Manual/Electric Handbrakes

[Carlodiesel]

Now in its sixth annual instalment, the CarGurus Manual Handbrake Report reveals less than one-in-10 new car models on sale are equipped with a manual handbrake. Additionally, consumers have 61% fewer models to choose from compared to just four years ago.

Last year, CarGurus, found Abarth was the sole mainstream manufacturer to offer a manual handbrake on all its models; but, following the recent launch of the Abarth 500e, there is now no major brand that offers a manual handbrake across its entire range.

Since the first instalment of the CarGurus Manual Handbrake Report in 2018, the percentage of models on sale with a manual handbrake has dropped from 37% to 9%.

CarGurus UK Editorial Director, said: “It seems the writing’s on the wall for the fabled manual handbrake as the percentage of new cars equipped with one dips into single figures.

 

Is this a good step in the right direction?  Personally, I prefer a manual brake. Less to go wrong and cheaper.

Those of you who have an electric handbrake could let us know.

[Ootohere]

Terms need updating.   

It is a manual Parking Brake / emergency brake (Hand operated),

or an e-Brake, Parking / Emergency brake, maybe FINGER operated, maybe with Autohold.

 

At least Skoda still do the Manual / Hand / Parking brake on new Fabia, Scala & Kamiq.     Still do rear drums even on the Fabia / Enyaq. 

[J.R.]

I had to help a neighbour out whose car broke down with what sounded like a flat battery plus the spare car doing the same thing, my lord I'm beginning to sound like Battery Man 😂

 

Both French PSA group vehicles, both had inaccessible battery negative terminals and battery covers that can not be removed because of having fuseboxes integrated and wiring looms  with no give, I have no idea how you could ever get the battery out, neither of them had a connection point for the negative jump lead other than flimsy bits of tin that were not even grounded.

 

Anyway the first started after a charge and I drove to where the the first one was abandones returning from town and got it started with jump leads attached to the exposed +ve terminal and the top engine mounting bolt, I then returned to pick her up and drive her to recover the vehicle.

 

It wouldn't start again so out with the jump leads again and of course it started raining, got it started and she complained that the power steering was heavy, normal I guess with a flat battery and perhaps the alternator was gone, then the electric handbrake refused to release so having got the car running there was no way it could be driven.

 

I was already determined not to ever own a newer car than the current one, this made me even more so, ditto for never owning a French car 😂

[Warrior193]

4 minutes ago, J.R. said:

I had to help a neighbour out whose car broke down with what sounded like a flat battery plus the spare car doing the same thing, my lord I'm beginning to sound like Battery Man 😂

 

Both French PSA group vehicles, both had inaccessible battery negative terminals and battery covers that can not be removed because of having fuseboxes integrated and wiring looms  with no give, I have no idea how you could ever get the battery out, neither of them had a connection point for the negative jump lead other than flimsy bits of tin that were not even grounded.

 

Anyway the first started after a charge and I drove to where the the first one was abandones returning from town and got it started with jump leads attached to the exposed +ve terminal and the top engine mounting bolt, I then returned to pick her up and drive her to recover the vehicle.

 

It wouldn't start again so out with the jump leads again and of course it started raining, got it started and she complained that the power steering was heavy, normal I guess with a flat battery and perhaps the alternator was gone, then the electric handbrake refused to release so having got the car running there was no way it could be driven.

 

I was already determined not to ever own a newer car than the current one, this made me even more so, ditto for never owning a French car 😂

You forgot - No good deed ever goes unpunished 😬

[J.R.]

And she cooked the clutch trying to reverse against the handbrake and was creating about the smoke!

 

She's a lovely lady but a bit dramatic, I'm pally with the husband who is working all the hours under the sun at the moment so wanted to help out so he didn't return home to a bent ear!

 

We call it Trop bon, trop con here!

 

She runs an African takeaway resto, authentic Senegalese food and its superb so I'm sure I will be suitably rewarded.

[J.R.]

Oh yeah, the little hatchback wouldn't start initially and was showing a low oil warning, French car, French language display and it said "Check Oil" in English 🙄

 

It wasn't even showing on the dipstick and it took more then 2 litres to get to the correct level, then the starter realy was clicking but no cranking despite the cell voltage being 12.6v, she got it started later after being on charge, probably as soon as I left saying dont try to start it for a couple of hours.

 

Last week the undertray was dragging down the road, I offered to refit it (with tywraps probably) but there was no sign of it today, it probably ground away to nothing then detached itself!

[Warrior193]

15 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Oh yeah, the little hatchback wouldn't start initially and was showing a low oil warning, French car, French language display and it said "Check Oil" in English 🙄

 

It wasn't even showing on the dipstick and it took more then 2 litres to get to the correct level, then the starter realy was clicking but no cranking despite the cell voltage being 12.6v, she got it started later after being on charge, probably as soon as I left saying dont try to start it for a couple of hours.

 

Last week the undertray was dragging down the road, I offered to refit it (with tywraps probably) but there was no sign of it today, it probably ground away to nothing then detached itself!

That sounds like 'routine maintenance' is a bad word (or two) over there - does that term not exist in French? 😬

[J.R.]

Entretien courant.

 

Both cars had the cambelt changes typpexed on the bonnet slam panel so I think he has the servicing done, he has 2 work vans and she the little hatchback and a people carrier, I think she ignores all the warning lights and just bends his ear when anything goes wrong.

[Urrell]

How did the thread subject change from Manual/Electric Handbrakes?

[Carlodiesel]

The fact that if you have a flat battery, the handbrake won't even come off.

 

Ps. Later type cars will not let you use the -negative terminal for jump starting. 

You need to go to a part of the engine or chassis.

 

 

[J.R.]

If only there were anything remotely resembling that on a S**troen 🙄

 

Plastic casings over everything other than flimsy ungrounded pieces of tin, only possibility was a bolt on the engine mount in front of the cam belt at the other side of the engine bay.

 

Been thinking about how to recover it today, I suspect alternator failure because the power steering and handbrake release would not function even after it had been revving for a few minutes, I think we will have to remove the battery, charge it fully and refit it for the 5km journey, trouble is it looks virtually impossible to remove all the plastic crap and circuit protection enclosing it without dismantling half the vehicle.

 

Many many ways to get the vehicle home even without the engine running but with the handbrake locked on its a recovery truck job and even then it can be winched on but getting it off will be a real challenge.

 

Electric handbrakes are a stupid, stupid idea AFAIK, last time I had one fighting me was when I was trying to get another people carrier out of a field it was bogged down in, without it I would have done so, even when being towed out by a tractor it was fighting, the car was slaloming most of the way which is not good news on a slippery side slope above a river gulley.

Edited 7 November, 2023 by J.R.

[Stubod]

I was a bit sceptical regarding Electric handbrake, (mainly due to concerns about "something else to go wrong". But did not have any choice when I swapped the Yeti for Kia Niro as that is all they fit. However, now I have got used to it I love it, particularly because of the "auto hold" feature, which combined with an auto box makes life soooo easy! (Luckily comes with a 7 year warranty as I share concerns about this sort of tech on "old" cars???)