Posted on 25/10/2022 16:38
I’m looking to replace my aging xtrail but am concerned that most cars nowadays are fitted with electronic parking brake,are these easy to use ie hill start with caravan on.just seems another gimmick that we could do without.Have been told if you have a flat battery car cannot be moved.would welcome comments from fellow towers.
Posted on 31/10/2022 11:43 by Navigateur
On the Land Rover Discovery and similar series the Electric Parking Brake operates on the rear wheels on a combination disc and drum. If the driving brakes have been used a lot preceding park brake application that combination will have expanded, and as it cools, contract onto the parking shoes.
Perhaps for this very reason Land Rover provide an emergency manual release which is hidden away in the centre console even more than it is hidden in the handbook. It involves pulling heftily on a wire cable.
Where manual parking brakes (usually) involve a straight pull on a cable with a lever, the electric ones pull the cable by winding it around a drum. Sometimes it does not wind on evenly and jams on release. And just to complicate matters, when low range is in use Land Rover cause the drum to tighten further than otherwise. Some people use low range when manoeuvring in tight spaces such as car parks.
Posted on 31/10/2022 16:12
.... On the Land Rover Discovery and similar series the Electric Parking Brake operates on the rear wheels on a combination disc and drum
the same set up as a lot of cars were. My Senators & Omega and my previous R Class were this 'top hat' design. As suggested above, perhaps MB saved a few quid when they fitted an EPB to my ML
Posted on 04/11/2022 12:26
electronic parking brakes are GOOD
you want a hill start, no need to touch the brake switch
select your gear, let out the clutch, add a bit of accelerator and the brakes come off
you don't need a hill start function
the only downside is you can't park in the garage with the handbrake off, you take the key out and they come on
1 person likes this
Posted on 04/11/2022 12:26 by Lyke Wake Manelectronic parking brakes are GOOD
you want a hill start, no need to touch the brake switch
select your gear, let out the clutch, add a bit of accelerator and the brakes come off
you don't need a hill start function
the only downside is you can't park in the garage with the handbrake off, you take the key out and they come on
Posted on 29/10/2022 22:24 by EmilysDadThe fault then is you forgetting to use the conventional handbrake ..... a bit like an auto driver forgetting to dip a clutch or change gear. Not a fault of the vehicle. 😉
I find my EPB simple to use ... push the switch for ON & pull to release. But I don't roll back, even on a hill because I have a foot for each pedal .... Even if you don't routinely left foot brake, there's nothing to stop you from using your left foot to hold the vehicle when on a hill & use your right for the throttle. Do you seriously apply the handbrake each time you stop? Was I taught to do that 40-odd years ago? I can't remember, but don't think so. 🤔
Posted on 07/11/2022 09:52
I'll never forget my first Auto after 20 years in a manual.
The day I picked it up I thought I'd see how well it accelarated (company car!). Of course it dropped down the gears, but I was ready to change up before the car was. Forgetting it was an auto I stamped on the 'clutch' and performed the harshest emergency stop ever. The bloke behind me almost soiled himself, as did I!
We both pulled over, and he gave me cigarette, even though I don't smoke. Boy, I needed it.
After that, I drove without my left shoe on until I got used to it.
Posted on 07/11/2022 09:52 by TimboCI'll never forget my first Auto after 20 years in a manual.
The day I picked it up I thought I'd see how well it accelarated (company car!). Of course it dropped down the gears, but I was ready to change up before the car was. Forgetting it was an auto I stamped on the 'clutch' and performed the harshest emergency stop ever. The bloke behind me almost soiled himself, as did I!
We both pulled over, and he gave me cigarette, even though I don't smoke. Boy, I needed it.
After that, I drove without my left shoe on until I got used to it.
toddsontour
Caravanner from Cambridgeshire