[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

TL;DR this seems to be a bit of a myth

I can accept that. I'm curious about the heat/wear asscoiation in the video, but I guess that is for another discussion. I'll still press thebuttin, to avoid that annoying ratchet noise

But I'll forget about the wear. Thanks.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

You are actually "supposed" to push the button when applying the handbrake, so no rachet noise, and no ratchet wear.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

TL;DR this seems to be a bit of a myth

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I can accept that. I'm curious about the heat/wear asscoiation in the video, but I guess that is for another discussion. I'll still press thebuttin, to avoid that annoying ratchet noise
But I'll forget about the wear. Thanks.

So far each "expert" and each car salesman who was giving me a car delivery - has specifically told me to not press the button while pulling the hand-brake. That is logically correct because there is a tiny possibility that we might leave the latch not fully secured (like 2 gear notches hitting each other's points & it may slip later leaving the brake loose.

But the last time I actually pulled a hand brake with a krrrakkkt was probably in 2007. Since then I press the button pull it without a lot of force. Let go of the button then & pull it a click or two with some effort to secure it "latched". A compromise.

[bj96]

Originally Posted by GTO

...
My main problem = its STUPID location! End of the day, this is a small lever that can & will be accidentally engaged...

For over 22 years I have been driving some hardcore manual cars like Mahindra Marshal, WagonR type 1, Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 4x4, Honda Brio MT. I am used to tall gear throws (except Brio) and hand brake ratchets in such cars. 3 Months back I bought a new BMW X3. It is my first AT car and comes fully loaded with electronics, including e-Parking and joystick gear lever.

Due to my hard-baked muscle memory even after 3-months, I switch on wiper sometimes when turning left or right in the BMW. Occasionally hunt for clutch pedal or engage reverse when meaning to drive off straight ahead. But, I haven't faced any issues with parking switch yet. I noticed, while other switches are soft touch "down" the parking brake is a "pull up" with tip of your finger with an actuating thingy feel inside. It feels and moves different than other switches. Very unlikely, it can be switched on in absent mind. So, I don't find its a big problem if placed near gear stick console as long as manufacturer has taken due care against "unconscious bias"

-BJ

[Turbo Head]

With introduction of more automatics, parking brakes are losing their utility. Most of the people prefer to put their gear lever at "P" Park mode and leave it without pulling parking brakes (though safe practice is use parking brakes in tandem with gear at "P" mode as that puts unnecessary load on gearbox, specially when car is parked at slope).

Having said that e-brakes have only added the convenience and also saves some space around gear console. Coming to their dangerous placement/location, So far I have not encountered or even never heard of any such incident, where e-brakes have been accidentally applied. And if that's the case, then even automatic gearboxes can be equally dangerous (notorious kid pulling gear lever, even easier with modern gear switches/rotary controls (Honda CRV, Jaguar etc.). I personally believe responsibility and safety lies with the driver and personally I never allow kids to be seated in front seat, lest fiddling with such dangerous controls in the car.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by GTO

Many new cars today are opting for the e-parking brake & there is no denying that it frees up space on the center console. Most owners will also prefer flipping a lever versus a mechanical handbrake which can sometimes be cumbersome to disengage.

I am sure you have watched the Top Gear Season 19 Episode 4, but in case you have forgotten, here is a bit of recap. This is hilarious from the the trio of Jeremy, Richard and James,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sySx6-lGues

One good thing in support of e-brakes would be that you would not have such threads on team-bhp -

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...handbrake.html (Accidently drove my car with handbrake on!)

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by GTO

Many new cars today are opting for the e-parking brake & there is no denying that it frees up space on the center console. Most owners will also prefer flipping a lever versus a mechanical handbrake which can sometimes be cumbersome to disengage.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

This is hilarious from the trio of Jeremy, Richard and James...
One good thing in support of e-brakes would be that you would not have such threads on team-bhp -
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...handbrake.html (Accidently drove my car with handbrake on!)

Here's a story from my past: Many years ago, when I went to TD an MM540 (IIRC) after TDing a Gypsy, I commented that the gear shifting process on the MM would perhaps dislocate my shoulder and wrist, but the Gypsy was so comfortable to drive! A senior Mahindra official who overheard me, told me rather misogynistically: This is a man's car, and it needs some muscle to drive it! This was in the early 1990s, and since then, most if not all manufacturers have made their cars softer and easier to drive, designed for people who don't want to use muscle.

To explain things further, let me offer another analogy: one doesn't find 'piping hot' coffee in cafés any more - to make things idiot-proof, the usual serving temperature is 60*C, especially in the US. What if you spilled your coffee and burned yourself, and then sued the café?

Bring that same idiot-proofing and muscle-less driving experience to cars, and manufacturers decided to lose the handbrake lever - no handbrake turns, and struggling to engage/disengage the lever. But, as Spike pointed out:

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

Normally, such features have some kind of "redundancy" built in the system (to avoid false activation).

Therefore...

Originally Posted by GTO

Just thought of one more reason = With a mechanical handbrake, if you gradually or lightly pull on it, nothing really happens. With the e-brake being pretty much an on / off switch, it's crazy!

Nope, no EPB will behave in binary fashion - even though the switch may be binary, the engagement is always gradual. As BlackPearl's video said, no handbrake turns!

Originally Posted by VKumar

Parking brake is supposed to hold a parked car and not bring a running car to a screeching halt after all.

The parking brake itself has always been called an e-brake too - e for emergency, not electronic. Remember when the parking brake lever used to be placed randomly anywhere? Think of the old Ambassador...

Then the handbrake lever moved to the centre. In case the driver dozes off, or even has a heart attack, the passenger is given a fighting chance to bring the car to a halt, before it flies off the cliffs as in Hindi movies.

And that is the same reason the electronic parking brake switch still remains on the centre console on a few cars. It will slow down a speeding car (with a disabled driver) in a controlled manner with a long pull, but will not send the car into a tailspin unlike the old-style handbrake lever being yanked in panic.

Till the time the driver is in his senses, the front passenger has no business fiddling around with any switch, whether it be the EPB or 4wd terrain selector or pushing the gear shifter to P.

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Slotting the gear lever into P also helps in similar brake failure situations.

No no no no no no!!! Never ever do that! Unless it's your worst enemy's car!

Originally Posted by ajmat

I doubt it. "P" locks the transmission, that too with the brake depressed. I dont know instances where this has been tried but I am betting, you can move to P only when stationary and anyway, if you engage in motion, you might damage the drive train. Its a bit like stuffing a pole between the spoke of a spinning wheel.

It IS exactly like sticking a spanner into the spokes of a spinning wheel! You're losing that bet (you can move the shift to P even when rolling fast, in most cars), but the loss of bet money won't hurt as much as the money lost in repairs!

[F1-Addict]

So in the real world how dangerous is this E-Parking brake compared to the traditional stick?

On another tread there was a write up of a Seltos meeting with an accident and it was suspected that someone activated / pulled the hand brake when the SUV was in speed causing the vehicle to hit the divider and topple over.

I have 8 year old and 5 year old kids and this has got me thinking :(

Please advice...

[bj96]

Originally Posted by F1-Addict

...someone activated / pulled the hand brake when the SUV was in speed ... 5 year old kids and this has got me thinking...

In BMW X3 I find it very very safely implemented. There are two actuators on the switch. One is hidden under the main switch. You have to first pull this trigger up and then pull the main switch in synchronisation for the parking brake to engage. Access to the internal trigger is from the front. Put your forefinger inside and then pull it and then pull the top switch. Someone sitting in the back seat won't be able to pull it. If you don't let your kid sit on passenger seat, it is almost impossible for him to deploy the brakes.

Here is a

demo on Ford Fusion

actually applying brake, after some warning. So implementation is vehicle specific. Better to test your car and confirm.

-BJ

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by bj96

... demo on Ford Fusion[/url] actually applying brake, after some warning. So implementation is vehicle specific. Better to test your car and confirm.

As the video maker mentioned, he had not checked the manual. That might be a good place to start

[RM Motorsports]

Handbrake Turn with Electronic Handbrake - TopGear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RCFfThqbe8

[deepak_bajaj]

Maybe its just me, but I never had issue with the location of EPB at central console besides gear lever. I cannot imagine how can somebody accidently pull a lever which has built in resistance. Unless there are naughty kids which, as per me, must be seated backseat always.

So I'm happy with the current location. More so, it's position on dashboard could be quite unappealing to me just like the gear shift stalk of mercs.

But its just me

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by RM Motorsports

Handbrake Turn with Electronic Handbrake - TopGear

Handbrake Turn? "Computer says, No!"

[TrackDay]

It is a bit confusing whether this should be on the center or not. Like what some have stated, in case of an incapacitated driver, passengers can bring the car to a halt. On the other hand naughty kids could accidently pull this too. As 'Radiator' stated, It is better to install a safety flip cap over this.

Originally Posted by RM Motorsports

Handbrake Turn with Electronic Handbrake - TopGear

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=9RCFfThqbe8

Like someone in the comments mentioned This shouldn't be called a 'Handbrake' anymore, it should be called a Fingerbrake or a Button brake Waiting to see Dominic Toretto drifting with one of these

[Thad E Ginathom]

If the car is clever enough to have an electronic parking brake, maybe it ought to be clever enough to apply it itself!

Problem solved: no lever, button, etc.

[shinuak]

I was thinking about this and wondering if Team BHP store could build a custom casing with a "click open" lid like the ones seen on some fire alarms switches etc as the solution. Since this requires additional steps to open and time, we can easily notice if naughty kids try to open or prevent unintentional press etc. The casing can be made in such a way so that it can be stuck to the console with an attached 3M double side tape, like the ones seen in door protectors. Just a thought, I guess it can be custom made for all cars which has e parking and some space to attach the casing.

This will be a good business case as well considering that more manufacturers are coming up with e parking brakes.