new honda civic's recalled

deltic_2

It is fine as a short term measure until they fix the fault.

Cars are tested against all kinds of misuse, including over pulling and over forcing the handbrake. Modern handbrakes are designed to withstand more force than a person can exert even at full pull. Using the clicks and 'feel' is the most technically robust method of ensuring proper handbrake application and one which take fully into account any wear, slack etc in the whole handbrake mechanism, including wear on the rear brakes.

Also, you have to have your handbrake adjusted much less frequently on modern cars and it's often no longer in the service schedule. This is a reflection of how good the modern handbrakes should be.

globbits

I couldn't resist posting in response; I've always been taught (rightly or wrongly) to not only leave a car in gear when parked, but also handbrake on AND wheels turned towards the kerb. Overkill, maybe, but old habits die hard!

As for recalls, I own a 2001 Civic Coupe and just popped into the Honda dealer for a chat; he checked my registration and told me the car had missed a safety recall, and is arranging to have this problem fixed, free of charge (of course!). I like Hondas - I own a CBR600F motorcycle as well - and think the old saying: 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda' is absolutely true today, as well as way back then!

As for deltic, who posted above, may I say - and he/she will know what I mean - Peterborough, 1000 Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Class 55 - stand behind yellow line! And if that's too cryptic, drop me a PM as I believe we may share a 'fetish'!

movilogo

the parking brake shoes press against the brake disc, holding the car

Most not so expensive cars have drum brakes (not discs) on rear wheels. Parking brake only operates on rear wheels!

70% of braking effort is handled by the front wheels. So, this argument doesn't really stand!

A good parking brake should always hold the car well by itself, even on a steep slope. If yours doesn't, take it to garage for adjustment.

headpin

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Parking brakes will often release of their own accord. What happens is that the discs are hot after driving. When something increases in temperature, it expands - metal particularly. The parking brake shoes press against the brake disc, holding the car. The disc then contracts as it cools down, and the shoes no longer have enough grip to stop the disc from rotating, which means your car is free to move.

You should always use the button when pulling the parking brake on though. Its mechanical sympathy more than anything.

Your physics maybe correct, but that it is not the cause of this problem. Why would holding or not holding in the ratchet button in on the handbrake be affected by the expansion and/or contraction of the discs? This would happen regardless and on every car including those with drums which can get just as hot as discs at times.

I have not checked the Honda Civic, but this has also happened on a couple of other makes of car. The problem is that the ratchet and pawl mecanism on the handbrake can often not mesh together properly if the button is pushed in when pulling the handbrake on. The handbrake lever being under tension can then often release itself without warning. i.e it just springs off.

I would sugest that the maker of any car where the parking brake releases itself due to expansion and contraction would be in deep do do. That is a problem that should be eliminated at the design stage. It is easily forseeable and dealt with.

espresso

cajef wrote: »

Do it on your driving test and you will get marks for 'Incorrect use of Handbrake'

The reasoning being that it causes undue wear on the mechanism, which will lead to failure of the ratchet and the brake will eventually not hold on.

Rubbish, it has nothing to do with the examiner how you choose to treat the vehicle!

Taken from a Ford manual:

To apply the handbrake, pull the lever right up. To release it, pull the lever up slightly, depress the locking button and push the lever down.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

headpin wrote: »

Your physics maybe correct, but that it is not the cause of this problem. Why would holding or not holding in the ratchet button in on the handbrake be affected by the expansion and/or contraction of the discs? This would happen regardless and on every car including those with drums which can get just as hot as discs at times.

I have not checked the Honda Civic, but this has also happened on a couple of other makes of car. The problem is that the ratchet and pawl mecanism on the handbrake can often not mesh together properly if the button is pushed in when pulling the handbrake on. The handbrake lever being under tension can then often release itself without warning. i.e it just springs off.

I would sugest that the maker of any car where the parking brake releases itself due to expansion and contraction would be in deep do do. That is a problem that should be eliminated at the design stage. It is easily forseeable and dealt with.

The post you quote was not in response to the OP. It was a general comment aimed at one of the most common causes of vehicles moving once the parking brake has been applied.

Audis are well known for it. I've had 2, they both did it but then again Audi brakes were never great, the brakes on my A4 were very easily saturated by water when driving in rain, you could hit the brake pedal with no response for at least a second until the pads brushed the water off the disc.