Hyundai i20 Handbrake

Chloed1993

Exactly I don’t understand how a handbrake that has to be at 6 clicks is fit for purpose. After the incident I parked in the space again and tested the handbrake at different clicks. It will only hold at 6 or above. Any lower and the car will not hold at all even on flat, it will never hold at 3-4!! Which for a car that’s not even done 500 miles seems ridiculous. I have to struggle to get it to 6 clicks.

The road wasn’t icy and we had driven the car for 10 minutes. And yes the handbrake has to be disengaged to move it after the accident. The witness saw the car suddenly go and before we moved it we got them to verify that the handbrake was up.

At no point did they warn me the car would cool down and potential not be able to hold itself. The manager of the dealership seemed to think because it passed the tests it would for a mot (when the car was hot as I’d just driven there) then that’s ok they don’t need to investigate further.

When I was handed the keys to the car shown around it at no point did they say before you drive away read the manual there are some important warnings. I’m sure there is something wrong but I have no idea how to prove this.

Lorian

Chloed1993 wrote: »

The road wasn’t icy and we had driven the car for 10 minutes. And yes the handbrake has to be disengaged to move it after the accident.

This is very interesting because it's somewhat incongruent with what has been witnessed. No overlooking CCTV coverage from any of the neighbours?

Was it seen to roll quickly or slowly? If slowly then perhaps that high-notch you need to get it to is only just holding.

Chloed1993

The witness said it was fairly quick. I’m not sure how its incongruent to what’s been witnessed? They saw the handbrake up (and high) and saw the car suddenly move.

Lorian

I guess I'd expect the brake to still be off when you came to recover the car, especially if it went quickly.

Doesn't mean there isn't some technical reason that it could happen that way, just seems unexpected.

mr_accountant

as an 2013 i20 owner mark 1.5, that’s the old version face lifted this is a drum in disc system, that meaning the rear brakes are disc and the h/b is connected via cables to the inside of the disc to drum shoes, and when the lever is lifted the drums catch on the inside of the disc. This is a very good if not the best system of handbrake

Originally mine clicked 9 times an on a steep gradient (my drive) before holding and after the service last year was around 6 clicks on my drive and it does not move at all, (so it was adjusted) and on a flat around 4-5, how do I know because my drive is fairly steep and to start the car the clutch pedal must in before it starts, so if the handbrake was loose it would roll down the drive but it doesn’t. There is no scope for all the expansion/ contraction on this set-up. Off course I do leave car in1st gear too.

the user manual states 6-8 clicks is correct, it was the same with my i10

the OP says new so i presume its the mark 2 i20, but i don’t think there will be any difference in brake design, if it rear discs likely to be same design as old i20

were they faulty? Who knows, probably not levered high enough would be my guess esp as the dealer has tested them again.

re Google its possible to find everything about every model does not mean it is true and cant recall this being an issue on the i20 forums.

mr_accountant

Tarambor wrote: »

Does it have disc brakes at the rear? If so you'll find in the owners manual it'll say to press the brake pedal down and then apply the handbrake. Reason for that is with rear disc brakes and handbrakes if you only apply the handbrake then as the discs cool down and shrink the force being applied when you initially put the handbrake on can end up not being sufficient to hold the car. When you apply the footbrake first and then the handbrake you apply more force than just using the handbrake alone.

yes it says exactly that in the i20 user manual, it says (para-phrasing) press footbrake, then lever ratchet up as high as possible without pressing the release button in, so the driver should hear the clicks

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

mr_accountant wrote: »

yes it says exactly that in the i20 user manual, it says (para-phrasing) press footbrake, then lever ratchet up as high as possible without pressing the release button in, so the driver should hear the clicks

I think it is important that such an operation was brought to the attention of the owner. It is not something that is taught.

Consider if you hired an i20. Would you read the manual before driving off to find that there was a recommended technique for a handbrake requiring the pressing of the foot brake? Or what about the first journey home from the dealership?

To be fair, I would expect to have my foot on the brake when applying the handbrake, but this seems to suggest a more deliberate press is recommended - as the OP parked on a mild slope, they would have had the foot brake pressed.

In terms of rolling away, stationary, once the braking force is overcome, it is not surprising that it might roll reasonably quickly. When stationary, you've got the stationary grip again (stiction is a thing). Stationary friction is higher than moving friction - it is the same effect where when you pull up, that last bit of the stop tends to be rough unless you counter-act it by releasing pressure.

Car_54

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

What car was that then?

Most modern cars that still have handbrakes tell you NOT to press the button.

oldagetraveller

"However, I would say that any handbrake that needs some form of magical incantation (e.g. pressing brakes, or using a specific technique for applying it that if not used can cause failure) rather than simply being pulled up firmly is not fit for purpose."

Strange that Toyota advise pushing the brake pedal when applying the handbake. What do they know? Obviously less than you, Ian
I've been driving for many years too and I think for many of the cars I've owned, the manual has advised pressing the footbrake when applying the handbrake. This also reduces potential stretching of the cable.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

oldagetraveller wrote: »

"However, I would say that any handbrake that needs some form of magical incantation (e.g. pressing brakes, or using a specific technique for applying it that if not used can cause failure) rather than simply being pulled up firmly is not fit for purpose."

Strange that Toyota advise pushing the brake pedal when applying the handbake. What do they know? Obviously less than you, Ian
I've been driving for many years too and I think for many of the cars I've owned, the manual has advised pressing the footbrake when applying the handbrake. This also reduces potential stretching of the cable.

While mechanical sympathy is encouraged, it is not a requirement of the driving test. My point is simply that if you design a car that requires a specific technique to use a piece of equipment that does not give any obvious in feedback as to whether you have done it, then you have failed in design. If to get a proper engagement of the handbrake you need the assistance of the foot brake as well then there should be an interlock so you cannot engage the handbrake without the brake being pressed.


The general advice on coming to a halt is always to press the brake pedal, and then apply the hand brake and then release it, nothing special in that. In part I am querying whether magic incantations of the brake pedal can really make a significant difference to the application of the brake, or what scenario are they considering where the brake can be applied more fully by pressing the brake pedal rather than a firm pull on the handbrake (given that the final braking force of the handbrake always must be created by the hand brake lever).

Brake cables don't really stretch these days, it is brake wear and component wear. If a cable could stretch simply through the extra force of a firm handbrake application then it is not strong enough to be reliable in normal use.

Generally, I think these instructions are simply excuses for them recognising that they have designed a handbrake system that requires more force than some drivers can readily apply. Using the foot brake isn't really going to make a massive difference unless they are suggesting that the pad return mechanism is so strong that you need help of the foot brake to help overcome it.