Car rolled off - with handbrake on

[the chemist]

Hi

 

Wife was driving car Saturday and parked up in a carpark in town on a slight slope. She got out the car locked it and went off to the shop.  About 10 mins later someone comes in and asked who has the Yeti - because its rolled across the car park and into another car.

 

On inspection both my wife and the other party agreed the handbrake was in the on position and there was no obvious reason for it to roll.

 

1 poss esplaination is that it was not on tight enough but we have had the car 3 months now so its not like it not been driven, parked etc a few times now.  Anyone else hear of this problem??

 

Bad news is we need to go through insurance as the other car has a bit of damage.

 

Be interested to hear any other ideas

 

And yes she has been told to leave it in gear - again

 

Thanks 

[Ryeman]

Hot brakes cool and shrink slightly.

[moley]

I have never relied on a handbrake alone when parking in any car. Leave the car in 1st gear in a manual or P in an auto.

[ernieb]

Interestingly, with the DSG, you can not take out the ignition key unless the it's positioned in P.  Not sure what happens if you have a KESSY system?

[weasley]

Handbrakes can be quite ineffective. Assuming a car uses the normal rear calipers as the handbrake, one way to improve their effectiveness is to push the footbrake before applying the handbrake. This 'pre-stresses' the caliper, using the powerful, servo-assisted hydraulic system, then applying the handbrake firmly holds it in place. I have never had a car move on the handbrake, I rarely leave one in gear and I have lived in houses with some very steep drives.

Of course, if your car has a separate handbrake caliper, this doesn't work. I believe the Yeti uses a common caliper though.

[Ootohere]

ernieb, Re post #4.

Have you checked if you can take the key out when the DSG Equipped car can be stopped & in 'N' 

& if you can also start the car again in 'N' as well,  unless the Ambient Temperature is very low.

[ernieb]

Post #6

 

I'll try this morning when I go out and report back, from memory it had to be in 'P'.

[Frenchtone]

Some years ago when working in a school had to take the minibus to the petrol station to fill it up, the derv pump was at the rear, up a slight incline, duly filled, went into the shop/office to sign the docket, and saw the bus merrily rolling backwards down the incline, tried to stop it  as the road alongside was busy at times, this occaision it was calm, got to the bus and applied the brake, no probs, damage etc - very fortunate. The bus went in to the county transport shed, no system probs just not applied strongly enough and the cooling had slacked off the shoe pressure allowing the roll - a good lesson, always make sure these days!!

[graham47]

ernieb, Re post #4.

Have you checked if you can take the key out when the DSG Equipped car can be stopped & in 'N' 

& if you can also start the car again in 'N' as well,  unless the Ambient Temperature is very low.

No you can't ..... Car must be in "P" with footbrake "on" before it can be stated.

Car must be in "P" before key can be removed...

[Ootohere]

Really, which DSG is this.?

The ones i can drive can be stopped in 'N' and key removed, and started in 'N' with foot on the brake.

 

If you can only park in 'P' then it is a PITA when changing wheelscetc.

.............................................................

From the Skoda Fabia Mk2 Owners Manual. 2010.  

DSG.  (These are DQ200 7 Speed Twin Dry Clutch.)

 

Page 99

"PARKING.

Depress the brake pedal and hold it depressed.

Apply the handbrake firmly.

Press the Shiftlock button in the selector lever, move the selector to 'P' and release the shiftlock button.

 

The engine can be only be started when the selector lever is in position 'P' or 'N' ---page 90.

At temperatures below -10*c the engine can only be started in selector position 'P'."

Edited 26 April, 2016 by GoneOffSKi

[EvoT]

Same thing happened to me in France 25 years ago on a camp site

 

it was a very hot day 33deg C came back from the beach parked up handbrake on (Volvo 740 Estate Rear wheel drive ) about 15 mins later the car rolled back lucky I was outside at the time jumped in and pulled the handbrake on another notch,

When I parked I couldnt get the brake on any further than it was before it rolled backwards so it must have been very hot discs that cooled, luckly no one hurt and no damage but It did shake me up a bit I felt a right idiot.

 

Since then I have always left the car in gear aswell as the handbrake on, infact the handbrake cable snapped 2 years later on holiday in Scotland near Loch Lomond when sitting in the car there was a loud BANG and the car lurched forward but It was in gear so it rocked back the innercable had broke at the handbrake connection point, proving NEVER LEAVE YOU CAR WITH JUST THE HANDBRAKE ON, but this means PLEASE remember in the Yeti you depress the clutch to start, YES, YES, I have started the car and forgot to take it out of gear first and nearly hit a parking bollard at Lidl by the way.

[Ryeman]

I try to find a place where I can roll on to an immovable object as the primary source of safety.

I never trusted either the hand brake or the parking pawl of yore.

[Smokeyjoe]

Hi

 

Wife was driving car Saturday and parked up in a carpark in town on a slight slope. She got out the car locked it and went off to the shop.  About 10 mins later someone comes in and asked who has the Yeti - because its rolled across the car park and into another car.

 

On inspection both my wife and the other party agreed the handbrake was in the on position and there was no obvious reason for it to roll.

 

1 poss esplaination is that it was not on tight enough but we have had the car 3 months now so its not like it not been driven, parked etc a few times now.  Anyone else hear of this problem??

 

Bad news is we need to go through insurance as the other car has a bit of damage.

 

Be interested to hear any other ideas

 

And yes she has been told to leave it in gear - again

 

Thanks 

 

Similar problem on my car not long after I had it. I pulled the handbrake on and was just about to get out of the car when the handbrake slipped down a notch or two (I heard it) and the car started rolling. It was not completly off - just dropped a notch or two. It has never happened again, but now when I put the handbrake on, I push down on it to check its not going to slip, and yes I also leave it in gear.

 

Dave

[ColinD]

As above, another reason to add to the mix... well cause more than reason.

 

Do you have ESP or similar, I think you do on that elegance model. I found on a run, not a spirited hard braking run, more a normal run, good pace etc. My rear wheels were always seeming to be hotter than fronts, but physiological testing versus measured. Then the rear pads wore out a long time before the fronts.

 

The cause, the aforementioned ESP doing it's stability thing by tugging the rears to keep you on the straight, or bendy road.

 

In gear and wheels turned, helps I live on a hill so it's second nature. Was also the downfall of many a citroen over the years, french alpine passes It's also known not to apply handbrake if you have just driven down a long alpine pass on the brakes... but not in the citroens manual But the local brew house should be ok

[Bexhillian]

50 years of manual driving. 'Handbrake on and car in-gear' as taught by late father. I have taught my wife and children the same, PLUS the 'always check you are in neutral before turning the key'.

Why not use the 'second brake' if it is available?

 

Somewhat pointless post by me, I accept, as a properly applied modern handbrake should be designed to do its job, 'hot wheels' or not.

[Phil-E]

This exactly why you should always leave the car in gear when parked.

 

No you can't ..... Car must be in "P" with footbrake "on" before it can be stated.
Car must be in "P" before key can be removed...

 

Mine will start in P or N. But you cannot remove the key from the ignition unless it's in P.

[Bexhillian]

Do you have ESP or similar........

 

If you had ESP, your sixth sense could perhaps have alerted you the potential problem?

 

 

(I'll fetch my coat and accept a warning point)

[ernieb]

Post #10,

Mine is the 6 speed DSG and is exactly as Graham47 says in Post 9. I'm assuming with KESSEY it would work in a similar way. To start foot brake on and in P and to stop it must me in P also, no key removal as its in your pocket?

[VAGCF]

Handbrakes can be quite ineffective. Assuming a car uses the normal rear calipers as the handbrake, one way to improve their effectiveness is to push the footbrake before applying the handbrake. This 'pre-stresses' the caliper, using the powerful, servo-assisted hydraulic system, then applying the handbrake firmly holds it in place. I have never had a car move on the handbrake, I rarely leave one in gear and I have lived in houses with some very steep drives.

Of course, if your car has a separate handbrake caliper, this doesn't work. I believe the Yeti uses a common caliper though.

You're a braver man than me!

[VAGCF]

One of the advantages of electronic parking brakes is that they (certainly on my previous Audi A6) are automatically applied when you turn the engine off and they clamp like billy-oh and on all four wheels if I remember correctly. Had to leave in P as well though obviously but even if it was a manual I'd still leave in gear.

 

Old (sensible) habits die hard.

[Huskoda]

One of the advantages of electronic parking brakes is that they (certainly on my previous Audi A6) are automatically applied when you turn the engine off and they clamp like billy-oh and on all four wheels if I remember correctly. Had to leave in P as well though obviously but even if it was a manual I'd still leave in gear.

 

Old (sensible) habits die hard.

They only lock the rear wheels. Its just a motor in place of the cable on the rear calipers, just like other cars. You are probably thinking of auto hold, which locks the valves in the ABS unit so the normal brakes don't release when you take your foot off the pedal.

[VAGCF]

Yes you're right. In some ways would be better if it was the other round, as clamping on all four wheels.

 

Though there is a risk that over time the pressure could drop and so no advantage over the traditional handbrake in that respect.

[graham47]

This exactly why you should always leave the car in gear when parked.

 

 

Mine will start in P or N. But you cannot remove the key from the ignition unless it's in P.

Yes, now I've had chance to check, mine is the same.

However, since you can only remove the key in P, I think the basic principle of what I was trying to say stands as you're unlikely to leave the car in N with keys still in.

[Norry]

The problem is that the Yeti handbrake is not very efficient.  Handbrakes that work on the discs are not as good as those that work on drums.

The handbrakes on my Fabia and Jaguar are far better than the Yeti.  On a gravel surface the Yeti handbrake won't lock the wheels like the Fabia and Jag.

The dealer says there is nothing wrong with the Yeti brakes!

Edited 26 April, 2016 by Norry

[Urrell]

Ours has now covered about 10,000 miles and the handbrake has gone from mediocre to good.