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Original poster

Electronic hand-brake...

55 replies

Fordian · 30/12/2023 11:22

Is it just me or is anyone else struggling with electronic hand brakes? We have a Mazda 6, I have 40 years' driving experience but I just can't get on with this stupid brake.

It's a rocker so you can pull it up or push it down, but doing hill starts, you find the biting point, flick it, but it stays on. Push it and you roll backwards.

I hate it, so I use the other car.

My DH 🙄 at me but I notice he gets a tiny roll back on every hill start, too.

Anyone else??

OP posts:
hometimesanta · 30/12/2023 11:23

Does your car not have auto hold? I have never driven a motor with an electric handbrake that didn't have auto hold. It goes on and off itself when you stop/need to hill start?

What year, trim is the car?

hometimesanta · 30/12/2023 11:26

Also. If you have the bite point you won't roll backwards.

Original poster
Fordian · 30/12/2023 12:51

6 -7 year old Mazda 6 (estate).

I don't understand why is rolls back either! The 'auto hold' drops out before I get to the biting point 😬

OP posts:

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Driving & parking
Seeline · 30/12/2023 12:54

Don't touch the accelerator until you get to the biting point. Mine switches as soon as I hit the accelerator.

I haven't had a proper handbrake for nearly 10 years and still miss it - especially on hill starts

HappiestSleeping · 30/12/2023 12:57

I had one of these on a car and also hated it. I didn't have the same issue as you, more the opposite where it would stay on longer than I wanted it to and then lunge. It made it impossible to use tight parking spaces as there was no fine control if there was a gradient. I got rid of the car.

I am not a big fan of most of the modern "driving aids" as I think they hinder more than help.

ButteryBiscuitBaseBiscuitBase · 30/12/2023 13:38

We had an auto handbrake on a Renault and it was awful. It kept breaking and cost a fortune to fix. We no longer have that car. I don't see what's wrong with an actual, mechanical handbrake? Why does everything have to be a little push-button that breaks so bloody easily?

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 13:56

My last car was a VW golf - it had an automatic 'handbrake', you just pushed down a bit harder on the brake to engage it when stationary, then it would automatically release at the right point when starting off again. For hill starts that just meant giving it sufficient accelerator, exactly same as you would with a conventional hand break, at biting point. No fiddling with buttons. Couldn't be easier.

hometimesanta · 30/12/2023 13:57

I don't understand why is rolls back either! The 'auto hold' drops out before I get to the biting point 😬

Is it actually engaged because in the OP you mentioned manually releasing the handbrake for hill starts?

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 14:01

I don't see what's wrong with an actual, mechanical handbrake?

They can be a problem for people who have restricted mobility or aren't very strong. An automatic brake which works properly means there's one less thing to think about at junctions.

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 14:03

but doing hill starts, you find the biting point, flick it, but it stays on. Push it and you roll backwards.

Sure you're giving it quite enough gas?

HelpMeGetThrough · 30/12/2023 14:13

Are you sure it's working properly?

You should have "hill assist" with these type of brakes. Every one of mine in the last 9 years has.

My last 2 you had to push a little harder on the foot brake to engage it, my current one, it auto engages and then when you pull off, disengages.

eurochick · 30/12/2023 15:39

My guess is that there is a "hill assist" button or menu option somewhere and you have it turned off.

Beebumble2 · 30/12/2023 16:25

Seeline · 30/12/2023 12:54

Don't touch the accelerator until you get to the biting point. Mine switches as soon as I hit the accelerator.

I haven't had a proper handbrake for nearly 10 years and still miss it - especially on hill starts

Edited

I hate them, my previous car had one. When I was able to order a brand new car I paid extra for a good old fashioned hand brake to be fitted.
i also paid extra for a good old fashioned spare wheel.

Shade17 · 30/12/2023 16:43

Beebumble2 · 30/12/2023 16:25

I hate them, my previous car had one. When I was able to order a brand new car I paid extra for a good old fashioned hand brake to be fitted.
i also paid extra for a good old fashioned spare wheel.

Show quote history

Interesting! What car is that where you can specify a manual handbrake over an electric one?

Beebumble2 · 30/12/2023 17:14

Shade17 · 30/12/2023 16:43

Interesting! What car is that where you can specify a manual handbrake over an electric one?

Edited
Show quote history

VW, it was on the list of add ons.

Seeline · 30/12/2023 17:15

Beebumble2 · 30/12/2023 16:25

I hate them, my previous car had one. When I was able to order a brand new car I paid extra for a good old fashioned hand brake to be fitted.
i also paid extra for a good old fashioned spare wheel.

Show quote history

Yes I paid extra for a proper spare too!

ButteryBiscuitBaseBiscuitBase · 30/12/2023 17:28

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 14:01

I don't see what's wrong with an actual, mechanical handbrake?

They can be a problem for people who have restricted mobility or aren't very strong. An automatic brake which works properly means there's one less thing to think about at junctions.

Ok so I understand the strength bit, fine, but why are you using your handbrake at junctions?

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 17:44

Ok so I understand the strength bit, fine, but why are you using your handbrake at junctions?

Hills. And also, it's good practice to have the handbrake on if waiting at lights or stop signs, as otherwise a rear end shunt can push you out into traffic.

With a properly operating electronic handbrake it's just a little extra pressure on the brake when you stop and absolutely nothing extra to do when you start so it's a no brainer!

MercianQueen · 30/12/2023 17:45

Is your gearbox manual or automatic? Electric parking brakes were made to go with auto boxes, so you have hill assist etc. I had one on a manual car and I hated it - it's a terrible combination. I'm a very experienced driver, but the thought of doing a hill start in that car brought me out in a cold sweat.

I now have an automatic and now get the point of an electric handbrake. And it does the hill assist job it's supposed to.

ButteryBiscuitBaseBiscuitBase · 30/12/2023 18:43

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 17:44

Ok so I understand the strength bit, fine, but why are you using your handbrake at junctions?

Hills. And also, it's good practice to have the handbrake on if waiting at lights or stop signs, as otherwise a rear end shunt can push you out into traffic.

With a properly operating electronic handbrake it's just a little extra pressure on the brake when you stop and absolutely nothing extra to do when you start so it's a no brainer!

Lol I'm doing that thing where I assume everyone is near me - it's not that hilly here. I just keep my foot on the brakes at junctions until it's time to go, though I do that on hill starts too in a car I know well! We have an automatic now and it doesn't have a handbrake but an extra pedal next to the brake pedal, where the clutch would be, that puts the parking brake on. I only used it when I'm actually parking up.

NotFastButFurious · 30/12/2023 18:50

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 13:56

My last car was a VW golf - it had an automatic 'handbrake', you just pushed down a bit harder on the brake to engage it when stationary, then it would automatically release at the right point when starting off again. For hill starts that just meant giving it sufficient accelerator, exactly same as you would with a conventional hand break, at biting point. No fiddling with buttons. Couldn't be easier.

I have this on a Honda and its brilliant, I haven’t had to find a bite point for a hill start or put my handbrake on for years!

BobnLen · 30/12/2023 18:58

One of our cars has got one, DH wants to replace it with one that hasn't got one but it's quite difficult with a larger car to find one. My small car has a mechanical handbrake so all good. I don't like cars that don't have keys either or ones that open when you walk up to them, in fact I don't really like any of these modern 'conveniences'

Shade17 · 30/12/2023 18:58

Beebumble2 · 30/12/2023 17:14

VW, it was on the list of add ons.

Show quote history

Very interesting. I know that the MQB platform has both options, what’s also weird is VW charging for a manual handbrake, from a manufacturer’s perspective you’d think they’d see the electric one as an upgrade and make that the chargeable extra, in the same way that Skodas on the same platform get manual and the VWs get the electric (Octavia vs Golf).

lalaloopyhead · 30/12/2023 19:03

We have auto handbrake on our Renault and it's always worked well. No need to do anything unless you want to apply handbrake manually. An absolute blessing when stuck in traffic in Sheffield, all those hill starts and no issue, all I need to do is drive.
I thought the whole point of auto handbrakes was that there is no need for hill start maneuver.

ErrolTheRednosedDragon · 30/12/2023 19:33

Seems like maybe there's some cars with electronic handbrakes that work well with no fuss, and others which are rubbish.

I guess VW charging extra for a manual handbrake is just that 'a fool and his money are soon parted' because honestly you don't need one on a Golf!