What's the current practice regarding a electric hand brake when taking your test.

ethan

ethan

ethan

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Previously you would just apply the mechanical handbrake and release once you found the bite on the clutch. With the electoral trick hand brake you always get a message on the console telling you to press the foot break first once you release the electric brake. Problem is it does t give you any time to find the bite on the clutch to prevent roll back.
 
Guess it depends on the car, i'd imagine most newer cars would have a 2s footbrake override?

Tbh in that kind of scenario surely it'd just be like driving without using the handbrake? in which case you just need to be quick on the ball with the clutch when switching from foot brake to throttle
 
Hillside assist doesn't kick in below 5 degrees so using the method illustrated a above is always going to give you some slight roll back. It used to be that if you had any roll back you would fail the test.

I've seen a YouTube video recommending you find the bite whilst the electric handbreak is applied to alleviate the need for pressing the break foot pedal, which runs contrary to the advice given on the console. Also does anybody know if not pressing the foot pedal break would lead to a failure on a test?
 
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I think you'd need to ask your instructor as i imagine most people passed their tests with a regular handbrake.
 
The two cars I had with electric parking brakes would release automatically if you tried to pull away with it on, so it probably also depends on the specific design in the car.
 
Marvt74 said:
I think you'd need to ask your instructor as i imagine most people passed their tests with a regular handbrake.
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Plus 2 for that, I'd never heard of an electronic handbrake, so I called my younger kid who's more car savvy than me.
He said that he almost bought one that had an E/HB when he was scouting around for the BMW that he drives now, and said that they seemed simple to understand and work.
I know how regular handbrakes work, but having owned only automatics since around 1988 I never use the handbrake, I just engage Park.
My wife goes bananas when she gets in her car if I've left it in Park and not applied the handbrake.
I just say, "Yes Red, I KNOW that you're technically right, and I'm in the wrong, but you're a civilian, I'm a professional, then I stand well back.
I have sometimes used the parking brake on autos in the U.S. if I've parked on a slope, and they can be unusual, applied with your left foot, like a kind of ratchet, then released by pulling a lever
 
My Passat had an electric handbrake and auto hold - so to stop you just press the brake and it applies the handbrake when you come to a stop, and to go you just drive off and it releases automatically.
 
Lopéz said:
My Passat had an electric handbrake and auto hold - so to stop you just press the brake and it applies the handbrake when you come to a stop, and to go you just drive off and it releases automatically.
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Same in the mondeo it auto releases so no rolling back.
 
Hater said:
What do normal people who drive normal electric handbrake cars do normally?
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Use footbrake, find bite with clutch and then move foot from brake to accelerator so there's no roll back.

My new car is automatic though and disengages the handbrake when you press the accelerator.
 
Id love to see somebody try to pass a driving test trying a three point turn on a hill while driving one of those cars with a foot pedal parking brake and manual gearbox. (EG Kia Sedona)

I cant see how it can be done unless you are "Jake the Peg" :confused:
 
crinkleshoes said:
No, most aren't.
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Ahh, the only ones I've driven have been, and reading above most major manufacturers seemed to be. Seems a daft decision on the part of the car makers that don't.

So if they aren't auto releasing, why is the procedure any different of that with a normal handbrake? Find bite, release handbrake, you're away.
 
Telecaster said:
So if they aren't auto releasing, why is the procedure any different of that with a normal handbrake? Find bite, release handbrake, you're away.
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Because an electric handbrake is either on, or off. Whereas you can slowly release a manually operated handbrake so you don't go from a situation where 100% of the car is being held by the handbrake to 0% of the car instantly.

To combat this virtually all cars with an electronic handbrake have some form of hill hold assist, where the brakes remain applied for several seconds after release until you accelerate, or an auto releasing handbrake. For cars like this, operation is simple, easy and hassle free.

Some cars, however, do not - I'm looking at you, 4 cylinder BMW Z4's. These have an electronic handbrake, no auto release and no hill hold assist. Doing a hill start is quite tricky until you get used to it and even then is more faffy than it really it should be...
 
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