Meriva: An "Electronic" hand brake question.

[Blib]

No, I haven't bought one, silly.

Though, I did get an Opel Meriva as a hire car during a recent holiday. It was the very first car that I've encountered that was fitted with an "electronic" handbrake. Rather than a standard lever or pedal type set up. And, I just couldn't get it to work.

Whatever I did, however many times I pressed the flipping button, the brake didn't seem to engage. Nor would a circled "P" light appear on the dash to tell me that I had set it correctly. Not even fleetingly. The damned thing just wouldn't work. The first time I tried it, the car gracefully rolled away down the road backwards, with me standing on the pavement and with Mrs & Master Blib and all of our luggage still on board.

I got told off for that.

I quickly learnt to leave the car in gear when parking.

So, what was I doing wrong? Should I have engaged the brake with the car in gear? Or, should I have switched off the car before hitting the button? Maybe, I wasn't pressing the damned thing for long enough? Or, do you think that it just wasn't working correctly?

What are the benefits of an electronic handbrake over a standard one? I believe that this is just another system introduced not because it is an advancement over the tried and tested system. But, merely because it is another dongle for the advertising wonks to use to woo the punters.

[Kiwi LS2]

Apologies in advance for an utterly unhelpful response, but just to say I had the same issue with one of these things. My one and only experience with electronic handbrakes hopefully never to be repeated!

[Blib]

Kiwi LS2 said:

Apologies in advance for an utterly unhelpful response, but just to say I had the same issue with one of these things. My one and only experience with electronic handbrakes hopefully never to be repeated!

That's an utterly unhelpful response. Thank you for apologising.

[JakeT]

Did you have your foot on the footbrake and hold the switch... Thing in position for a little while?

[Dracoro]

As I recall when I had some rubbish Insignia courtesy car, the handbrake button you "pulled", not pressed. Would that explain it?

[Blib]

JakeT said:

Did you have your foot on the footbrake and hold the switch... Thing in position for a little while?

No, I didn't try that.

[Blib]

Dracoro said:

As I recall when I had some rubbish Insignia courtesy car, the handbrake button you "pulled", not pressed. Would that explain it?

Maybe. Though, it definitely looked and felt like a 'pushable' switch.

[SHutchinson]

Blib said:

Dracoro said:

As I recall when I had some rubbish Insignia courtesy car, the handbrake button you "pulled", not pressed. Would that explain it?

Maybe. Though, it definitely looked and felt like a 'pushable' switch.

Our old Astra had a pull button for the handbrake too.

[Petrol Only]

I had one as a courtesy for a couple weeks. Seemed to have to hold that stty little button up for a couple seconds before it would engage.

Whatever you do don't try it at 60mph

[Blib]

Petrol Only said:

Whatever you do don't try it at 60mph

[Blib]

In all seriousness I really do think that the car hire company - Sixt - should have pointed out to me how it worked.

[camelot1971]

In the cars I have driven with an electronic handbrake it's been pull to engage and push to disengage. Never got on with them either.

[996TT02]

Qashqai has one. Horrible but usable. At least it has hill start assist that comes in automatically for those who use the handbrake for hill starts.

Yes you pull the switch upwards to engage as you would a handbrake, and push it down to disengage, although it always returns to the centre position unlike with a real handbrake.

As with push-pull electric window switches.

[Blib]

That must be where my problem lay. It never crossed my mind to pull the switch as it looked to me and worked as a push button.

[Petrol Only]

Blib said:

Petrol Only said:

Whatever you do don't try it at 60mph

it works!

Edited by Petrol Only on Monday 4th August 09:57

[bungle]

camelot1971 said:

In the cars I have driven with an electronic handbrake it's been pull to engage and push to disengage. Never got on with them either.

^^^ This, definitely. The idea being you pull up a normal/traditional handbrake, and hence you do the same with the switch as well. And push to disengage (with foot on brake).

Hate them myself, but one of our cars has it and so sort of got used to it. But hate hill starts with them, I just don't trust it, and would prefer a traditional handbrake.

[Blib]

bungle said:

camelot1971 said:

In the cars I have driven with an electronic handbrake it's been pull to engage and push to disengage. Never got on with them either.

^^^ This, definitely. The idea being you pull up a normal/traditional handbrake, and hence you do the same with the switch as well. And push to disengage (with foot on brake).

Hate them myself, but one of our cars has it and so sort of got used to it. But hate hill starts with them, I just don't trust it, and would prefer a traditional handbrake.

This 'pull to engage' thing does make sense, in the cold light of PH. However, when I see a button, I instinctively assume that to engage the function, one should push it. Windows notwithstanding.

I'm 54 you know.

[Dracoro]

If it's anything like the Insignia I drove, it will be rubbish.

Pull up to junction, engage handbrake. OK
Ready to pull away so engage 1st gear and start to let the clutch out. Hmm, it's resisting a bit, maybe need more revs/clutch slip. Nope, it's not going anywhere and all I will be doing is destroying the clutch.
Panic, press button etc. and eventually get going.
"apparently" you are supposed to (UNintuitively, press the brake pedal!!! I want to go, not stop! ).

It's supposed to be "automatic" and "convenient" for the driver, so it should just come on when I stop and release when I pull away without any intervention from the driver (else it would not be automatic!!)

Are all electronic handbrake systems this rubbish?

[Mr2Mike]

Dracoro said:

Are all electronic handbrake systems this rubbish?

They are all pointless, but the Vauxhall implementation is the worst by some margin.

[paddy27]

Mr2Mike said:

They are all pointless, but the Vauxhall implementation is the worst by some margin.

Yep, we have an Insignia as pool car and the electronic handbrake is crap beyond belief. Saying that, The one of my Volvo seems to work really well. Actually comes off with a small bit throttle at lights, finding it quite useful.