-online.com/generat..._events/iaa_2005/gt_pr_2005_09_12_epb_en.html you will be looking back wistfully at the old bullet proof cable based systems. Honest John reports a failure/problem rate of one in 4 for the new B6 Passat! http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=759

 

[Smiley]

Wait till Mercedes introduce the "electronic parking brake" as seen on most current high spec Audi and VW models, Continental Corporation -Easy Starting on Hills, Safe Parking: the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) has Many Advantages you will be looking back wistfully at the old bullet proof cable based systems. Honest John reports a failure/problem rate of one in 4 for the new B6 Passat! Car review: Volkswagen Passat (2005 - )

AAAGGGGHHHH yet another electronic solution for a problem that does not exist!

 

[yachtman]

The answer to this would be to change you operation slightly. Once stopped on the foot brake, apply the park brake with the 'box in neutral and wait for the car to lurch slightly forward. It will stop when the 'slack' takes up. Then put it in Park. I guarantee it will be easier to take it back out of Park (no resistance) if you do it this way!

have always done this, as it removes the weight on the parking pawl, & shows you the park brake is sufficiently applied for the gradient, and particularly for when on a ferry. wouldnt like to think of the regular strain on the transmission at sea on a poor day

Must admit I was suprised by the compliance in the suspesion & drive train when I first had an MB.