[smino]

Just wanted a little info on the electric parking brake. Does it have a speed sensor or something alike.what happens if it accidently acctivated at speed.i know u have to pull it up and that should make it harder to operate.

 

[Dilligaf]

If it's as good as air brakes then you'll put it on its nose

sorry I haven't been brave enough ( or daft enough to try).

 

[smino]

Yes thats y i asked as dont wont to have to get un wedged feom between dash n screen

 

[HoneyMonster]

It is also an emergency braking system, its not as vicous as all that as it wont lock the rear wheels.
This is what it says in manual and it true no handbrake turns on snow covered car park


Dynamic braking when vehicle ismovingand theswitch is kept pulled, a warningchime will sound and the electricalparking brake system will deceleratethe vehicle, but will not applystatically.
As soon as the switch m is released,dynamic braking will be stopped.



Edited by: HoneyMonster

 

[Big Jason]

I've tried out the dynamic braking, Car stops pretty quickly!

 

[Dilligaf]

Brave man. How's your underpants ?

 

[Big Jason]

Hi Dilligaf, I'm a driving instructor so used to emergency stops! I had a go on a straight bit of road doing 60, Quite fun really!

 

[Dilligaf]

Driving instructor !!!! urgh. Considered going for job but then thought of the aggro and decided to stick to lorries. Too many Numpties on the road.

 

[wilma08]

Thats funny made me laugh today and cheered me up thanks

 

[HugoRune]

I have a question about the electric hand brake - how do you do hill starts with a manual transmission? On my test drive I could not figure out how to avoid rolling back because the parking brake de-activated as soon as I touched the accellerator.

Are you supposed to hold the parking brake switch up while you do a hill start (as you would if it was a normal hand brake)?

 

[Dilligaf]

The parking brake should not deactivate until you find the bite on your clutch and then when you press gently down on the throttle that should release the electronic handbrake.

 

[HugoRune]

The problem I had was that as soon as I touched the accelerator to get the revs up enough to do a hill start , the parking brake disengaged and the car rolled back. This happened before I had a chance to find the biting point.

Maybe it's because I passed my test a long time ago, but the way I was taught to do hill starts is as follows:

1. With the hand brake on, press the clutch and select first gear,
2. With your left hand, hold the hand brake on with the button depressed,
3. Gently press the accelerator to increase the engine revs,
4. Slowly let the clutch out until you reach the biting point,
5. Release the hand brake at this point, and slowly let the clutch out to pull away.

The problem I had with the electric brake is that it automagically disengaged at step 3 and the car rolled backwards. I assume that there is a different knack to doing hill starts but I am not sure what the best way is. Do you keep your foot off the accelerator while you are finding the biting point?

 

[Inchindown]

This is what the owner's manual says.

Hill start assist
The system helps prevent unintended movement when driving away on inclines.
When releasing the foot brake after stopping on an incline, the brakes remain on for a further 2 seconds. The brakes release automatically as soon as the vehicle begins to accelerate

So it would appear you should first press the foot brake, then release the hand brake and then move your foot to the accelerator pedal and you will have 2 seconds to hit the gas before the car starts to roll backwards.

 

[Pinty]

Hugo

I think you'll find the hand brake releases as the accelerator pedel is pressed, rather than when the clutch is released and the biting point is reached.

If you have a play, you can trick the car into releasing the hand brake by reving the accelerator ever so slightly, yet at other times, if I let the clutch bite without applying enough revs, the parking brake won't release.

 

[HugoRune]

Thanks for that. I figured that there must be a knack to it.

 

[Pinty]

You don't have to press the hand brake button to release the brakes, justbegin to drive away and they will automatically release

 

[HugoRune]

I think I will just have to play with it for a bit when I pick the car up on Saturday. I was a bit concerned because the dealer did not explain it very well before my test drive and I couldn't figure it out in the short time I had to drive one.

I just want to make sure I know what I am doing before I start towing, as I don't want to be rolling backwards with a caravan hitched up. I tried looking at a few online forums but every discussion seems to descend into a luddite fest.

 

[HoneyMonster]

Try this Hugo when having a play.

Facing uphill keeping foot on brake release handbrake manually.
Now when you take foot off brake pedal, should be about two seconds before you roll backwards.

 

[JR123]

I don't often use my handbrake but mine doesn't release on just pressing the gas pedal. On my journey to work there are traffic lights on a hill, I always get a red!! I have mine in neutral, with the brake pressed, (no handbrake) clutch in, select 1st, off brake and over to gas peddle, no roll back at all.

I had renault that had electronic handbrake, I found that after 18k miles I needed new pads and disks just on the back I put it down to the way the electronic disengaged, so on the Antara I knock it off myself.

 

[VxrDilly]

Had this brake arrangement on my insignia for the last 3 years,pull up on a hill,engage handbrake,then just drive off,there is no such thing as a hill start...My brakes have not worn out either...it just takes getting used to xXx