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i prefer to leave it in gear rather than hand brake (unless on grade) to avoid the handbrake becoming less effective over time as the cable stretches. this hap
by leeoniya 7y ago
i prefer to leave it in gear rather than hand brake (unless on grade) to avoid the handbrake becoming less effective over time as the cable stretches.
this happened in my 2005 mazda 3 and the habit carried over to my 2017 Golf (not sure if the brake design is similar or not, maybe it's not necessary on the vw)
- babayega2 7y agoIt's a recipe for disaster. You prefer convenience over safety? You better put it in gear and then handbrake. One day my car was in only gear, neutral and a kid made it roll few feets by just playing inside the car. I'm afraid as hell since then.
- ComputerGuru 7y ago> was in only gear, neutral So was it in gear or was it in neutral?
- ptaipale 7y agoThat's generally not a good idea. Cable stretch is not a problem, it can be adjusted (and generally modern cars often have a self-adjust system for handbrake cable, even for manual handbrakes). Handbrake should be used to keep it effective (so that the cable moves regularly and does not get stuck). And, if the gear is released accidentally, you still have the brake, and vice versa. (Myself, I have always parked with handbrake on + gear in 1st or reverse; nowadays with my VW it's pretty automatic because it's DSG and you have to put the selector to P to take the key out, and electric parking brake activates automatically.)
- leeoniya 7y agoactually my Alltrack has EPB so i dont think there's a cable (or any mechanical linkage) from the brake lever to the caliper. sounds like it's all electronic -> hydraulic. in that case i should probably use it more.
- bArray 7y ago> i prefer to leave it in gear rather than hand brake > (unless on grade) to avoid the handbrake becoming less > effective over time as the cable stretches. Your justification for not using the handbrake for its intended purpose it that it may become less effective in the future? Seems counter intuitive unless I'm missing something... If you believe your handbrake cable will stretch/break, just check it regularly. It really isn't that expensive to replace (compared to other car maintenance) and there's no harm in being extra cautious in this case.
- leeoniya 7y agowell the idea is that when you're parked, there's no emergency. but if you need it during an actual emergency and it's less effective than it should be...
- ashildr 7y agoit‘s a handbrake, not an emergency brake.
- clarry 7y agoI'm feeling conflicted because my driving instructor said that you could and maybe should use handbrake for additional barking power in an emergency, but car's manual says that it shouldn't be used and may be damaged if used while the car is moving..
- frosted-flakes 7y agoHow would it be damaged if used while the car is moving? It's just a cable that activates the rear brake caliper independently of the hydraulics.
- asdff 7y agoDo not use the handbrake for emergencies. You don't have antilock brakes with the handbrake and it will probably throw you into an uncontrollable skid rather than slow you down.
- usrusr 7y agoI do the same, except for me the reason is to never forget an improperly set hand brake, as the engine can easily overpower the brake and when you do notice or can be too late for a variety of parts. It's either first or neutral (as a reminder of the brake) plus tightly slammed hand brake when at grade.