Electric Handbrakes

[Dustydog]

This comes from DT .
Flat battery fail safe I understand. But is this a design defect?
Both our diesels have intelligent electric handbrakes . Now made me think will they behave the same as a Tesla?

Apologies the attachment is here now

 

[Jcloughie]

This comes from DT .
Flat battery fail safe I understand. But is this a design defect?
Both our diesels have intelligent electric handbrakes . Now made me think will they behave the same as a Tesla?

Sorry, that post went right over my head.

John

 

[otherclive]

This comes from DT .
Flat battery fail safe I understand. But is this a design defect?
Both our diesels have intelligent electric handbrakes . Now made me think will they behave the same as a Tesla?

If your engine is running the electric handbrakes should have supply to operate correctly. However if the cars battery is flat the handbrake is unlikely to work. So no push starts.

 

[Gozza2]

Our new car has an electric handbrake. It's early days but I'm not enthusiastic.

You have to dab the footbrake to release the handbrake - then if you're on a slope the handbrake stays engaged for a short period (2 seconds according to the handbook) so that you can get your foot across to the accelerator for a smooth hill start. This is touted as a driver aid, but if the handbrake worked like a normal physical handbrake, it wouldn't be needed.

 

[otherclive]

Our new car has an electric handbrake. It's early days but I'm not enthusiastic.

You have to dab the footbrake to release the handbrake - then if you're on a slope the handbrake stays engaged for a short period (2 seconds according to the handbook) so that you can get your foot across to the accelerator for a smooth hill start. This is touted as a driver aid, but if the handbrake worked like a normal physical handbrake, it wouldn't be needed.

I’ve hardly touched the handbrake in 12 months of ownership. It comes on itself as you go into Park and switch off the engine. Goes off as you put it into P or D and touch throttle. But for normal driving it’s in Autohold. It took me quite a while to adapt to it, but now it’s second nature.

 

[Bluetonic]

Our new car has an electric handbrake. It's early days but I'm not enthusiastic.

You have to dab the footbrake to release the handbrake - then if you're on a slope the handbrake stays engaged for a short period (2 seconds according to the handbook) so that you can get your foot across to the accelerator for a smooth hill start. This is touted as a driver aid, but if the handbrake worked like a normal physical handbrake, it wouldn't be needed.

That sounds horrible. I love the autohold feature on our SantaFe, especially hill starting when towing. Just dab the accelerator and we're off.
Pretty sure the manual Tiguan we had was the same, but my memory is a bit fuzzy

 

[RogerL]

Flat batteries can cause many issues on modern cars - on my VW Touareg it prevented the central locking working so the battery couldn't be recharged - the towing electric socket wasn't accessible when folded away - the only option was to use the emergency key but that's plastic and likely to break under the force needed to unlock the car.

Flat battery causing the handbrake to stay on is the least of the issues!

 

[GaryB]

Electric handbrakes are a God-send for some cars, in 2010 and again in 2013 I had a new Mercedes C220 estate as a company car, my allowance wouldn't stretch to automatic transmission so they both had the 6 speed manual gearbox and a mechanical handbrake. A foot-applied mechanical handbrake......... So that's FOUR pedals to contend with (parking brake to the left of the clutch), try doing a quick hill-start with that! Fortunately it had hill-hold assist which made things a bit easier but it really was one of those handbrake systems that clearly hadn't been designed by the manual-transmission lovers.

 

[otherclive]

Electric handbrakes are a God-send for some cars, in 2010 and again in 2013 I had a new Mercedes C220 estate as a company car, my allowance wouldn't stretch to automatic transmission so they both had the 6 speed manual gearbox and a mechanical handbrake. A foot-applied mechanical handbrake......... So that's FOUR pedals to contend with (parking brake to the left of the clutch), try doing a quick hill-start with that! Fortunately it had hill-hold assist which made things a bit easier but it really was one of those handbrake systems that clearly hadn't been designed by the manual-transmission lovers.

Did it not have handbrake release under the dash?

 

[Woodentop]

Once you are used to auto-hold you will never want to go back - <especially> when towing!

 

[GaryB]

Did it not have handbrake release under the dash?

Yes, releasing it was easy, it was the application that was a problem. Switching from a Mondeo where you could just quickly apply the handbrake at a junction with the car in gear/foot on the clutch was suddenly impossible and took quite a bit of getting used to. Had automatics since 2016, far easier!

 

[Dustydog]

Once you are used to auto-hold you will never want to go back - <especially> when towing!

My Touareg has Auto hold. How did I ever drive without it👍. The drawback may be that the brake lights stay on until you move.

 

[RogerL]

My Touareg has Auto hold. How did I ever drive without it👍. The drawback may be that the brake lights stay on until you move.

Does it stay on when auto-hold is active? I keep meaning to check but thinking about it the brake lights aren't on during our caravanning pre-check unless I press the footbrake.

 

[Jcloughie]

Electric handbrakes are a God-send for some cars, in 2010 and again in 2013 I had a new Mercedes C220 estate as a company car, my allowance wouldn't stretch to automatic transmission so they both had the 6 speed manual gearbox and a mechanical handbrake. A foot-applied mechanical handbrake......... So that's FOUR pedals to contend with (parking brake to the left of the clutch), try doing a quick hill-start with that! Fortunately it had hill-hold assist which made things a bit easier but it really was one of those handbrake systems that clearly hadn't been designed by the manual-transmission lovers.

I had that same system on a Citroen XM manual. It took a lot of getting used to, but once done, I loved that car. Wish some French block had not written it off for me.

A few of us once went to move, by pushing, a German friends Merc, in Germany. (He was too drunk). 3 of us searched for the handbrake and gave up.


John

 

[Dustydog]

Does it stay on when auto-hold is active? I keep meaning to check but thinking about it the brake lights aren't on during our caravanning pre-check unless I press the footbrake.

Not sure about when hitched up. Will check before we go off on Thursday .Solo they stay on until I touch the throttle which then releases the hydraulic brakes.

 

[Jcloughie]

Just to confuse. My car has two! A standard electric handbrake, and a second auto brake. The auto brake might be more useful on a manual. But makes maneuvering in tight spaces difficult as it is jerky. I just don't use it.

John

 

[Dustydog]

Just to confuse. My car has two! A standard electric handbrake, and a second auto brake. The auto brake might be more useful on a manual. But makes maneuvering in tight spaces difficult as it is jerky. I just don't use it.

John

The Touareg is the same . Two buttons. Electric handbrake and auto hold which operates the hydraulics. Agree about moving in tight spaces👍

 

[otherclive]

The Touareg is the same . Two buttons. Electric handbrake and auto hold which operates the hydraulics. Agree about moving in tight spaces👍

I turn the autohold off for close quarter combat like putting it on the drive close to the house.

 

[Buckman]

The Jeep being totally different has a foot brake instead of a handbrake. So easy to use. Press to engage "handbrake" and press again to release.

 

[Beachball]

My new car got a electric brake it only comes on when i park and switch off the engine when i restart press the footbrake and put it in drive . auto-hold is great

 

[Buckman]

The biggest issue with electronic handbrakes, cruise controls etc., although they are brilliant, is that the driver is no longer in full control of the car.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I have a manual car. There are three aspects of the electric braking system.

First the electric handbrake which you can operate manual by pushing or realising a button. Equivalent to pulling up the handbrake.

Second is auto hold which can be enabled or not and engaged by an extra depression on the brake pedal when stopped.

Third is hill start assist where the car detects your on an incline and holds the brake on for a couple of seconds as you release the clutch.

 

[Guzzilazz]

My XC40 (auto with an EPB-electric parking brake) broke down a while ago. I'd dropped off somewhere to do an errand, and once done (10 minutes) I returned, entered the car and pressed the start button. All the dials did their usual thing but the engine just didn't turnover.

Volvo assist organised recovery, and I was amazed that the truck driver had to put nylon wedges hammered under all 4 wheels and DRAG the car via the winch up onto the tilted flatbed. Usual occurence according to the recovery driver.

The failure was a battery control module which sat between the 48V battery (car is a mild hybrid) and the 12V. I don't know why the Tesla didn't call recovery?

 

[RogerL]

The biggest issue with electronic handbrakes, cruise controls etc., although they are brilliant, is that the driver is no longer in full control of the car.

Really? I choose when and where to apply my electric handbrake just as I choose when and where to engage my cruise control - isn't that full control?

 

[GaryB]

Volvo assist organised recovery, and I was amazed that the truck driver had to put nylon wedges hammered under all 4 wheels and DRAG the car via the winch up onto the tilted flatbed. Usual occurence according to the recovery driver.

A neighbours hybrid Hyundai was recovered the same way and had to be dragged out of a parking space at Tesco, I'd have thought hydraulic pump-up skates would be easier!