Do I have to lock the “handbrake” on cars with “automatic”
- June 30, 2023
- 0
In the Soviet era, the stereotype that the parking brake is harmful and dangerous was created. The drivers did not trust him and left the cars in gear.
In the Soviet era, the stereotype that the parking brake is harmful and dangerous was created. The drivers did not trust him and left the cars in gear. With the change of generations and the mass introduction of automatic transmissions, the grandfather’s life hack is still alive, and motorists, following the regulations of their fathers, try not to use the “handbrake”, relying more on the “P” mode . What does this mean for the car?
On the Zhiguli, Volga, Moskvich and other G-8s, the handbrake often turned sour, the cable rusted, stuck, froze, and the parking brake mechanism did not properly fix the car on the slope. He could not hold a single 23% slope, forcing him to unscrew the wheels, lean them against the curb, engage the gear in a manual box, put “shoes”. It happened that after the parking brake was applied, in the morning it was no longer possible to release it, and it took a long time to look for damage to the cable or to warm up the brake pads. Therefore, many preferred to use only transmission.
Now the engines have changed, and so has the “handbrake”. On social networks, there are many videos about how a car parked on a slope, even in gear, suddenly begins to slide jerkily downhill and rest on the bumper of another car. Drivers wonder if they burned the clutch somewhere or if the compression dropped?
It turns out that a modern car with a manual transmission, unlike the old Zhiguli, cannot, in principle, be fixed on a slope in first gear. Due to the design features of the engine, even new cars roll downhill. Therefore, when parking on a slope, it is imperative to use the “handbrake”.
slick hook
Even cars with an automatic gearbox cannot do without a parking brake. They slow down the engine very badly, and the blocking of the “machine” in the parking lot is done by locking the transmission shaft. Moving the box selector to the “P” position activates a lever with a hook inside the housing, which is thrown onto a special gear on the shaft.
The latch falls into the groove and locks the gear, preventing the shaft from turning. A 1.3-tonne passenger car is held in place by one 7 mm tooth. mate. The mechanical lock is small and has a tensile strength. If the road is flat, there are no problems, but on a slope it is already dangerous. And the steeper the slide, the greater the risk of the lock failing.
Over time, the rectangular hook “licks off” and turns into an oval shape, loosely sticking to the grooves and at risk of popping out. It is especially dangerous when the driver turns on “park” on a car that is still moving. I hurried, pulled the lever – and the car knocks with all its weight into the small tooth of the latch. Then the edges of the tooth are cut off a little, chips get into the oil, which spreads through the transmission until it gets stuck in the filter.
We must not forget about the fatigue of the metal. The longer the machine “hangs” on the “hook”, the more internal damage accumulates in this small piece of metal and the tooth can suddenly break off even with a little effort. In general, a car with an “automatic” in the parking lot should also be reinforced with a “handbrake”. And do it according to a certain algorithm.
How to park your car correctly
The main thing is not to rush. The car should come to a complete stop and while holding down the brake pedal, firmly pull the handbrake lever. If the machine is equipped with an electronic parking brake, wait for the mechanism to tighten the rear brake pads after activation. Only then can the box selector be set to the “P” position. The entire load is then held by the “handbrake”, and not by the bolt in the body of the “machine”.
If the slope is too large and there is no confidence in the “handbrake”, then you can remember grandfather’s advice and resort to the help of a reliable recoil “shoe”. Just put a few rocks under the wheels.
Photo: wheels.iconmagazine.it
Manufacturer’s photo.
On the Zhiguli, Volga, Moskvich and other G-8s, the handbrake often turned sour, the cable rusted, stuck, froze, and the parking brake mechanism did not properly fix the car on the slope. He could not hold a single 23% slope, forcing him to unscrew the wheels, lean them against the curb, engage the gear in a manual box, put “shoes”. It happened that after the parking brake was applied, in the morning it was no longer possible to release it, and it took a long time to look for damage to the cable or to warm up the brake pads. Therefore, many preferred to use only transmission.
Now the engines have changed, and so has the “handbrake”. On social networks, there are many videos about how a car parked on a slope, even in gear, suddenly begins to slide jerkily downhill and rest on the bumper of another car. Drivers wonder if they burned the clutch somewhere or if the compression dropped?
It turns out that a modern car with a manual transmission, unlike the old Zhiguli, cannot, in principle, be fixed on a slope in first gear. Due to the design features of the engine, even new cars roll downhill. Therefore, when parking on a slope, it is imperative to use the “handbrake”.
slick hook
Even cars with an automatic gearbox cannot do without a parking brake. They slow down the engine very badly, and the blocking of the “machine” in the parking lot is done by locking the transmission shaft. Moving the box selector to the “P” position activates a lever with a hook inside the housing, which is thrown onto a special gear on the shaft.
The latch falls into the groove and locks the gear, preventing the shaft from turning. A 1.3-tonne passenger car is held in place by one 7 mm tooth. mate. The mechanical lock is small and has a tensile strength. If the road is flat, there are no problems, but on a slope it is already dangerous. And the steeper the slide, the greater the risk of the lock failing.
Over time, the rectangular hook “licks off” and changes into an oval shape, loosely sticking to the grooves and at risk of popping out. It is especially dangerous when the driver turns on “park” on a car that is still moving. I hurried, pulled the lever – and the car knocks with all its weight into the small tooth of the latch. Then the edges of the tooth are cut off a little, chips get into the oil, which spreads through the transmission until it gets stuck in the filter.
We must not forget about the fatigue of the metal. The longer the machine “hangs” on the “hook”, the more internal damage accumulates in this small piece of metal and the tooth can suddenly break off even with a little effort. In general, a car with an “automatic” in the parking lot should also be reinforced with a “handbrake”. And do it according to a certain algorithm.
How to park your car correctly
The main thing is not to rush. The car should come to a complete stop and while holding down the brake pedal, firmly pull the handbrake lever. If the machine is equipped with an electronic parking brake, wait for the mechanism to tighten the rear brake pads after activation. Only then can the box selector be set to the “P” position. The entire load is then held by the “handbrake”, and not by the bolt in the body of the “machine”.
If the slope is too large and there is no confidence in the “handbrake”, then you can remember grandfather’s advice and resort to the help of a reliable recoil “shoe”. Just put a few rocks under the wheels.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
