Electric parking brake

Alter_ego

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Ever tried starting a diesel without putting the ignition on first? It's impossible, just like a petrol engine.

Perhaps impossible on modern diesel, but to be a bit pedantic diesels do not have electric ignition. Yes I have started diesels (Old land rovers)without switching on the electrics.
In fact I have started them by towing without even a battery fitted. But as previously said it's not a problem with modern diesels so lets drop this discussion.

Gers

shortchanged wrote: »

I'm sorry but I'm getting rather fed up with all this gadgetry in modern cars that really adds very little to the driving experience or probably safety either. It's when something goes wrong with these gadgets and you need to remortgage the house to repair the damn things. It all seems so unnecessary, unless it is to benefit the car companies and attempt to screw the small independent garage.

For me it just puts me off buying these cars because all I see is (unnecessary) expense ahead

I agree with this ^^^ I would hate wipers that come on when the computer decides it's raining; would hate lights that come when the computer decides it's dark enough or off when it's light enough! It's almost like being on a train that drives on roads. I want to drive the machine myself, however Vauxhall is my maker of choice (Ppppppppppplllllllllease no discussion of the stupidity of my choice or the merits of other makers as it's all very subjective. :rotfl::rotfl: ) and they have made the EPB standard.

phead wrote: »

Its a flip switch with pull and push, you pull to engage, push to release. You are correct about the self release, though you can release manually untill you get used to it.

Very useful, many thanks. :T

phead wrote: »

The hand brake function isn't hard, the anti rollback that comes with it takes more getting used to, as it applies automatically and you have to trust its holding the car when you switch from brake to accelerator ona hill, after a while you just accept that the car will not move backwards after its stopped. Also another thing that caught me out was that on a slope you need to tap the accelerator to reverse, I was used to letting the car move with the clutch as the hill provided all I needed to reverse onto my drive, I was stuck in the road until I figured out what it was doing.

I will most definitely need to practise this - I can do 'proper' hill starts really well and more often than not 'hold' my car on slopes.

phead wrote: »

Like others have said this isn't a benefit really, I suspect they may scrap it on the next model, as it cannot be used for leaner drivers which is a big part of vauxhall's market. The main failure I find is the lack of tactile feedback, you flip the switch, don't quite see the light as the wheel is blocking it, get out and the car rolls as you didn't catch the switch correctly, I've done that a couple of times now.

The DSA have allowed the use of EBP since the end of last year.
http://www.acclaimdriving.com/news/electronic-parking-brakes-suitable-for-tests/

Sort knew this topic would cause a debate but it's been both lively and non-abusive, so thanks to the petrol-heads (or diesel-heads) and the informed drivers. I look forward to September and using the new gadgetry!

chrisw

It's also a pain changing the rear brake pads. My Passat needed hooking up to a computer to release the calipers.

B00st

Lum wrote: »

So just to clarify. Even if you had done everything correctly, the only thing preventing your car from rolling into that pile of bricks is... French electrics?

That and leaving the car in gear when parked.

missile

Kilty wrote: »

.....
Munched rear discs/pads like nothing on earth though - first replaced at 16k miles

I don't think you can blame that on the electronic parking brake

Gers

Oooooooooooooh..... love it when blokes get all Top Gear on me!

:j:j

So, given that I am 'stuck' with EPB then I consider that I have been given the information requested. Thanks.

missile

shortchanged wrote: »

For me though missile it's all about the economics of it. It is just making something that should be a relatively cheap and easy fix and making it into a job that costs hundreds of pounds.

I'm sorry but I'm getting rather fed up with all this gadgetry in modern cars that really adds very little to the driving experience or probably safety either. It's when something goes wrong with these gadgets and you need to remortgage the house to repair the damn things. It all seems so unnecessary, unless it is to benefit the car companies and attempt to screw the small independent garage.

For me it just puts me off buying these cars because all I see is (unnecessary) expense ahead

I used to think EPB was a gimmick
I used to think ABS was unnessesary.
I used to think only farmers need 4 wheel drive.
I used to think automatics were not for real drivers.
I used to think electronic ignition was a passing fad.
I used to think radial tyres would never catch on.
I used to think power steering was for limp wristed fellows.

:j

Gers

I used to think that caves were ideal living spaces and that dinosaurs were the best food in the world.

Oh, and that men looked good in leopard skins.

:rotfl:

patman99

I can see what the next big thing in after-market modding kits is going to be, cable handbrake kits.

EPB's must work by pressurizing the brakes on either the front, back (or both) wheels using an electronic (probably solenoid-operated) piston, by replacing the solenoid with a rocker-arm lever that pushes the piston in applying the brakes when the cable is pulled-tight. Just like on my old BX.

Right, I'm off to start designing kits for all the popular boy racer cars.

cyclonebri1

davidjwest wrote: »

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!

And thats the problem with these dam things, if you need a new handbrake cable, say £25 part, it comes with the motor, now a £300 part :eek::eek::eek: