Electronic handbrakes (or not)

[Herbs]

I picked up my courtesy car this morning - a BMW 320d xdrive with only 500 miles on the clock and was surprised to see a traditional handbrake - I thought these were confined to the past these days

[Pica-Pica]

No. Mine has a traditional parking brake lever. F30 335d auto. I only use it when parking. At other times, hill hold, or footbrake work for me. My auto goes into park, when switched off, but I use the parking brake lever to make sure (and wheels turned to kerb, if necessary).

Before anyone jumps in about dazzling people behind
On level surface, and waiting for some time in a queue with road users behind, it is press P and foot of service (=foot brake)
On hill, in the above circumstances, I may use the parking brake lever, in order to take my foot off the brake.

[Tom_Spotley_When]

My old auto M135i had a 'proper' handbrake. I used it when I parked.

My current VW has an electronic handbrake. I used to use the auto-hold function quite a lot when I was sat in traffic on the M60. I don't anymore.

Either way, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Ares]

Herbs said:

I picked up my courtesy car this morning - a BMW 320d xdrive with only 500 miles on the clock and was surprised to see a traditional handbrake - I thought these were confined to the past these days

That'll be the old 3-series? New one is electronic.

Heavily debated elsewhere, but aside from (wannabe/real) Scandinavian who sees a handbrake drift as a driving essential, EPB are brilliant. Having a manual lever would put me off buying a car after 10yrs of EPBs.

[TurboHatchback]

Can't stand electronic handbrakes on manual cars, on autos they make a certain amount of sense. It's all just more pointless electronics to go wrong though, they majorly put me off buying a car.

[Haltamer]

A niggle, but to me electronic handbrakes sound awful.

Whirr... CLUNK

Doesn't sound very modern and elegant.

Not to mention their impact on certain handbrake based manuevers ( ); In addition to the increased complexity for zero real gain, beyond auto hold which could surely be achieved with the service brakes.

[Ares]

TurboHatchback said:

Can't stand electronic handbrakes on manual cars, on autos they make a certain amount of sense. It's all just more pointless electronics to go wrong though, they majorly put me off buying a car.

Yes because manual ones never fail

[Ares]

Haltamer said:

A niggle, but to me electronic handbrakes sound awful.

Whirr... CLUNK

Doesn't sound very modern and elegant.

Not to mention their impact on certain handbrake based manuevers ( ); In addition to the increased complexity for zero real gain, beyond auto hold which could surely be achieved with the service brakes.

Because click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click inside the car sounds so much better than an inaudible whirr?

And there is huge benefits of an EPB.... It's the manual that has no benefits, (for over-15yr olds and those for whom handbrake turns are not a must-have )

[anonymous-user]

Ares said:

Because click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click inside the car sounds so much better than an inaudible whirr?

If you're hearing the ratchet clicks you're not using the handbrake properly.

I detest electronic parking brake,

• No sensitivity - either fully-on or fully-off
• Slow to release
• Different switch locations between cars, different switch directions between cars.
• Different hold/hill hold etc operations between cars
• Can't be released with a dead battery
• Noisy

[Herbs]

Ares said:

Herbs said:

I picked up my courtesy car this morning - a BMW 320d xdrive with only 500 miles on the clock and was surprised to see a traditional handbrake - I thought these were confined to the past these days

That'll be the old 3-series? New one is electronic.

Heavily debated elsewhere, but aside from (wannabe/real) Scandinavian who sees a handbrake drift as a driving essential, EPB are brilliant. Having a manual lever would put me off buying a car after 10yrs of EPBs.

Just surprised as even my last Z4 from 10 years ago was electronic and a EPB probably suits a 3 series more!

[Barga]

TurboHatchback said:

Can't stand electronic handbrakes on manual cars, on autos they make a certain amount of sense. It's all just more pointless electronics to go wrong though, they majorly put me off buying a car.

The correct answer!

[Ares]

rockin said:

Ares said:

Because click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click inside the car sounds so much better than an inaudible whirr?

If you're hearing the ratchet clicks you're not using the handbrake properly.

I detest electronic parking brake,

• No sensitivity - either fully-on or fully-off
• Slow to release
• Different switch locations between cars, different switch directions between cars.
• Different hold/hill hold etc operations between cars
• Can't be released with a dead battery
• Noisy

I don't, because I've not had a manual one since 2007

Why do you need sensitivity? A parking brake is perfect if 100% on or 100% off.
No slower than pulling a lever, pressing a button, lowering a lever....and its automatic so can't be left on as you drive away.
Ditto with manual
Ditto every other function in cars
I've not had a flat battery since the early 1990s
Silent in the car?

[Ares]

Barga said:

TurboHatchback said:

Can't stand electronic handbrakes on manual cars, on autos they make a certain amount of sense. It's all just more pointless electronics to go wrong though, they majorly put me off buying a car.

The correct answer!

Have you ever had one go wrong?
Have you ever had a manual one have problems?

[Haltamer]

rockin said:

• Can't be released with a dead battery

That's a good one actually:- The pains of modern cars - A friend's new Focus had an accident and needed to be recovered; As the battery had died, the handbrake couldn't be released.
As there was trouble getting the bonnet open, it took great efforts to get the bonnet open and get electrical power to it to release the handbrake.

Manual handbrake?
Pull lever, or cut cable. Job jobbed.

As for Ares,
Inaudible whirr? They're actually rather loud - And always sound rather clunky to me. On the other hand, if you don't "Rip the E-brake", and instead use the ratchet button, completely silent engagement :P

[Ares]

Haltamer said:

As for Ares,
Inaudible whirr? They're actually rather loud - And always sound rather clunky to me. On the other hand, if you don't "Rip the E-brake", and instead use the ratchet button, completely silent engagement :P

I've had 4 cars with EPB, and aside from the first BMW, they were inaudible in the car....and even then you had to be silent and listening very carefully.


Mrs Ares has a manual PB MINI. Every time it's handbrake is applied, the is a groan from the brakes if on a hill (which where she parks not he drive there is) once you release the footbrake. We questioned it (as part of the brake never fully engaging when she pulled the leaver as high as she could), we were told it was the cable taking the slack. Never get that with any of the EPB cars I've had.

[RobM77]

I embarrassed myself borrowing an F30 320d the other week by pulling away with the handbrake on. I can't remember the last time I drove an automatic with a normal handbrake - very odd. I just assumed the 3 series had gone that way too. Personally, although I don't like autos, I love electronic handbrakes and think they're the best of all worlds and highly effective in both manual and auto cars. A manual handbrake seems like such an anachronism to me in 2019.

[Ares]

Herbs said:

Just surprised as even my last Z4 from 10 years ago was electronic and a EPB probably suits a 3 series more!

Higher model car. My 2009 530 had an EPB. The three series has finally caught up with last decade's technology!

[Truckosaurus]

It certainly varies between the manufacturers, I found the Volvo setup perfect even with a manual and stop/start...

Stop at the lights, put car in neutral, press handbrake button, engine stops.

Await the green light, listening to the radio with no engine noise to disturb you.

Lights change, put foot on clutch, engine starts, stick it into gear, lift foot off clutch, handbrake auto releases, off you go...

Probably quicker than holding it on the clutch as you release a manual handbrake.

(I'll admit to turning off the stop/start function in actual stop/start traffic as it gets annoying )

[Barga]

Ares said:

Barga said:

TurboHatchback said:

Can't stand electronic handbrakes on manual cars, on autos they make a certain amount of sense. It's all just more pointless electronics to go wrong though, they majorly put me off buying a car.

The correct answer!

Have you ever had one go wrong?
Have you ever had a manual one have problems?

In the auto cars I have had with epb I have never engaged it and the cars with a proper handbrake I have never had a problem.

[LosingGrip]

We have a new van at work with an electric handbrake. It's a nightmare. In a horrible place, can't find it easily.

Swore I'd never get a car with one...

Now have a VW Golf with one and love it. Auto hold is great (works van one isn't as good, have to stand quite hard on the brake when stopped for it to come on). Put it in park and the handbrake comes on by itself. Works van doesn't all the time.

Seems VW have it right (and BMW when I have driven one of them with it). Mercedes don't (and neither do Volvo unless its changed).