Electric parking brake

Gers

Morning - I'd appreciate a little advise about this new gizmo please.

I've ordered my new car (Vauxhall) for September delivery (no new built in the country ) and notice that it has an electric parking brake. If I understand this properly the way it works is.... push the button to engage the brake. It then self-releases when the clutch and accelerator are both used at the same time and there is no need to disengage the brake. Is that correct?

I've read a lot of comments about electric parking brakes, both for and against but nothing much about how to use them. Of course, I fully expect the dealer to give me instructions when I collect the car but want to be prepared!

missile

I am surprised you did not know before you ordered, did you not test drive?

I have an Audi with electronic brake. It disengages as soon as I apply the throttle. If you park and switch off you need to depress the foot brake then manualy disengage the brake.

Took a bit of getting used to but after I did found it an improvement.:T

Gers

missile wrote: »

I am surprised you did not know before you ordered, did you not test drive?

No, I am buying the same car as I already have and the same as I had before. I did see that it has an electric brake, however as all Vauxhall cars now have it as standard it wasn't a reason to change my mind.

missile wrote: »

I have an Audi with electronic brake. It disengages as soon as I apply the throttle. If you park and switch off you need to depress the foot brake then manualy disengage the brake.

Took a bit of getting used to but after I did found it an improvement.:T

That's really helpful, thanks. I'll try to find a friend who has it already and take a spin.

davidjwest

We've got this on our Renault Grand Scenic, to engage it you just pull a little paddle on the dashboard, it doesn't work if the car is moving though so no hand-brake turns!

The disengage it you just drive off.

It's not really much use in my opinion, pulling a hand-brake isn't exactly hard work and if the thing goes wrong it costs a fortune to fix it, £550 for ours to be replaced when it failed at 40k miles!

But it is a Renault!

missile

Gers wrote: »

I'll try to find a friend who has it already and take a spin.

I am sure your friendly Vauxhall dealer would be happy to give you a demo.

You will find hill starts much easier with an electronic parking brake.

Be careful not to apply it whilst you are still moving.

shortchanged_2

What is the point of them??? They are just more and more expensive gadgets to repair when something goes wrong with them!!!

Why do car makers insist on adding all these unnecessary gadgets unless it is to make money from their breakdown?

Lum

I've been hearing reports of these failing on Insignias, with the result of them rolling down the hill into someone's car.

No idea if it's true or not though.

pinkteapot

I test-drove a Passat that had one. The dealer told me I had to put my foot on the brake and press the button to engage it, and then do the same to disengage it.

As a result, I couldn't work out how to do a hill start in the car.

mikey72

They make moving off on ice interesting, especially if there's a bit of a gradient.

poppasmurf_bewdley

Lum wrote: »

I've been hearing reports of these failing on Insignias, with the result of them rolling down the hill into someone's car.

No idea if it's true or not though.

Doesn't every sensible driver leave the car in gear when parking? That's the way I was taught.

LandyAndy

shortchanged wrote: »

What is the point of them??? They are just more and more expensive gadgets to repair when something goes wrong with them!!!

Why do car makers insist on adding all these unnecessary gadgets unless it is to make money from their breakdown?

I agree completely. How is it superior to a lever and cable?

pinkteapot wrote: »

I test-drove a Passat that had one. The dealer told me I had to put my foot on the brake and press the button to engage it, and then do the same to disengage it.

As a result, I couldn't work out how to do a hill start in the car.

I borrowed a Passat for 24 hours from a colleague. The parking brake was a complete PITA.

A hill start isn't a difficult manoeuvre with a traditional handbrake.

In my day (:cool:) you had to do one with hand signals as part of your test.:D