Some random minor questions v70

[Tatsfield]

The number of times you might need to release the parking brake by pulling the lever rather than by just driving off are likely to be very rare so I can't see what the problems are with the system apart from remembering that you can't just drive off if you haven't put on your seat belt. Manually releasing the lever requires you to have your foot on the footbrake but that makes sense and I'd do that automatically without thinking about it. If I have any complaint about the system it is only the location of the control which isn't the easiest position to reach.

I've stuck a self adhesive plastic 2cm door bump on the parking brake lever so that I can hit it more easily and there are times when I find it easier to tap it with my toe than lean in to press it and then the bump stop means that I hit it every time.

[Bigblue74]

Thanks for the replies, I never knew it was auto release, I’ll try that tomorrow, interesting about the seatbelt though, as I always have mine on when I’m driving but sometimes I still have to press the footbrake and manually release the switch, having read what you guys have put I’m wondering if the seatbelt itself is at fault🤷🏻*♂️, one of the advisories on my mot was that the drivers seatbelt release mechanism sometimes was sticking and indeed it does sometimes take 2/3 attempts to release it, I just never related it to the handbrake

Thanks folks I now have a few things to look into

[simboc2004]

I often have to push my seat belt release three times to get it to release. It doesn't seem to have much movement compared to the other ones.

[Pidgeonpost]

Originally Posted by simboc2004

I often have to push my seat belt release three times to get it to release. It doesn't seem to have much movement compared to the other ones.

My driver's seat belt release is the same. I'm not sure if it's wear and tear, but I might give it a squirt of dry lubricant to see if it helps.

[yostumpy]

Originally Posted by Pidgeonpost

My driver's seat belt release is the same. I'm not sure if it's wear and tear, but I might give it a squirt of dry lubricant to see if it helps.

I had this , and took it back for a warranty check, as it was making my thumb hurt, they sprayed some Teflon type lube in there, still as smooth as, 18 months later.

[Bigblue74]

Interesting to see it’s not just my seatbelt then, tbf my old girl has done a few miles

[Clan]

Originally Posted by yostumpy

#2, why do you put your handbrake on at the lights?

#3 , there is a recent thread on here about adjusting the lights.

because it is the right thing to do for a number of reasons. , It's in the highway code.

[apersson850]

The reason that you pull to release the electric parking brake is because they wanted it to work the same as the mechanical one.
There you pulled the lever, located at the same position in the car, to release the parking brake and pushed a pedal below it to engage.
So to make it as easy as possible for people having both, they made them as equivalent as they could.

[apersson850]

Originally Posted by Clan

because it is the right thing to do for a number of reasons. , It's in the highway code.

Perhaps it is in Britain. Definitely not here. The more bright red lights on cars standing still in the middle of the road, the better.

[Pidgeonpost]

I guess it depends on design and how we interpret these things. On most purely manual handbrakes I've known you pull the handbrake lever up both to engage the handbrake, and to release the ratchet pawl when releasing the brake. The only exception I've encountered on my own cars was the 'fly off' one on my Spitfire (Triumph, not Supermarine).