Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 25 May 2012 22:40
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - sdrowe

Have just bought a used 11 Reg Meriva with the electric parking brake, but no 'Hill Start Assist'. Has anyone got any advice on doing hill starts on very steep hills? We've followed the instructions in the manual for just driving off and letting it release the brake automatically, which is fine on flat surfaces and slight inclines, but we live in area surrounded by steep hills. All our attempts result in us rolling back. The only way it has worked in the end is by pulling up the switch to keep the brake switched on until the accelerator and clutch are balanced enough & the car starts to pull forward. The manual doesn't say whether you can use the switch in this way on a hill. It appears that the electric brake is being released (& the light going out) before the clutch is at the biting point. Are we missing something?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 26 May 2012 10:16
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - craig-pd130

My Volvo has a very similar system, with no apparent 'hill hold'. I have a 1-in-6 hill on my way to work with traffic lights at the top, so hill starts are common. I do the same as you.

It seems the most common problems with electric parking brakes is them either seizing on, or seizing so they don't apply (due to lack of use & corrosion in both cases). Regular use seems to be the best maintenance.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 13:31
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - Bikerben

I picked up our new to us '11 meriva yesterday. Living in the mountains we had the same issue. My internet searches did not provide an answer but led here.TThis how the parking brake works.

When on a hill with the Elect4onic Parking Brake (EPB) engaged select first or second gear. Do NOT touch the accelerator. Slowly release the clutch until you can feel it bite. Maintaining that biting point, accelerate gently whilst releasing the clutch fully. To those oof us raised on morris minors it is counter intuitive but works very well.

For added peace of mind the EPB can be held on as described above, just like a conventional handbrake. There really is no need, I have successfully started on scarily steep hills using the technique described.

Vauxhall however publish appalling manuals. The instructions are ridiculously obtuse. Now if only I could work out how to adjust the head restraimts.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 14:40
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - gordonbennet

mmmmmm---mmmm--etc, bottom lip nearly chewed through.

Instead of going into a lengthy rant, as per usual, i'll ask just one question, two actually.

Why do people pay good money to put themselves through this hell.

What was wrong with the convential handbrake before that made these things desirable.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 14:50
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - HandCart

Presumably it's cheaper for the manufacturers once they've already included the gubbins for ESP?

But - people having to resort to internet searches in order to find out how to do something a new way that has been imposed on them, when it was perfectly intuitive with a mechanical handle when they learnt to drive... progress!! ;-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 15:02
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - gordonbennet

Extra Sensory Perception...these Vauxhalls really are the business..:-)

These systems are not imposed on them, they are the customer, they are the ones spending their own hard earned money, they do not have to buy this junk, there is no dick turpin standing over them with a flintlock menacingly saying stand and deliver, he's standing for re-election next year.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 15:19
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - HandCart

Well, it WILL be imposed on the customer if it ends up with no manufacturers left who offer a mechanical handbrake. :-(

Similarly I guess you can't buy a new car that hasn't got ABS now, should you not desire it.

And 'Which?' magazine automatically class any model as a 'Don't Buy!' if it hasn't got ESP, so no doubt that will end up being mandatory soon - so the manufacturers then won't want to double-up on mechanisms for applying the rear brakes (assuming that IS where they make a saving by introducing an electronic handbrake).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 15:28
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - gordonbennet

Yes you're probably right, won't affect us as we won't be buying into the junk, if i run out of old motors to keep running we'll buy another Hilux.

I'm waiting to see what happens when current Avensis gets replaced, i fully expected new Auris to be sporting a silly switch in place of a handbrake, but no, pleasantly surprised to see a proper handbrake lever is in attendance.

I don't think the EPB did Avensis any sales favours, it stopped me buying one.

edit...Don't RichT, just don't go there...:-)))

Edited by gordonbennet on 16/05/2014 at 15:30

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 16 May 2014 15:22
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - RichT54

It's even more fun when the electronic parking brake thinks it needs to do one thing, while the stop/start system thinks it needs to do something completely different.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 19 May 2014 17:24
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - daveyK_UK

How is the latest shape Meriva working out in terms or reliability and durability?

A friends wife has one now approaching 3 years old (its a 1.4 turbo) and they are wondering if its the right time to get rid?

They do like the car and are thinking of buying the same again with vauxhall dealers offering big discounts.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 00:18
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - daveyK_UK

Would you believe it.

The 1.4 turbo engine meriva was playing up on Friday, dropped off at a Vauxhall dealer Saturday morning, diagnosed with a head gasket failure today.

Ask Vauxhall for a contribution as its not 3 years old yet ' sorry madam, there is nothing we can do'.

Is this a common fault?

Haven't heard of head gasket failures on the standard 1.4s, could the turbo pressure be causing the failure?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 00:27
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - Avant

"Ask Vauxhall for a contribution as its not 3 years old yet...."

Ian't it still under warranty?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 00:52
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - daveyK_UK

61,500 miles And 2 years 11 months old.

Vauxhall told her its over the mileage threshold.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 01:03
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - Avant

Well that's made your friend's mind up for her!

Our neighbour had a Meriva - quite liked it but liked her hisband's Focus even more and now has a C-Max. The Ford is better to drive; something Korean will have a longer warranty. If she likes the high driving position and extra room, the Hyundai ix20 or Kia Venga would be alternatives to the C-Max (or B-Max).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 01:18
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - brum

61,500 miles And 2 years 11 months old.

Vauxhall told her its over the mileage threshold.

What happened to the all singing all dancing Vauxhall "100,000 mile lifetime warranty"?

www.vauxhall.co.uk/owners_services/warranty_assist...l

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 03:35
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - daveyK_UK

The deal they got on the meriva was for a pre reg, thus you wave goodbye to the lifetime warranty as your not the 1st owner.

A friend commented Vauxhall are pre reging Cars more than ever with huge discounts compared to a buying new to avoid providing the lifetime warranty.

I'm not so sure, Vauxhall have always had a big pre reg push and heavy discounts, they have simply been clever and based the lifetime warranty on new reg stock which must be around a maximum of 50% of their stock which ends up with private buyers; the percentage of that optimistic 50% figure that keep their Vauxhall beyond 3 years must be less than 15% of total sales? 10%?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 22 May 2014 17:31
Vauxhall New Meriva - Meriva Electric parking brake & hill starts - gordonbennet

Thats how you gain lifelong loyal customers, its 10 minutes over or 1500 miles over the warranty period so yah boo sucks.

Bet they'll be voting via wallet when its time for a replacement...if it were me i'd go right through the sales system at the dealer concerned and just as about to sign have a Eureka moment and suddenly remember this episode.

Can you point them to a good indy who will do the CHG, no point in paying extortionate main dealer labour now VX have unsurprisingly dumped them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link