Does anyone else use theirs? I was taught to always use it. :shrug: I always use it after I park. :shrug: Then when going somewhere, the first thing I look for is the release for the brake. I'm suprised more and more over the years how many people DON'T use it. Is it me? :confused: Was there a general statement or something saying not to use it? Did it become obsolete over the years? :confused: Do y'all still use yours?

I always use my parking brake when parked as proscribed in my owners manual.

I use the hydraulic brakes in all other situations.

What's an emergency brake?

I always use my parking brake when parked as proscribed in my owners manual.

I use the hydraulic brakes in all other situations.

What's an emergency brake?

Isn't that what that third petal like thing is to the left under the dash on an automatic?:confused: I always thought it was called an emergency brake :whack: Parking brake does sound better :lol: Now I'm wondering wth an Emergency Brake is myself :lol:

Now I'm wondering wth an Emergency Brake is myself :lol:

in an emergency, which pedal will you stomp on?

in an emergency, which pedal will you stomp on?

The EMERGENCY pedal, dur!

Does anyone else use theirs? I was taught to always use it. :shrug: I always use it after I park. :shrug: Then when going somewhere, the first thing I look for is the release for the brake. I'm suprised more and more over the years how many people DON'T use it. Is it me? :confused: Was there a general statement or something saying not to use it? Did it become obsolete over the years? :confused: Do y'all still use yours?

Because all of our vehicles are manual tranny, yes, I use the parking break all the time.

I would think the automatic transmissions with the park function has taken over for the emergency brake. I have always had manual transmissions and when I park I put it in the neutral gear and use the emergency brake. Haven't had a vehicle get away from me on its own yet.

I dont use it in the suv's cause they are automatic, but I do use it in the Mustang because that is manual!

edit.... I voted occasionally on your poll, cause it depends on what I drive.

I would think the automatic transmissions with the park function has taken over for the emergency brake. I have always had manual transmissions and when I park I put it in the neutral gear and use the emergency brake. Haven't had a vehicle get away from me on its own yet.

The use of a parking brake has become uncommon as electronic controls and lockouts have become common on cars with vaginamatic transmissions.

The use of a parking brake has become uncommon as electronic controls and lockouts have become common on cars with vaginamatic transmissions.

:killingme

The term emergency brake dates back to the days of yore, when brake systems were not quite so reliable and redundant, and self diagnosing, as they are today. I use it in ANY vehicle, auto or manual. Like only ever using one foot to drive an auto, which my mother drilled into me although we never owned any manuals when I was a kid.

In a standard transmission, always. In an automatic transmission, whenever I'm parked on a hill. If on a flat surface, I don't use it.

I think person even told me its bad to use the emergency/parking brake on automatics. Any validity to that? :shrug:

It's all the same..emergency brake..parking brake. I never use it..well unless I'm on a steep hill..and never in the winter..had a car where the e-brake would freeze up...pain in the butt.

It's all the same..emergency brake..parking brake. I never use it..well unless I'm on a steep hill..and never in the winter..had a car where the e-brake would freeze up...pain in the butt.

San Francisco hills. :yay:

I think person even told me its bad to use the emergency/parking brake on automatics. Any validity to that? :shrug:

NO! person is an idiot.
Experienced, well educated engineers designed the components of your car to work together.

On some cars, using the parking brake activates the rear brakes and keeps them in adjustment

I think person even told me its bad to use the emergency/parking brake on automatics. Any validity to that? :shrug:

If I remember correctly.. IF you park on a hill, put the vehicle in Park, engage the parking brake, THEN put the car in neutral let it slip up or down hill taking the stress off of the transmission and putting the stress on the brake. Put the car back in park, and go about your business.

In New England we were taught to NEVER use your parking brake in the winter, as the brakes had a tendency to freeze on the rotors or in the drums.. then you were royally screwed.

I used to use my parking brake regularly until I owned a Dodge Van.. Brand new, and I could never just hop in and get the brake to release.. Took it back to the dealer, three times, they 'fixed' it, I found it easier to just stop using it.. then I stopped using the van about a year later when I traded it in.

NO! person is an idiot.
Experienced, well educated engineers designed the components of your car to work together.

On some cars, using the parking brake activates the rear brakes and keeps them in adjustment

Tracey's Ford Explorer had a strange set up.. 4 wheel disc.. but the parking brake was a drum, on the inside of the hub.. made it a real pain to remove the rotor .. And the pads were the cheapest.. lost all the pads when I forgot to disengage the brake in San Souci. Not even a 1/4 mile down the road I realized I forgot the brake went to pull over and "pop" all the pads let go.

Tracey's Ford Explorer had a strange set up.. 4 wheel disc.. but the parking brake was a drum, on the inside of the hub.. made it a real pain to remove the rotor .. And the pads were the cheapest.. lost all the pads when I forgot to disengage the brake in San Souci. Not even a 1/4 mile down the road I realized I forgot the brake went to pull over and "pop" all the pads let go.

Thanks! Thats what I drive. :yay:

I always use mine when I park. I can always tell when my husband used my car because he never sets the parking brake.

Tracey's Ford Explorer had a strange set up.. .

OK :shrug: maybe I exaggerated by referring to a Ford as being designed by experienced, well educated engineers

I always use my parking brake when parked as proscribed in my owners manual.

I use the hydraulic brakes in all other situations.

What's an emergency brake?

Tracey's Ford Explorer had a strange set up.. 4 wheel disc.. but the parking brake was a drum, on the inside of the hub.. made it a real pain to remove the rotor .. And the pads were the cheapest.. lost all the pads when I forgot to disengage the brake in San Souci. Not even a 1/4 mile down the road I realized I forgot the brake went to pull over and "pop" all the pads let go.


One that works when your hydraulics fail. Like the explorer. Like my chevy truck.

OK :shrug: maybe I exaggerated by referring to a Ford as being designed by experienced, well educated engineers

They probably used interns. :shrug:

I drove a manual most of my life and tend to set the emergency brake out of habit. I also have tried to park my automatic car in neutral a time or two (out of habit) and found out that the car is so smart it won't let me turn it off unless I put it in park.

I think person even told me its bad to use the emergency/parking brake on automatics. Any validity to that? :shrug:

it's bad when you're driving, that's for sure! As Bob said, it can wear down the pad pretty easily...especially if you forget to pop out of it when you start driving which, to me, is a flaw -- it should NOT be allowed to happen. I honestly don't know when I'd need it in a normal driving situation, but if my normal breaks fail I guess I'd at least try it then. Otherwise, only when I'm parked on a steep hill.

Use it all the time in the truck (manual), we now use it in the AWD Explorer because the front drive shaft is out and it'll roll if we don't use it. We only use it in the car if it's on a steep hill.

San Francisco hills. :yay:

I love your hills. :hot:

I love your hills. :hot:

Mt Helen or Mt Keller?

They were pretty good for gettin' the rear end around on a gravel road.:lol:

Always with a manual transmission and only when needed in an auto.
I also leave my car in 1st never in neutral.

They were pretty good for gettin' the rear end around on a gravel road.:lol:

We still talking about RR's hills?

Always with a manual transmission and only when needed in an auto.
I also leave my car in 1st never in neutral.

:yeahthat:

I had to use it once when my brakes went out on 235. That and downshifting got me to a stop.

I love your hills. :hot:

Mt Helen or Mt Keller?

How did I miss this? :lmao:

It used to be called an emergency brake back in the days when there was no power assist. Pressing the brake pedal or pulling on the emergency handle had basically the same effect (although you were only activating the rear brakes). In today's vehicles, if you loose engine power, you've basically lost your brakes as well. You can pretty much stand on the brake pedal and hope you don't get a cramp while praying that you don't slam into something! The "emergency" brake is no longer called that for a reason, it's not for emergencies. It's for parking, although if you had a situation, I would attempt to use it regardless of what it's called.

And for those of you that have ever seen that little, tiny piece of metal that gets wedged in the gears when you put an automatic in PARK, you'd probably never depend on it again and would use that parking brake. It's not much of anything and can easily be broken.

It used to be called an emergency brake back in the days when there was no power assist. Pressing the brake pedal or pulling on the emergency handle had basically the same effect (although you were only activating the rear brakes). In today's vehicles, if you loose engine power, you've basically lost your brakes as well. You can pretty much stand on the brake pedal and hope you don't get a cramp while praying that you don't slam into something! The "emergency" brake is no longer called that for a reason, it's not for emergencies. It's for parking, although if you had a situation, I would attempt to use it regardless of what it's called.

And for those of you that have ever seen that little, tiny piece of metal that gets wedged in the gears when you put an automatic in PARK, you'd probably never depend on it again and would use that parking brake. It's not much of anything and can easily be broken.

Oh, I dont know about that. Now, most folks would give half hearted attempted, and think they had no brakes, but even without the power boost, you still have brakes, just takes %150 more effort than your used to. Still little enough that any healthy human can do it.

Having rebuilt a C4 in my basement once, I know whereof you speak, and agree completely.

And for those of you that have ever seen that little, tiny piece of metal that gets wedged in the gears when you put an automatic in PARK, you'd probably never depend on it again and would use that parking brake. It's not much of anything and can easily be broken.

:yeahthat: And, it can easily get wedged in there and make it difficult to get the car back out of Park.

I use my parking brake all the time, even on level ground. Don't need it on level ground, but it's a good habit.

And pardon me for having a Black Francis moment in this thread, but they are BRAKES, not BREAKS, you big dummies! :killingme