Thread: another bloody EPB problem! brakes frozen on and need to get towed!

I think Bob was referring to not using the EPB until you were satisfied that it was fixed. Even now on your trip I would resist using your EPB unless you really need to until you are confident your troubles are behind you.

I never use the EPB unless wanting to park on a slope - on the flat with little load I never use it.

Have a good trip.

Garry

Originally Posted by BrianElloy

2 answers I guess

1. why would I not want to use something that has been standard safety-feature on every production car since ... i don't know, forever?
2. (a less flippant response, sorry!) - because I'd prefer the weight of the car to be on the park brake vs. the gearbox when parked on even slight slopes.

peace
Brian

3. it's a legal requirement in most (all?) States/Territories of Australia to not leave your vehicle without the handbrake properly applied. In an auto the park pawl is supposed to be a second-level of safety, not primary.

In the 'old days' the coppers could just look into your car to see if the handle was sticking up/out and slap and infringement on your windscreen if the lever was down/in (yes, I know of people pinged for this, and not that long ago). Now I guess there's really no way to enforce this?

Considering how small the Pawl is, and it’s a casting to boot, I wouldn’t trust it to hold.

And each time it’s forced free (that clunk you feel as you pull the shifter) it wears that small corner.

It also, under load on a Hill is placing the bearings etc of the transmission under load..
We all lift axles when storing vehicles to prevent bearing damage after all - so why do it to your transmission?

Originally Posted by garrycol

I think Bob was referring to not using the EPB until you were satisfied that it was fixed. Even now on your trip I would resist using your EPB unless you really need to until you are confident your troubles are behind you.

I never use the EPB unless wanting to park on a slope - on the flat with little load I never use it.

Have a good trip.

Garry

Yeah, thanks Garry. That was my point. Obviously get it fixed but why ruin a weekend or a trip when you could safely not use it 95% of the time? The OP was worried about getting stuck while waiting to get it fixed, when it would be perfectly OK to not use the EPB for a short time and pick your parking spots.

It would be much more of a problem in a DS (and probably all current Land Rovers) since the EPB automatically engages in park or when you turn the engine off.

Here is the link to Bodsy's Brake Bible.

https://www.disco3.co.uk/gallery/thu...php?album=4184

Download the latest version; v1.6a. As of when I last looked, there has been near 20,000 views/downloads of his free 36 page pdf. My take on that is that if you do not fully understand the braking system, (actually the 3 systems), and there seem to be a lot of people who do not, the download just might be worth the effort.

I see Bodsy has a French edition as well.

The black art part is probably towards the end, (page 27/36 and following), re the electronic parking brake.

Rather than perhaps black art stuff, it may better be called leading edge, or maybe bleeding); also the set and unset procedure applies when doing just a normal rear pad change.

If you ignore the set unset procedure, then a few miles down the road, the squealing will almost assuredly start.

The good news is the fronts are more normal, but the rears, not so!

In total, for the vehicle, you actually have three pair of brake assemblies to deal with: (1), the front pair of rotors, and pads, (2), the rear pair of rotors and pads, and then (3), the parking brake pair of drums and shoes – yes, drums and shoes sitting behind/inside the rear rotors.

That is why you can use the parking brake as a “dynamic” system to safely slow the vehicle from highway speeds. The owner’s handbook explains the procedure as below.

Dynamic operation: In an emergency, the park brake can be applied dynamically: i.e. with the vehicle travelling at more than 3 km/h (2 mph). Pulling up on the lever and holding it up gives a gradual reduction in speed. The brake warning indicator will illuminate accompanied by a harsh sound and “Caution! Parkbrake applied” appears on the message screen.


The stop lamps also will illuminate. Releasing or depressing the lever will cancel the parkbrake application.

Could be wrong but thought in dynamic mode the park brake is not deployed but the car is throwing full ABS & DSC through the discs to halt the car quickly in a straight line. Try it on a dirt road around 60kmh is quite impressive. I have yet to imagine the real life situation I would have the wherewithal to reach down and use it.

Yes when used as an "emergency" brake the parking drum brake is not used and the "disk" brakes are used - while you would get advance warning if you lost brake fluid I have always wondered how you stop in an emergency where all fluid has gone. I would have thought that the parking drum brake should also apply as a back up but apparently not.

Garry

Originally Posted by PerthDisco

Could be wrong but thought in dynamic mode the park brake is not deployed but the car is throwing full ABS & DSC through the discs to halt the car quickly in a straight line. Try it on a dirt road around 60kmh is quite impressive. I have yet to imagine the real life situation I would have the wherewithal to reach down and use it.

I tried it hands off the wheel on dirt at 100km/h. Quite impressive indeed!!!

Tried it on bitumen also... very very effective!