Applying The Handbrake

[Guest Dougwzz99]

Going through the Owners Guide for my new Galaxy 1.9TDI I see on page 90 where it talks about the handbrake it says:

 

"Do not press the release button while pulling the lever up"

 

This is exactly opposite advice to how I always thought it should be done, I thought it was a good idea to actually hold the button in to save wear on the ratchet and avoid the clicking sound as the lever was raised.

 

Why do Ford advise leaving the button 'out'?

 

TIA.

 

--Doug.

[Guest nimrod]

I would imagine in case your hand slipped off the lever while pulling it on, if it did the hand brake would catch on the last ratchet click it went over and possibly hold the car stationary if it was applied enough! if the button was held in, it may slip down a few notches before catching and possibly not setting the brake allowing the car to move!

plus ford are a US based company you know what the yanks are like for sueing over the slightest thing!

[gazza007]

When learning to drive, I was always told by my instructor to pull without the button so that the examiner could hear that I had applied the handbrake

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Who took their test in a Galaxy?

[seatkid]

My daughter is being taught at the moment to pull the handbrake up with the button in, "because it wears the handbrake if you keep the button out" - :lol: wot a load of bo***cks. No wonder she has a problem in engaging the handbrake properly, (she cant decide how hard to pull and when to release the button :o ).

 

The ratchet is there for a reason.......USE IT! :P

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Are they teaching her to leave the car in gear when you park it too?

[Xenonman]

Just buy a CMAX Ghia, its got an electronic handbrake :lol: :o

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Don't get me started on those - how do you move the car when the battery goes flat? (this is just the beginning of rants on that matter!)

[Mussey1]

When I did my driving test in 1988, I was taught to use 'silent handbrake'.

I would have failed my test if I had let the ratchet click!!

 

Mind you my driving instructor said that the rest of the car would probably have rotted away before you could wear out the handbrake ratchet.

 

I'm sure that driving examiners got the rules changed as they were probably sick and tired of listening to clicking handbrakes day in day out!

 

Mussey1.

[Taliska]

Ivor, you said...

 

Are they teaching her to leave the car in gear when you park it too?

 

Just to put my mind at ease - which way were you suggesting was correct 'in gear' when parked or 'out of gear'? :D

 

By the way, I press the button in - don't seem to feel the need to make a nasty ratchety noise these days. :D

 

Taliska

[Ivor_E_Tower]

I hope that the correct way is "in gear" when parked - additional protection against roll-away due to brake mechanism cooling and contracting etc etc.

Autos have a special "P" position to lock the transmission rather than leave in neutral, so I would hope that manuals should be left in gear......

[Taliska]

My sentiment also - as the Galaxy has disks all round, it's essential to leave her in gear when parked as she'll roll away when the disks cool off and you're on the slightest slope. Happened once and once only to my Audi! :D

 

Confidence confirmed in you Ivor! :D

 

Taliska

[MrT]

You mean you have seen the advert where the galaxy runs away down the hill with the dog called Lucky and fortunately ends up in the owners garage!

[Ivor_E_Tower]

Exactly.....I have the sloping driveway to slow the car down, but the mirrors need folding in otherwise they'll hit the doorframe, and there's a workbench against the back wall too.

Oh, and we have a cat not a dog and he's not called Lucky and there's no paper shop nearby. Other than that, exactly!