Handbrake failure!

[Vapin' Joe]

[QUOTE 4480884, member: 9609"]

Another thing - parking brake is supposed to be your emergency back up braking system, [/QUOTE]

I don't think so.

I had a handbrake fail on a firms car. Rolled backwards across the road and into a wall, putting a neat dent in the bumper and destroying the L/H light cluster. The guvnor could not say anything as both myself and someone else had warned him it was on the way out and he had not done anything.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

[QUOTE 4481258, member: 9609"]why wasn't it in gear ?[/QUOTE]
The engine was running. I'd popped out to drop something into a shop and forgot the dodgy bloody handbrake. My fault there.

 

[raleighnut]

At least with the SAAB you had to put them into reverse to get the ignition key out.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4481472, member: 9609"]was that just a coincident or did connecting the batteries up give enough voltage to release the mechanism ?


did they have the hand brakes on the front whhels ?[/QUOTE]
The 99, 90 and 900 did, the early 99s (1709 and 1850cc) had a separate drum brake within the disc hub and the later ones used a 'screw' cam that was inside the brake caliper (so the pistons had to be 'wound' back in when fitting new pads)
Inexperienced MOT testers used to 'fail' cars on handbrake travel when the handbrake was adjusted correctly (It was set with a 15 thou feeler guage) as it took 6 clicks on the handbrake ratchet to fully apply it, we ended up having the relevant technical sheet printed to show that this was the factory spec for travel.

 

[Tim Hall]

The engine was running. I'd popped out to drop something into a shop and forgot the dodgy bloody handbrake. My fault there.

You left the engine running in an unattended motor on the public highway?

 

[Vapin' Joe]

You left the engine running in an unattended motor on the public highway?

I do that quite a lot if I've got a quick drop. Wrong, but tell that to postmen and couriers etc.

 

[Tim Hall]

I do that quite a lot if I've got a quick drop. Wrong, but tell that to postmen and couriers etc.

Wrong and illegal AIUI. What benefit does keeping the engine running give you?

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Wrong and illegal AIUI. What benefit does keeping the engine running give you?

Keeps the windows demisted when it's wet or cold and saves faffing about when you get back in. Starter motors last longer too.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Leaving it in gear is fine until someone hits it and transmission components get junked as well.

Never going to happen

 

[screenman]

Keeps the windows demisted when it's wet or cold and saves faffing about when you get back in. Starter motors last longer too.

Starter motors, that is something I have not seen on a bench for a lot of years. To be honest those are poor excuses, better one is the car was not reliable and it was your only choice.

 

[screenman]

Never going to happen

I have been trying to work out how that would happen. I would be surprised if P would exist in automatic cars if it was a regular occurrence.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Starter motors, that is something I have not seen on a bench for a lot of years. To be honest those are poor excuses, better one is the car was not reliable and it was your only choice.

New starter motor just before Christmas.I run old cars, the Astra is a '99 and near the end of it's third year with me. I won't tempt fate by telling you it's been reliable.

 

[Tim Hall]

New starter motor just before Christmas.I run old cars, the Astra is a '99 and near the end of it's third year with me. I won't tempt fate by telling you it's been reliable.

I thought it was a firm's car.

 

[screenman]

New starter motor just before Christmas.I run old cars, the Astra is a '99 and near the end of it's third year with me. I won't tempt fate by telling you it's been reliable.

That explains it then, I seldom see cars that old in the garages that I work in.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I thought it was a firm's car.

The one with the handbrake failure was, I'm going back five or six years though.