What is my handbrake for ?

[Deleted member 6183]

On modern Mercedes with electrically activated parking brake and automatic transmission, I could have sworn that’s the car automatically engages the parking brake and shifts to Park when you switch the engine off.

Just like a Passat that I owned 10 years ago, the Mrs’ SLK and my 7 series to name the ones that I remember.

 

[renault12ts]

Only a very small minority of road users have these electronic gadgets , the vast majority of vehicles on the road ( even current models ) still have traditional manual handbrakes with a lever between the seats ; the driving test has to ensure competency to drive ANY vehicle .

I don’t need to get up to date with technology that isn’t in any car I drive .

Do they?

We have a Scenic and a 3008...both have electronic handbrakes. I would imagine few new cars do not.

Less Than A Third Of New Cars Have A Manual Handbrake

The demise of the manual handbrake continues, with the number of models available only with an electronic parking brake increasing to over two thirds

www.carthrottle.com

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Do they?

We have a Scenic and a 3008...both have electronic handbrakes. I would imagine few new cars do not.

It’s just Ponto and his wilfully contrarian views.

 

[219]

Do they?

We have a Scenic and a 3008...both have electronic handbrakes. I would imagine few new cars do not.

We have Kia’s , VWs , Vauxhall’s and Fords on the fleet at work , all with standard controls , few of them more than a couple of years old .

These are all cars , then we have vans , including Mercedes ones , all with mechanical handbrakes - the one on the Citan is an odd thing , but then it is a Renault under the skin .

 

[renault12ts]

We have Kia’s , VWs , Vauxhall’s and Fords on the fleet at work , all with standard controls , few of them more than a couple of years old .

These are all cars , then we have vans , including Mercedes ones , all with mechanical handbrakes - the one on the Citan is an odd thing , but then it is a Renault under the skin .

Less Than A Third Of New Cars Have A Manual Handbrake

The demise of the manual handbrake continues, with the number of models available only with an electronic parking brake increasing to over two thirds

www.carthrottle.com

 

[ToeKnee]

On modern Mercedes with electrically activated parking brake and automatic transmission, I could have sworn that the car automatically engages the parking brake and shifts to Park when you switch the engine off.

My SL will automatically go into park if I turn the engine off, but not activate the electric parking brake. I have to do that manually.

 

[219]

I can only go by what I see , perhaps it is a fleet policy to only buy vehicles with standard controls, just as it is to buy only diesel ( although we now have a small number of electric vehicles ) .

None of the fleet cars I’ve driven have these things .

 

[renault12ts]

I can only go by what I see , perhaps it is a fleet policy to only buy vehicles with standard controls, just as it is to buy only diesel ( although we now have a small number of electric vehicles ) .

None of the fleet cars I’ve driven have these things .

Or perhaps things have moved on in the last couple of years?

 

[renault12ts]

My SL will automatically go into park if I turn the engine off, but not activate the electric parking brake. I have to do that manually.

Why not do both, you'd think.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

I didn’t even know it had one until it was pointed out to me.

He isn't talking about the big club between the seats.
I'm 99.9% sure he knows what an old fashioned hand brake is for.

I think the question is more along the lines of, what is the point of the modern park brake button on a modern Mercedes auto gearbox car.
You dont need it for hill starts
You dont need it when sat at lights
You dont need it when going from drive to reverse and back
You dont really need it when you park up, as the gear box has a Park setting(clue is in the name).

 

[Deleted member 149005]

On modern Mercedes with electrically activated parking brake and automatic transmission, I could have sworn that the car automatically engages the parking brake and shifts to Park when you switch the engine off.

I stand corrected - thanks !

 

[Sweetooth]

I'm 90% sure I read online in "whatcar" that Suzuki are the only major car manufacturer currently fitting a mechanical handbrake.

 

[leef44]

exactly - no such thing as an auto parking brake

Well, not strictly but do add to the confusion, there is one incident where there is auto parking brake:

If you are in Drive, you apply the Hold using the brake pedal, if you then open the door (i.e. the assumption is you are getting out of the car), the car then automatically applies the Handbrake, for safety reasons. When you get back in the car and drive off, the dash with warning sound and message will tell you to release the handbrake.

How cool is that?

It says it in the manual and I experienced it yesterday in a queue when I left my phone in the boot, quickly rushed out to get it and got back in the car, forgetting it was stationary via the Hold function.

 

[leef44]

I'm 90% sure I read online in "whatcar" that Suzuki are the only major car manufacturer currently fitting a mechanical handbrake.

And I love my little Ignis Sport with its mechanical handbrake. No gimmicks, no gizmos, just old fashioned common sense to drive.
It's instinct and no hassle to use a mechanical handbrake (as in a lever between the seats).

 

[guhvies]

On modern Mercedes with electrically activated parking brake and automatic transmission, I could have sworn that the car automatically engages the parking brake and shifts to Park when you switch the engine off.

On mine you have you have to open the door for it to do that.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

I can only go by what I see , perhaps it is a fleet policy to only buy vehicles with standard controls, just as it is to buy only diesel ( although we now have a small number of electric vehicles ) .

None of the fleet cars I’ve driven have these things .

Then you are not qualified to comment.

 

[flowrider]

Clearly the OP is not alone in not knowing what a hand/parking brake is for, or how it works.

So what is the collective opinion on what a parking brake is for after 8 pages I'm lost.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Clearly the OP is not alone in not knowing what a hand/parking brake is for, or how it works.

So what is the collective opinion on what a parking brake is for after 8 pages I'm lost.

What’s less clear is when the parking brake is activated automatically, as it varies by model and generation.

When you should use the parking brake has not changed since we all learned to drive. Use it when parked, and use it when maneuvering if the vehicle will roll if the parking brake is not applied.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Clearly the OP is not alone in not knowing what a hand/parking brake is for, or how it works.

So what is the collective opinion on what a parking brake is for after 8 pages I'm lost.

Parking?

Crap for doing handbrake turns though. Thankfully most MB are RWD so drifting is still possible.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

P? Parking?