Anyone else having palpitations using one of these?

Just changed my car after 40yr of using a manual handbrake and my new car has one of these in, on hills or a car too close behind and I go into a panic with the bloody thing.

Terrier wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 03, 2025 8:52 pm

Anyone else having palpitations using one of these?

Just changed my car after 40yr of using a manual handbrake and my new car has one of these in, on hills or a car too close behind and I go into a panic with the bloody thing.

Had these on my cars for a long time once you get used to them they are great.

Nah, they work fine on manual cars
Can have an issue on autos if not used enough

Yer had one and still worry about it so I always left it in gear when I park .

Youre still just as reliant on cables and brakepads.

It's not that I don't trust it I just can't get used to using it.

Tribesmen wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 03, 2025 9:03 pm

Yer had one and still worry about it so I always left it in gear when I park .

Should always leave your car in gear whenever you park up.

Terrier wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 03, 2025 9:49 pm

It's not that I don't trust it I just can't get used to using it.

Is it a manual or automatic... The Mrs struggled with the DS4 Manual electric Park but not on the Auto we replaced it with ...

Does the car not have the auto hold option as well as the actual brake!p? If it has use that in lieu of the brake, my last two cars have had this and it's easier than applying the brake and releasing it all the time.

The biggest issue I've found with them is if you have the auto-on selected they can 'activate' at some fairly inappropriate moments.

Caballo wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 03, 2025 10:22 pm

The biggest issue I've found with them is if you have the auto-on selected they can 'activate' at some fairly inappropriate moments.

Or not disengage at some equally inappropriate moments.

Caballo wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 03, 2025 10:22 pm

The biggest issue I've found with them is if you have the auto-on selected they can 'activate' at some fairly inappropriate moments.

Never had a problem with them at any time and have had them on cars since 2014 ...

Ive had em on both manual and automatic.

You press the brake and stop, they come on. You close the engine off, it comes on.

Unless you're needing the reflexivity of a manual handle during your many handbrake turns, i'd say stop being so old, conform and get over it.

tarkys_ears wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:37 am

Ive had em on both manual and automatic.

You press the brake and stop, they come on. You close the engine off, it comes on.

Unless you're needing the reflexivity of a manual handle during your many handbrake turns, i'd say stop being so old, conform and get over it.

Oh you are well cool and trendy with that response, I’d love to be as good as you one day

It sounds like it's a solution in search of a problem - which is far from unknown in modern cars. Than can be very few people who find any difficulty in using a manual handbrake.

Rain detectors on the windscreen are another pet dislike. They aren't very good. With old-fashioned off-intermittent-standard-fast wipers, there were plenty of options and I found them all easy to apply.

I've got one on a can-am reverse trike. When it's parked in the garage, I leave the brake off, the assumption being that switches can only be used so many times before they fail.

The only issue I have is remembering to put the manual handbrake on when driving the other car

I find them easy to use and too easy to get used to. I have tried to set off a few times now with the brake still on whenever I drive a car with a manual handbrake nowadays.

Makes you lazy.
There should be a Placebo Lever.

Hard to remember after a while when you drive someone elses car without

dsr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 1:03 am

It sounds like it's a solution in search of a problem - which is far from unknown in modern cars. Than can be very few people who find any difficulty in using a manual handbrake.

Rain detectors on the windscreen are another pet dislike. They aren't very good. With old-fashioned off-intermittent-standard-fast wipers, there were plenty of options and I found them all easy to apply.

You could apply that logic forever though. Why bother with automatic gears when manual will do? Open the window instead of air con.

It's not always about solving a problem, it's about driver convenience.

Automatic headlights are another example of you don't need them as anyone can flick the switches, but I prefer them coming on by themselves.

dsr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 1:03 am

It sounds like it's a solution in search of a problem - which is far from unknown in modern cars. Than can be very few people who find any difficulty in using a manual handbrake.

Rain detectors on the windscreen are another pet dislike. They aren't very good. With old-fashioned off-intermittent-standard-fast wipers, there were plenty of options and I found them all easy to apply.

Mine has the auto wipers, but you can turn it off and use them manually, same with the headlights

dsr wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 1:03 am

It sounds like it's a solution in search of a problem - which is far from unknown in modern cars. Than can be very few people who find any difficulty in using a manual handbrake.

Rain detectors on the windscreen are another pet dislike. They aren't very good. With old-fashioned off-intermittent-standard-fast wipers, there were plenty of options and I found them all easy to apply.

Electric parking brakes make sense as they can be automatically applied.
Automatics/EVs often have them - meaning that the parking brake can be applied discretely when the car comes to a complete stop. (auto-hold.)

However... in around 2014 I once, seemingly, left my parking brake off whilst parked in a layby in Brierfield. My car rolled (uphill, as far as I can tell) into the back of another car, causing substantial (if you read the doctor's reports) injuries to the array of passengers therein. So even if you have one, beware. Receiving court papers (standard, when children are involved, I gather) isn't a nice moment.

They bring a lot of technical superiority - included self-adjustment, and reduce the risk of cable stretch (if you're into the automotive engineering side of this stuff.)

That said, I think they're a good thing overall.

Difficult to do a hand brake turn, when you need one.
On hill starts mine still does a slight roll back before gripping. This can cause the turtle to emerge from his roll neck sweater, until you get used to it.

What's a brake?

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 5:01 pm

What's a brake?

Are you sure you're not Audiclaret?

Row x wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 04, 2025 8:44 am

Mine has the auto wipers, but you can turn it off and use them manually, same with the headlights

I don't mind the headlights because they work in the same way I would. But the wipers, I can set them to fast speed or normal speed manually, but the intermittent can only be automatic. Which is a minor nuisance when it decides the windscreen doesn't need clearing when in fact it does, or when it decides the windscreen does need clearing when it's actually dry. I have never found it hard to select the intermittent setting, I don't need the technological "advance".

If it worked as well as the old system (like the auto lights do) it would be fine.