Electronic parking brake.

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Wed 14 Feb 2018 21:44
Electronic parking brake. - Oli rag

Anyone else tried pressing it while the car is still moving? I had a renault scenic hire car some time back, thought I'd give it a go on an empty road at about 15mph. It braked as though an elephant had left foot braked!

If you have, are all these systems the same?

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Wed 14 Feb 2018 21:48
Electronic parking brake. - RobJP

No, never tried it on the Z4.

No idea if it'd apply or not either. I assume it would, just like a 'standard' handbrake.

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Wed 14 Feb 2018 21:49
Electronic parking brake. - gordonbennet

Never tried it but the parking brake is also the seconday emergency brake, so makes sense it's got some oomph, though the best parking brake i've ever found was on a 70's Wartburg, which was just as well because the primary brakes failed totally and the parking brake stopped the car well.

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Wed 14 Feb 2018 22:15
Electronic parking brake. - Ian D
I tried it on a Passat hire car a couple of years ago, on the basis I wanted to know if someone driving the car passed out what could be done to stop the car, I tried at around 20mph and if you pull the EPB switch up and hold it, nothing happens for a second or two then full handbrake comes on instantly. I did not repeat the test at 70mph....

Edited by Ian D on 14/02/2018 at 22:15

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Wed 14 Feb 2018 22:43
Electronic parking brake. - Bolt

I gather if you do it on the new Civic the epb locks on and takes a reset by computer to get back to normal,ie ignition needs turning off for 10 minutes then switch on again to reset

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Thu 15 Feb 2018 18:21
Electronic parking brake. - Avant

Not an experiment I'd care to try. It must risk seriously weakening thr mechanism.

Maybe at last I can see a reason, which has eluded me up to now, why Volvo put the parking brake on the V60 down by the driver's right knee.

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Fri 16 Feb 2018 08:12
Electronic parking brake. - 72 dudes

IIRC the Q3 handbook has words to the effect of: The EPB can be used in an emergency to bring the car to a sudden halt.

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Fri 16 Feb 2018 08:18
Electronic parking brake. - S40 Man

Not an experiment I'd care to try. It must risk seriously weakening thr mechanism.

Maybe at last I can see a reason, which has eluded me up to now, why Volvo put the parking brake on the V60 down by the driver's right knee.

must risk seriously weakening the mechanism"

"Maybe that's why the two posters above tried it on a hire car!! Reminds me of the old adage nothing handles as well of a road as a hire car.

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Fri 16 Feb 2018 09:04
Electronic parking brake. - gordonbennet

The problem with using an EPB to stop the car is that it's basically on or off, there is no feeling the handbrake and applying steadily to the point of locking and holding it there, and we all know what happens when the rear wheels lock solid.

As i haven't tried such an experiment (and have no wish to own such a contraption either) i don't know if the ABS or stabilty control has any input on parking brake application pressure, something i doubt because the application time as the motor(s) pull the brake pads in wouldn't, i imagine, be fast enough reacting.

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