So do you use your handbrake in an auto?

[crockers]

Well following on from the "parking on a hill" thread - thought I would see how many people actually always use their handbrakes in an automatic car..

 

[GrahamC230K]

Why wouldn't you?

You really think park is a suitasble alternative to having the brakes applied when stationary or parked?

I drove an automatic for about a year and never used the handbrake any differently to how I would in a manual.

 

[Merc-C180K]

Why wouldn't you?

You really think park is a suitable alternative to having the brakes applied when stationary or parked?

I drove an automatic for about a year and never used the handbrake any differently to how I would in a manual.

^^^^^ Agreed.

 

[grober]

I always use the handbrake. Put it on first then put the car into park--takes the strain off the small pawl in the gearbox. Only time I wouldn't, is parking overnight on the flat when temperature is liable to fall to well below freezing.

 

[Dieselman]

You really think park is a suitasble alternative to having the brakes applied when stationary or parked?

In reality as long as the road surface isn't especially slippery then yes the Park function is as good as the brakes, in fact it's better because it locks the transmission so allows no slippage.

Land Rovers used to have a transmission brake for the parking brake. It does exaclty what the P function does and locks the propshaft.
I've never heard of a Land Rover rolling away even on mud or wet grass.

For a roll away one wheel would have to rotate backwards.

 

[SG CL500]

hardly ever - but then, living in Cambridge, i hardly ever park on a slope

 

[KillerHERTZ]

hardly ever - but then, living in Cambridge, i hardly ever park on a slope

Castle hill perhaps?

Cant say ive ever seen your CL500 out & about in Cambridge, I only ever see that Sliver CL500 'AMG' with the Barry plate & wheels speeding around with HipHop pumping out

 

[Gollom]

Ahem.....


http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28186&highlight=handbrake

View Poll Results: Do you use the handbrake on an automatic? No, I do not use the handbrake

5146.36%Yes, I do use the handbrake

5953.64%Voters: 110. You have already voted on this poll

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Being able to leave it in P without the parking brake applied is especially handy if you've been working the brakes hard.

Some years ago a friend had a Lotus Elise. After a blast he parked it on the drive and went in the house. When he came back out it had rolled down the drive rubbing against a stone wall and crossed a busy A-road. Fortunately it didn't hit any other cars.

The diagnosis was that as the discs cooled, the they contracted, relieving pressure between it and the pad, and away it rolled!!

 

[SG CL500]

Castle hill perhaps?

Cant say ive ever seen your CL500 out & about in Cambridge, I only ever see that Sliver CL500 'AMG' with the Barry plate & wheels speeding around with HipHop pumping out

Ahhh but if I am going to castle hill i am meeting Lloyds Bank or KBC and their car parks are flat...

I've never seen the barry boy CL500 - I have only ever seen a silver one driven by a geriatric and gold one that was so hideous I didn't see the driver, I had to look away!

My CL commutes regularly from the Stow roundabout to Hills road - and that's quite enough town driving, it's not exactly at it's best in heavy traffic.

I can assure you it's not had a respray!!!

 

[Dieselman]

Some years ago a friend had a Lotus Elise. After a blast he parked it on the drive and went in the house. When he came back out it had rolled down the drive rubbing against a stone wall and crossed a busy A-road. Fortunately it didn't hit any other cars.

The diagnosis was that as the discs cooled, the they contracted, relieving pressure between it and the pad, and away it rolled!!

I've had that happen with a Citroen Xm. The car stood for about two hours then rolled down the drive and across the road into a drive, stopping before it hit the car parked there.

I only knew because a motorist knocked on the door having just avoided it..

This was never an issue with drum brakes but is now one where the parking brake acts on the disks as all the componets contract away from each other.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

I would have thought that the parking brake on a Mercedes would actually get stronger as the discs contracted from cooling.

 

[Diesel Benz]

If the auto box park pawl is at any reasonable condition, it should not let the car move unless one of the rear wheels starts slipping. See the example how big teeth it has to lock the cardan axle.

All MBs I've had, including the W221, have had a separate parking brake, not using discs. In any case it should be spring driven to guarantee grip even after some temperature changes etc.

 

[Dieselman]

I would have thought that the parking brake on a Mercedes would actually get stronger as the discs contracted from cooling.

It doesn't use the disks, it's a drum brake.

 

[television]

Putting this another way,if you apply the parking brake when the drums are hot, then yes as they cool the parking brake will be on more.

 

[crockers]

Ahem.....


http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28186&highlight=handbrake

View Poll Results: Do you use the handbrake on an automatic? No, I do not use the handbrake

5146.36%Yes, I do use the handbrake

5953.64%Voters: 110. You have already voted on this poll

OOppps..........crawls away........


Mind you like minds and all that tosh....

 

[Satch]

When parking in my garage, no. Otherwise yes.

 

[Rose Chap]

Never in the CLK (or any other Mercedes I might occasionally drive), but always in the Smart Roadster.