My current MK6 Golf the excellent car it is, so far, will be replaced in the next year or so quite probably and I was, naturally thinking of its successor, the MK7 Golf, that is until I read that it is fitted with the above devices. Another ca,r the new A3 Sportback, out this month, is also fitted similarly.
What are your views on these? I have been searching the internet for views and as to how these things work but ultimatley, driving a manual car, cannot see why the manufacturers foist these nonsenses upon us.
Obviously their excuse and a very weak one, is that they save space and rid us of ugly space hogging handbrake levers but frankly, I just cannot accept that. My handbrake although offset a bi,t is a very neat item set in a sort of recess and is so obviously easy to use especially if you've been used to them since the the '50s and '60s last century.
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Hired a C4 Picasso with one of these a few years back for a 1500ml holiday. Elec handbrake seemed a novelty for a while and I may have grumbled at the time but in truth it soon became the norm.
For me if I wanted a particular car I'd not count it out because of a push button handbrake.
Can't wait long enough for the mk.7 Golf to arrive myself but I have looked into them. Seems to consolidate the existing mk.6 virtues to make a well sorted compact(ish) car.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 1 Oct 12 at 16:22
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They seem to vary in their application... We've got a C4 Picasso now - the handbrake is OK - it sets itself (noisily) when you switch off, or you can manually set it. It takes an appreciable time to release so a smooth getaway using the autorelease is a bit tricky (it also won't release unless you get to a certain revs, so as I tend to engage the clutch at idle and then rev up I find it difficult to get it away on auto release) - and if you manually release, then you need to pull the handbrake first (with your foot on the brake or it refuses), then by the time you've engaged a gear it's ready to go, rather than the other way around as you would with a manual handbrake. Hill hold (which works off the service brakes) works just fine, although it can confuse you at times (or you can confuse it!). Colleague has a Passat, and that applies and releases silently and seems easy to get away on auto release. I wouldn't avoid a car because of an electric h/brake(*), but niether would I go searching one out.
* I may change my mind if / when the motor unit goes pop, and sets me back £750 for a replacement....
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>> * I may change my mind if / when the motor unit goes pop, and
>> sets me back £750 for a replacement....
Thats the bit.
I won't be having one on a vehicle i own, nor some of the other guff.
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The Volvo has one, and its the first car I've owned with it. Volvo have taken the slightly odd decision to place the button on the lower right hand side of the dash, so its not readily to hand. I have no problems with it, although we had a Sharan on hire in the summer with the hold assist thing (the Volvo doesn't have that), and I found the VW system to be better. Combined with the DSG box it was rather nice.
I do like the way that the Volvo system makes hill starts very easy though
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I just think that these are an invention too far especially, if we exclude the doubtful need for more space. I mean the old mechanical handbrake is so easy to judge and use when the clutch just bites under any condition whereas I fear that the release of the auto brakes might require more clutch slip or high accelerator input before the computer decides to release it. This alone might lead to earlier clutch wear but frankly, I just don't know.
There will be quite a few cars which could still be bought without the above systems, no doubt but whether they are cars I'd cherish, is another question.
I mean would you like to negotiatet the Hardknott and Wrynos passes with these electronic parking and Auto Hold systems?
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Lats time I went up hardknott, I dont think I touched the handbrake.
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>> Volvo have taken the slightly odd decision to place the button on the lower right hand side of the dash
Mercedes have had the release lever (and latterly the EPB apply/release switch) there for many years.
>> would you like to negotiatet the Hardknott and Wrynose passes with these
>> electronic parking and Auto Hold systems?
When loading a car with an EPB onto the transporter, there is absolutely no doubt about whether it will hold on a slope.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 1 Oct 12 at 21:13
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My Jag has electronic parking brake and I've never touched the thing. It switches off as soon as I move the transmission out of Park and switches on again when I stick it back in Park.
There's no doubt though that I will be cursing it when I'm stuck in snow wishing I had a manual alternative to the stability control system.
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My Audi has one, no problems with it, puts the brake on much harder than any stick brake car I have had. When setting off with it on, I just breath on the throttle for a split second and watch the red light go off on the cluster at the bottom of my vision. Not sure how it is with manual transmission.
I do recall a weird problem in the snow on a steep hill. It would not let me roll down backwards in N when I released the EPB and then the footbrake, it tried to hold it due to the incline and lack of torque and started skidding back with the rear wheels locked. I had to put in R to make it release and then back into N and kadence brake even with ABS due to it being a cobbled road with steep cambers. *shudder*
Last edited by: sooty tailpipes on Mon 1 Oct 12 at 22:27
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Perhaps they were invented as a cure for handbrakes releasing on hot rear wheel discs?
I'm sure we've all seen a few cars 'parked' up against something solid at the bottom of a down slope.
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And what if there a fault in the electronic hand brake, is there a safety back up?
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This unnecessary device is an answer to a problem people never had. It's been discussed before but it's good to raise it again as it seems to spreading down to smaller, mass-market cars like the Golf which are more likely to be sold with manual gearboxes.
Some people get used to an electronic brake - but how many actually WANT one?
Surely some enterprising maker can offer it as an option, and then see how many people choose it. Meanwhile we should all write to VAG pointing out that they could lose sales this way.
Last edited by: Avant on Mon 1 Oct 12 at 23:48
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The Volvo salesman from whom we didn't eventually buy a V70 last spring told us that the EPB was there to improve crash safety by creating a space in the centre of the car, into which a front seat can move if the car is hit from the side. OK, I thought, it makes the manual V70 undrivable but at least there's some logic there.
He assured us the - then unannounced - V40 would have one too, only when it came along, it had a cable and lever, albeit on the far side of the centre unit. So did (a) Volvo see sense in a smaller car that will be more popular as a manual, or (b) our salesman make the whole story up?
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>>salesman make the whole story up?
No, surely not. I can't believe a salesman would do that.
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The handbrake was only on the left-hand side of the V40 because Volvo couldn't be bothered spending the money to retool the centre console for RHD markets.
Its most likely still a lever and cable because that's what the donor chassis for the V40 (S40/Focus?) was designed for.
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>> Surely some enterprising maker can offer it as an option, and then see how many
>> people choose it. Meanwhile we should all write to VAG pointing out that they could
>> lose sales this way.
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You have the option of refusing to buy a car with one now.
Have driven three, all VAG and all manuals. No problems at all, you can even use the switch in the same way as you use the handbrake if you wish.
Hill starts no problem at all, in fact I don't think you should be allowed to use one on a driving test.
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Volkswagen - Electronic handbrakes and Hold Assist. - Fenlander
