Why doesn't the emergency brake hold the car?

[roccky08]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin1LT

count me in the category of "THIS E-BRAKE SUCKS"...mine is also very "loose"...even when I yank it ALL THE WAY up.

I'm in other category. The second day that I got it I was showing it to a friend that lives in my building. I usually park it in 1st gear along with the parking brake.

So I show it him and he asks me if he can turn it on to hear the exhaust. I said sure If you've driven a manual before. He replied with of course!!.

So he tried to start it and nothing happened. I told him to remember to press the clutch and he said ohh yeah, forgot. So he turns it on and he had a huge . I smiled too.

About a sec later I see my car launching forward after he released his foot from the clutch. There is a concrete wall in front of me and I went from from to . The parking brake held the car in place and the car turned off.

I was like are you nuts? how could you? don't you know how to drive a manual? you should know what happens if you release your foot while in gear. He replied, I drive a BMW Auto how should I know ..

He asked me for a ride about 2 weeks later, I hesitated and said sure.. We were cruising at an empty private road at around 15mph while talking. I punched it and went from 1st,2nd,3rd .. He turned pale and almost crapped in his pants and begged me to stop. I stopped and told him .. well that's how I felt when you started my car. He apologized and I told him we are now even . I drove back home with a

[Edge.128]

ya just give it a good pull and leave it in gear also (if manual). i have had my car roll a bit when in neutral just pull up a bit more and it stays.

[BSX_Camaro]

I had to ask my dealer to tighten my E-Brake. It was way too loose. You shouldn't have to crank it up for the brake to hold on a hill. Six years in San Fran and you learn the E-Brake needs to be set at the right tension or one click, or lack there of, sends you down a steep hill.

[trm0002]

So in 6 months nobody has posted a DIY thread on this? Is it really that hard to adjust yourself vs. all the bull**** of taking it to the dealer, getting a ride to work, getting a ride back, etc, etc, etc?

[Nvincent4708]

you really have to yoink the e-brake to get it to hold.

[CamaroFemme]

Originally Posted by scythezo6

Ive been working out my right hand/forearm out since I was about 13 so its pretty strong now...

[Unique Auto Depot]

Originally Posted by Shift

Every vehicle I've ever owned has locked itself in place with the E brake.

My wife just called from her college parking lot and said she set the e brake and when she took her foot of the brake pedal to get out the car rolled forward into the curb and f**ked up the fascia pretty good.


The cars only a damn week old
I think I'm gonna be sick

Adding this post from further down the thread since it seems most people dont read beyond the opening post

I always leave a manual in gear, I just happened to not the other day for the first time in forever. She knows better too but its been years since either of us owned a manual, so now we have been reminded.

I'm going to see if I can push it down the street later with the e brake on and if I can the dealer will have to deal with it (no pun intended)

She did not pull the E-Brake Far enough that will happen if not pulled all the way up

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by Nvincent4708

you really have to yoink the e-brake to get it to hold.

I will say that is was "ok" when new but still required better than 2/3 of the travel before it sufficiently grabbed (should have been no more than half when new IMO); now with 18k, I'm at pretty much full travel to hold the car.

[Moorepheus]

Park the car, shut engine off, pull up on the Parking Brake , put in 1st gear. GET OUT...Car is not going anywhere.

[Moorepheus]

Originally Posted by trm0002

I will say that is was "ok" when new but still required better than 2/3 of the travel before it sufficiently grabbed (should have been no more than half when new IMO); now with 18k, I'm at pretty much full travel to hold the car.

13,000 on mine and I still only go half way up, well, it seems only half way up. I don't notice any difference then when I first bought the car. Besides, the parking brake should really get no wear, unless you are doing e-brake stopping. I don't believe the parking brake is hooked/linked to the rear disk brake pads. I believe they are their own seperate SHOES inside the rear roters and work like a DRUM brake. I could be wrong, but if you look for parts for the parking brake, there are seperate SHOE's for the parking brake vs PADS for the rear brakes.

[Moorepheus]

Originally Posted by roccky08

I'm in other category. The second day that I got it I was showing it to a friend that lives in my building. I usually park it in 1st gear along with the parking brake.

So I show it him and he asks me if he can turn it on to hear the exhaust. I said sure If you've driven a manual before. He replied with of course!!.

So he tried to start it and nothing happened. I told him to remember to press the clutch and he said ohh yeah, forgot. So he turns it on and he had a huge . I smiled too.

About a sec later I see my car launching forward after he released his foot from the clutch. There is a concrete wall in front of me and I went from from to . The parking brake held the car in place and the car turned off.

I was like are you nuts? how could you? don't you know how to drive a manual? you should know what happens if you release your foot while in gear. He replied, I drive a BMW Auto how should I know ..

He asked me for a ride about 2 weeks later, I hesitated and said sure.. We were cruising at an empty private road at around 15mph while talking. I punched it and went from 1st,2nd,3rd .. He turned pale and almost crapped in his pants and begged me to stop. I stopped and told him .. well that's how I felt when you started my car. He apologized and I told him we are now even . I drove back home with a

[Ironheadspearo]

the problem is you need a strong arm to fully pull the e-brake all the way up. maybe she doesn't have strong enough arm to fully pull it up or just didnt do it

[The IOM Ninja]

Originally Posted by Ironheadspearo

the problem is you need a strong arm to fully pull the e-brake all the way up. maybe she doesn't have strong enough arm to fully pull it up or just didnt do it

I just for the hell of it decided to use the E Brake when there were no cars around me on an incredibly wet road the other week, I was going about 80 KM/H and it stopped almost instantly, it slid a bit but it stopped.

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by Moorepheus

13,000 on mine and I still only go half way up, well, it seems only half way up. I don't notice any difference then when I first bought the car. Besides, the parking brake should really get no wear, unless you are doing e-brake stopping. I don't believe the parking brake is hooked/linked to the rear disk brake pads. I believe they are their own seperate SHOES inside the rear roters and work like a DRUM brake. I could be wrong, but if you look for parts for the parking brake, there are seperate SHOE's for the parking brake vs PADS for the rear brakes.

But it's still controlled by a cable and any cable will stretch over time when repetitively used as I do every time I park the car- incline or not...