For feeling like a numpty for not being able to get to grips with my car’s electronic handbrake?

[DannyOD]

After years of nursing my old car along we have finally said goodbye to it and got a nice new one. However, it has an electronic handbrake and I am struggling with it, especially for hill starts. How can I not get my head around it?! Anyone else have this problem or am I being a huge numpty?!

It took me a while when I got mine. It’s worse in that mine is now automatic as well so no clutch to balance.

I was advised to go to a quite industrial estate and practice on slight inclines (try that in the mountains of Wales) as it built my confidence in it.

I wouldn't feel like a numpty.

Mine has some sort of hill start assist enabled on it, basically means you don't really have to think at all about using the handbrake and it does it all for you.

Then I took it in for an MOT and in their wisdom they decided to disable this feature and the car started behaving completely differently (on the flat as well as hills). It took me a couple of days to figure out what had happened to switch it back.

Look in your handbook. Some have an auto release where you dont have to press the switch when you move off

YANBU. I hate them!

Mine switches off as soon as I have biting point

I love mine, I've forgotten how to drive a car without one! I take mine off when I first switch the engine on, press the "brake hold" button and then it engages itself if you press the footbrake hard enough and then holds until you reach what would be bite point and it releases itself. Then the handbrake goes on automatically when you turn the engine off. My OH's car is on all the time, you don't have to flick the switch each journey like I do (his is an automatic and mine is manual so not sure if that makes a difference).

Manual or Automatic?

All the ones I have ever used has done this. You just set off.

I'm getting on ok with mine but can't work out why sometimes it just turns itself off. It'll be working fine at one set of lights but when I stop at the next set the automatic handbrake is off. I don't realise until I start rolling backwards. Does anyone have any ideas what it could be?

Does your car have hill assist?

Is your car manual or automatic?

If it’s a manual make sure clutch right down to floor. Mine releases even if slightly lifted, no where near biting point

One of those classic features where manufacturers save money, the dashboard and driver seat area looks less cluttered but the customer gets a worse experience.

@Dibble135 Thank you. It's a manual, I'll concentrate on that and see if it's it.

Are you putting the handbrake on each time that you stop? Do you sometimes get your biting point ready to set off? Once I get to biting point handbrake automatically releases

I don't have to put the handbrake on each time I stop. It's on automatic so should come on every time I use the foot brake and come to a halt. 9 times out of 10 it does, but sometimes it just doesn't do it.

Today I was driving along. Stop. Handbrake comes on. Drive away. Stop again - car rolls back as handbrake hasn't come on. I always have to watch for the 'handbrake on light' it as it can't be trusted.

What car is it if you don’t mind me asking?

Hated mine at the beginning. Watch some you tube videos, helped me to make sense of how it worked especially for hillstarts

Depends on the car/brake. We had a scenic where the handbreak automatically came off when pushing the accelerator. Hill starts were a breeze! Our current car (Picasso) you have to push the brake foot pedal to deactivate the handbrake, then do your hill start and it's a pain.

Thanks for your interest @Coconutter24 . It's a Ford Focus with a 69 plate.

So glad I am not alone in this!! Mine is a manual. Don’t know if I am just panicking at the moment because it’s all new to me and I feel like I’m going to stall it and I do. My hand keeps going down to grab the handbrake. It has auto hold which is meant to hold it until you start moving.

If you’re coming to a complete stop, taking it out of gear and the handbrake doesn’t come on every time is it possible it has a fault with it that might need looking at?

I used to drive around 40k miles a year, one day had a hire car with that type of HB.. i parked on a hill.
i couldn't pull away without it rolling back instantly, ended up putting a brick behind the rear wheel - it went straight back to the hire outfit and i got a normal car.

Hate the fuggin things

Your defo not alone.

That's brilliant. I'll mention it when I take it to the garage for its service next month. Much appreciated.

I have one and don’t touch the hand brake at all, unless I’m parked but have the engine running. Mine is a manual though - there’s still a ‘biting point’. But the brake doesn’t release instantly in hill starts - you have to have your foot pressing the petrol to make it go.