Electronic Parking Brakes

[mustang1]

P

That's a good point, Mrs 3BM often used to find the handbrake difficult to use so I'm sure there's many others who get the same benefit from electronic parking brakes. I think they're great, mine has also got a 'hold' button so it applies the brake automatically when you stop and it's released by pressing the accelerator. I'm all for this kind of stuff, same as automatic gearboxes, anyway I'm far too important and busy to be bothered with changing gear and applying handbrakes.

Pffft! My chaeuffeeauuuear (well idk how you spell it) is too busy to do this rubbish too. He has just pre-ordered a Google self driving car so he can cheffeur me around.

 

[mustang1]

A colleague got a new company car, an Insignia, which he was dead chuffed with cos it came with a high level of extras. He was less impressed a week later. He'd stopped in a layby to have lunch - sandwiches and a thermos of tea. When he'd finished he gathered up his rubbish and jumped out to put it all in the bin. It was chucking it down with rain and he was in shirtsleeves so he was a bit peeved to get back to the car door to find it locked, with the keys in the ignition. 3 hrs in the rain waiting for the AA!

Dumb design. Range rover has this problem too. I've helped a few friends out when they've locked themselves out of the car.

 

[gavroche]

My car has keyless entry. I just keep the key ( actually it isn't a key but just a rectangular bit of plastic ) in my pocket and forget about it. Push button to start it and it locks itself when I walk away from it.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

My car has keyless entry. I just keep the key ( actually it isn't a key but just a rectangular bit of plastic ) in my pocket and forget about it. Push button to start it and it locks itself when I walk away from it.

My dad's got one like that. Took him ages to trust it - he'd walk away from the car then think "Is that really locked?" then go back to the car and think "Was it the key that unlocked it or was it already unlocked?"

 

[keithmac]

I've worked out how to get the brake to go off on the grim-Insignia now - you have to press the foot brake and press the teeny tiny recessed brake switch at the same time, and when you do, a motor whirrs and within slightly longer than feels comfortable, the brake is released. If you are on a hill facing up you then have to release the footbrake and find the bite *immediately* or you will roll backwards. The brake does release itself if you just drive, but it's a vicious thing so the car is very hard to move that first bit with it on - this is obviously more of a problem if you are on a hill, as you tend to stall the bleeder.

As I said (I think) the system on the Golf worked ok - it seemed to engage and release more quickly, and I'm pretty sure you could release it without pressing the foot brake at the same time. It also engaged automatically to stop you rolling down hill - one of the few benefits of the system I can see, and one the Vauxhall doesn't bother with. Did I mention they are cheap?

The only features from this brand new car I'd like to have on my 10 year old car that I am now looking to replace (it's beyond economical repair) are the start/stop (although again it worked better on the Golf - the Vauxhall sometimes doesn't stop when I think it should, and tries to stop when it shouldn't) and the DAB stereo. The rest of it - from the massive screen that is always on, the pointless ability to broadcast videos from your phone to the car, the electric hand brake, to the parking sensors that get startled by the road surface and passing traffic - you can keep.

Just sounds like a shite implementation of a decent system from Vauxhall unfortunately.

Our Kugas hill hold is excellent and must use some form of torque metering from the auto box control ecu as it's seemless in operation.

 

[Drago]

The Ford hill hold system promotes bad driving by discouraging fold from using the handbrake properly.

 

[keithmac]

No it doesn't.

 

[Drago]

I always thought it did in Mrs D's last Motability car, a Kuga. It didnt do anything a handbrake didn't, and simply encourages the driver to use the foot brake only, safe in the knowledge that the brake won't disengage until they take up drive with the throttle. If a driver were a lazy sort - like most drivers is we're honest - it elimnates the need to use the handbrake at all in certain situations.

Otherwise, I quite liked the Kuga, though needing the gearbox off at 5000 miles to replace a crank oil seal didn't fill me with confidence.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Must admit only use mine when I park up . However it's an automatic , I have used it when on a steep hill and when towing for extra safety.

 

[Dan B]

The Ford hill hold system promotes bad driving by discouraging fold from using the handbrake properly.

In much the same way it could be argued that syncromesh promotes bad driving by discouraging folk from changing gear properly

 

[Dan B]

As a general principle I'd far rather that the mechanical fiddly bits of driving were "dumbed down" to free up the driver for important things like looking where he is going and not running into people.

 

[Proto]

My car has keyless entry. I just keep the key ( actually it isn't a key but just a rectangular bit of plastic ) in my pocket and forget about it. Push button to start it and it locks itself when I walk away from it.

My sister had to go to Tamworth but her son had borrowed her car, so she asked her husband if she could use his. "of course, I'll back it out of the garage whilst you get your stuff together". BMW with keyless entry and start. So he backs the car out of the garage, leaves it outside with the engine running, (auto stop/start disengaged). Sister jumps in and drives to Tamworth. Gets out and walks away. Unfortunately the 'key' thingy is in her husbands pocket 15 miles away. She now can't restart the car. BiL can't drive over as their other can't has been lent out. An expensive taxi ride later reunites the car and 'key'. Both mightily pissed off.

 

[Proto]

A feature of SAABs is the car must be in reverse gear before the ignition key can be released from the ignition switch/barrel. My son borrowed my car, a 9-5 and had to phone me, "dad how do you get the key out?"

Parking in reverse makes the parking brake a bit redundant, so mostly don't use it.

 

[keithmac]

My sister had to go to Tamworth but her son had borrowed her car, so she asked her husband if she could use his. "of course, I'll back it out of the garage whilst you get your stuff together". BMW with keyless entry and start. So he backs the car out of the garage, leaves it outside with the engine running, (auto stop/start disengaged). Sister jumps in and drives to Tamworth. Gets out and walks away. Unfortunately the 'key' thingy is in her husbands pocket 15 miles away. She now can't restart the car. BiL can't drive over as their other can't has been lent out. An expensive taxi ride later reunites the car and 'key'. Both mightily pissed off.

When the wife walks off with our keys to open the house while I'm parking the car the screen shows "keyless fob not in range" and pings an alarm, no chance of driving anywhere not knowing the fob is out of the car.

Sounds a poor show from BMW if you can drive off with no alert..

 

[keithmac]

I always thought it did in Mrs D's last Motability car, a Kuga. It didnt do anything a handbrake didn't, and simply encourages the driver to use the foot brake only, safe in the knowledge that the brake won't disengage until they take up drive with the throttle. If a driver were a lazy sort - like most drivers is we're honest - it elimnates the need to use the handbrake at all in certain situations.

Otherwise, I quite liked the Kuga, though needing the gearbox off at 5000 miles to replace a crank oil seal didn't fill me with confidence.

I've found it invaluable while towing the caravan, setting off up hills etc. Locks all 4 wheels where the handbrake would be marginal.

Quite fond of our Kuga now, drags the 'van around without complaint which is why we bought it!. Made short work of Garrowby Hill on the way to Bridlington last week.