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[Broomies Mate]

I completely agree.

Since driving an Auto, I have used the handbrake once, and that was when I replaced the Handbrake shoes.

Oh, I use mine. A little peg in the gearbox output shaft is not something I want to rely on. Besides, if you don't use them they don't work come MOT time.

Kevin

I'll wager a tenner that the little 5mm peg is stronger than the handbrake cable       I appreciate you use both, so fair enough.  I've spent enough time in the States to know that nobody even knows what the handbrake lever does.  Driving manuals, I leave the car in gear, I dont bother with the handbrake.

I'm sure a certain someone will come along soon and ask me if my Insurance Company is aware I do this 

[Vamps]

Thanks BM, not being funny, just ignorant, but why would they not pass an MOT?

You still can't use them for reducing speed though if your brakes fail.

Exactly.  The Handbrake, or Parking Brake is actually an Emergency Brake.  It's efficiency has to be 16% of the weight of the vehicle to pass the MOT.

These Electronic jobbies, you cant engage them when the car is in motion, so they would be 0% of the mass of the vehicle, even though they might be amazing once the vehicle has stopped.

I just dont see how they will pass an MOT.

Oh yeah thanks! I knew that just didn't relate the two! Prefer "normal" handbrakes anyway!

The car I have spent most time in with one of these stupid things, is a Citroen C4 Picasso.  It stopped the car from rolling on a hill, it held the vehicle when stopped no bother.

It would switch itself off if you 'forgot' even when you applied it manually, in a car-park say.

But you could hit the massive button on the dash when driving, and it wouldn't engage.

The RR test for the MOT has the car on the rollers moving then the handbrake is applied to show efficiency.  I just dont see how this is possible, unless there is already an amendment to the Handbrake section of the MOT procedure for these vehicles fitted with a computer to control the Emergency Brake.

I have a Citroen Picasso (yes still ) and from what I remember you can use the handbrake when moving, I frequently do at very low speed, but the manual warns against, at speed unless in an emergency situation, I seem to think it is a 'one off' situation than needs something reset....I may be wrong...... :-/ :-/

[davethediver]

Thanks BM, not being funny, just ignorant, but why would they not pass an MOT?

You still can't use them for reducing speed though if your brakes fail.

Exactly.  The Handbrake, or Parking Brake is actually an Emergency Brake.  It's efficiency has to be 16% of the weight of the vehicle to pass the MOT.

These Electronic jobbies, you cant engage them when the car is in motion, so they would be 0% of the mass of the vehicle, even though they might be amazing once the vehicle has stopped.

I just dont see how they will pass an MOT.

I don't know the answer BM but im pretty certain Audi would have thought of that, bit of a piss take selling you an 80K car that has a three year life span

[Vamps]

My 07 Citroen recently pased it's MOT so they must be OK...

[Vamps]

An after thought, I do not really like the electronic handbrake, not sure what would happen with a total electrical failure..... :-/  HGV/PSV break failure puts the brakes on...

Also, on our Omega's we always use the hand brake, I put the hand break on before puttining it in Park. The hand brake needs to be used.....

[albitz]

Still doesnt sound as daft as the Mercedes parking brake. Its a footpedal at the side of the transmission tunnel, operated by the left foot to engage. And a lever on the right side of the dash to disengage. Not too bad on an auto, but too use it for hill starts in a manual would be a pita.

[cem_devecioglu]

Still doesnt sound as daft as the Mercedes parking brake. Its a footpedal at the side of the transmission tunnel, operated by the left foot to engage. And a lever on the right side of the dash to disengage. Not too bad on an auto, but too use it for hill starts in a manual would be a pita.

yep.. the first time I have to drive a mercedes ,  really I searched for it.. totally crap..  any newbie driver on a hill will go into trouble ..

and electronic  handbrake .. shite..

[Marks DTM Calib]

Removes all the fun in the snow.

Cant see the point myself.

[albitz]

Absolutely.

[TheBoy]

Electronic handbrake, like lane changing indicators, are a PITA at first. Then you end up getting used to them. Then you miss them when you don't have them

I too wonder about MOT - like HIDs, there is probably no real UK legislation, so as long as the car passes the (more stringent) tests for new cars, I guess it is logged as such when MOT done?  Most trucks use them, and pass MOTs. I'd like to think their annual checks are more thorough...

Would be nice to have it as an emergency slowing down device, but lets face it, the standard Omega handbrake is piss poor anyway.  Electronic brakes also stop 'boys being childish little boys', but such stunts are only really controllable in smaller cars anyway.


Would I want one on my car?  Yes and no .  Definately wouldn't want one on the Rover, that would spoil my childish behaviour.  Omega? Probably wouldn't bother me too much either way - the laziness V proper manual control....


BM - use your handbrake. Its hard enough getting it through MOTs when its not seized .  Sounds like, as you can't be bothered to use it, an electronic one would be ideal for you

[Omegatoy]

GAAAAASH, WHEN  when they first came out on the Jags, we used to drive in to browns lane, load the transporters with 8 cars, take them down to southampton or purfleet,
turns out the electronic handbrakes were letting go and switching off due to the trailer bumping around, when we got back in to unload the cars all of the handbrakes were off,
and all the cars had small damage front and rear where thay had been moving against each other , but the worst thing was when you unhooked all the straps from the cars on the top deck, lowered the top deck, jumped into the frst car and ran it off the deck you got follwed by the other three cos the handbrakes were not on!!!! you soon learnt to leave one strap on them!!! lol

[cem_devecioglu]

GAAAAASH, WHEN  when they first came out on the Jags, we used to drive in to browns lane, load the transporters with 8 cars, take them down to southampton or purfleet,
turns out the electronic handbrakes were letting go and switching off due to the trailer bumping around, when we got back in to unload the cars all of the handbrakes were off,
and all the cars had small damage front and rear where thay had been moving against each other , but the worst thing was when you unhooked all the straps from the cars on the top deck, lowered the top deck, jumped into the frst car and ran it off the deck you got follwed by the other three cos the handbrakes were not on!!!! you soon learnt to leave one strap on them!!! lol

 :-? :-/

[Kevin Wood]

I too wonder about MOT - like HIDs, there is probably no real UK legislation, so as long as the car passes the (more stringent) tests for new cars, I guess it is logged as such when MOT done?  Most trucks use them, and pass MOTs. I'd like to think their annual checks are more thorough...

Well, I'm sure the UK C&U regs specify the vehicle has to have a secondary braking system that is mechanically actuated. Maybe there is an allowance for these devices these days. I'd hesitate to call them a braking system if you can't use them to slow the vehicle down, though.

Problem is, these days, a product gets EU approval and we rubber stamp it. For our authorities to then stick their necks out and decide it's not up to UK standards, and ban it, is difficult because they'll get lent on very hard by the department of bull5hit,interference business, innovation and skills for acting as a "barrier to free trade".

Or at least this is exactly how it it is with sh1te electronic goods that radio amateurs have tried to get banned. (£15 computer PSUs without any mains filtering, power line adaptors that fail conducted emissions limits by 40db, etc.).

Kevin

[2woody]

a few things here....

firstly, I'm absolutely NOT going to mention insurance companies.

secondly, I can probably answer the legality thing, but not until I'm back at work again. I suspect the answer lies in the classification of exactly what is the main brake and what is the secondary brake.

thirdly, it is a cost thing. The manufacturer will have a relatively advanced ABS system, doubling as Traction Control and stability control. One of the routines will be to apply the brakes to a spinning wheel to regain traction. The cost of another switch is much more attractive to the manufacturer than some special brake calipers, the levers and cable. Probably about 20p vs £10, which is a really big thing in car-manufacturer land. I know one company where the suggestions scheme will send anyone who reduces the cost of a car by more than £1 on a holiday in the Bahamas.

fourthly, yes this is all far too complex for me. Too many toys 

and fifth, doesn't the traction control on the later Omegas brake a spinning wheel. Maybe it could be possible on Omega then? Bet my insurance company wouldn't agree.

Bummer !

[geoffr70]

An after thought, I do not really like the electronic handbrake, not sure what would happen with a total electrical failure..... :-/  HGV/PSV break failure puts the brakes on...
Also, on our Omega's we always use the hand brake, I put the hand break on before puttining it in Park. The hand brake needs to be used.....

But at least on these you would get a warning of low air, and unless you had an immediate failure of both air tanks (unlikely), the brakes wouldn't come on instantly