Warning! Hand Brakes!

[seatkid]

It was mentioned some time ago that the hand brake can slacken when the discs cool down. Today I almost came a cropper when I parked up near Ladybower dam in the snow. The car was on slight incline and facing the reservoir just a road width away (no kerbs). I parked my usual way - 2 notches on handbrake (pretty tight) and in neutral. Went for a walk and passed by car about 20 minutes later, shortly after noticed someone frantically shouting and waving to me and doing something with car. When I went to see, he was holding the car by the roof rails! The car had started to roll forward towards the deep deep reservoir!!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: When I checked the handbrake, it was still on two notches but considerably slacker! :P

 

From the snow tread pattern it could clearly be seen that it had rolled and not slid and had gone about one metre before that friendly chap had intervened.

 

Good luck he was there on a day when there was literally no-one else around!

 

WARNING! ALWAYS apply handbrake firmly and engage gear when parked on a hill and lock the steering wheel to a safe direction.

 

Have read about this type of incident in the papers (Vauxhall Vectra) but didn't take any notice until I saw it happen with my own eyes!

[Guest SA Intruder]

'twas me and the Citroen saga.

 

But as I said then, all disc brake handbrakes will self release if the circumstances are correct.

 

see here:

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/Forum/index.p...06&hl=handbrake

[Taliska]

If you've disks all round - always leave in gear - simple. In fact, why not leave all cars in gear when parked!

 

A few days after I got my Audi, I left it with my wife at her parents' house whose drive was on a slope. I then went off on business via aeroplane. Came back home after a week to a wife who admitted that the car had rolled down the drive, bashed through the iron gates and had sat in the middle of a busy road. She'd gone off to dealers to get the scrapes all fixed so it wouldn't look quite so bad. When she told me I could do nothing but laugh - probably much to her relief - couldn't see any marks either, the garage had done a really good job!

 

Seen a few grounded cars in my time especially in car parks on odd angles!

 

It happens once - you learn very quickly!

 

Taliska

[italiastar]

Thanks for alerting us to this - a potentially very dangerous problem. I did have my suspicions that the disc hand brake was sometimes not as effective and you've now confirmed it - if you think about it the reason is obvious.

 

At least you had a lucky escape!

[david.horrobin]

I had same problem Saturday evening. Parked on a hill facing downhill, handbrake frmly on in neutral. Left the car for about 6 hours and when we came out of the house the car was 15 meters down the road ! When I went to get in the car, still a litle confused as to how this had happened, it lurched forward. I pulled the handbrake tighter and it stopped.

 

I suspect that being a very cold night, there had been some shrinkage in the disk just enough to let the car lurch forward now and again but not enough to completley release it.

 

If the Ford ASO team are reading this, and I suspect they are, better monitor it carefully guys ! Remember big brother is watching you (TREAD).