Vx Insignia Handbrake: Am I an idiot?

[redtwin]

You will probably find that a couple of servos, length of electrical wire and a switch are cheaper than steel cables and a lever. Then you also get the cabin design advantages.

As per previous threads, it would only need to be cheaper by about 3p per car to make it worthwhile for the manufacturer. Also the more complex the system, the happier you make your dealer network as less can be done on the owner's drive or by tame independent garages.

[Stu R]

They do seem to be very unintuitive on the Insignia. First experience was a mate hiring one, and I've hired three since, doing roughly 1k miles all told. Caught us both out repeatedly at first. It really should give you a bit more of a visual or audible cue to compensate for the lack of feedback a cable handbrake affords, never had a problem with any of the other cars I've had or driven with electronic parking brakes, just the Insignia.

[thinfourth2]

Is there advantage for these things for car owners?

[Kiltox]

thinfourth2 said:

Is there advantage for these things for car owners?

Makes stop start traffic a bit less effortful if you have a car with an electronic brake that works properly

[Stu R]

thinfourth2 said:

Is there advantage for these things for car owners?

Not really. Playing devil's advocate - for people like my mum who struggles with a handbrake (especially after my dad's heaved it on) it makes life easier. Other than that and the questionable advantage of slightly increased cabin space (questionable because when Vauxhall do it they just fill the space with hard black plastic tupperware), it's there purely to make hill starts more difficult by removing a physical action to replace it with doubt and frustration.

Edited by Stu R on Sunday 14th August 10:35

[thinfourth2]

Kiltox said:

thinfourth2 said:

Is there advantage for these things for car owners?

Makes stop start traffic a bit less effortful if you have a car with an electronic brake that works properly

But with modern controls a hillhold is not much more then a software upgrade

[telecat]

Whole thread on it over here. http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... Generally not good. First question, what do you do if the battery fails???

[badlands1]

That's a sickna OP.
I always leave it in gear.

[Dennis99]

telecat said:

First question, what do you do if the battery fails???

[Moar]

Happened to me , rolled forward into an Alfa.

[Caz456]

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

[tigger1]

Caz456 said:

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

First post here, and you've resurrected a 12 year old thread about a minor handbrake incident?

Erm, welcome!?

[AdeTuono]

tigger1 said:

Caz456 said:

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

First post here, and you've resurrected a 12 year old thread about a minor handbrake incident?

Erm, welcome!?

I'm mystified how this can happen. How many pages do you have to scroll through to find a 12-yearold thread? Must be many thousands...

[Grumps.]

How many people get out at a petrol station to fuel up and leave the door wide open?

[Captain_Morgan]

tigger1 said:

Caz456 said:

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

First post here, and you've resurrected a 12 year old thread about a minor handbrake incident?

Erm, welcome!?

Birth year post init...

[LunarOne]

AdeTuono said:

tigger1 said:

Caz456 said:

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

First post here, and you've resurrected a 12 year old thread about a minor handbrake incident?

Erm, welcome!?

I'm mystified how this can happen. How many pages do you have to scroll through to find a 12-yearold thread? Must be many thousands...

You do a google search to try and see if your experience is a common one, and this thread pops up. And you decide you want to respond. The new poster may not have realised that it's an old thread, and even if he had, so what? If the issue is still happening, then why not continue posting about it? It's not as if old threads clutter up the place. I love a good thread resurrection, and although I'm not a new poster, I enjoy trawling through old classic threads. It's a goldmine of information and sometimes, entertainment!

[Glosphil]

Picked up Seat Leon DSG 4 years ago which has EHB and Autohold. Both were active when I received the car; have never touched either switch & both systems have worked faultlessly.

Apart from the ease of driving the advantage of EHB seems to be any failure leaves the rear brakes applied so the car can't run away; unlike if there is a fault with a manual handbrake.

[Super Sonic]

saaby93 said:

How do they work anyway?
Do they have a hamster running in a wheel to pull a string after youve pressed the button to release nuts into his house?

No, that was only when they were part of GM

[tigger1]

LunarOne said:

AdeTuono said:

tigger1 said:

Caz456 said:

The same thing happened to me, I popped off site for a meeting at work, came back. An hour later Security told me my car had rolled forward into another parked car. Luckily no damage to either. I then figured out as I lifted the hand brake switch, at the same time I turned off the engine, which had cancelled out putting the hand brake on.
I came to this conclusion when getting into my car I was pressing the switch for my mirrors to go back out, but then I would turn the engine on and the mirrors would stop half way.
I now only do one or the other & I always check the red hand brake light is on! I've had no issues with the hand brake since.

First post here, and you've resurrected a 12 year old thread about a minor handbrake incident?

Erm, welcome!?

I'm mystified how this can happen. How many pages do you have to scroll through to find a 12-yearold thread? Must be many thousands...

You do a google search to try and see if your experience is a common one, and this thread pops up. And you decide you want to respond. The new poster may not have realised that it's an old thread, and even if he had, so what? If the issue is still happening, then why not continue posting about it? It's not as if old threads clutter up the place. I love a good thread resurrection, and although I'm not a new poster, I enjoy trawling through old classic threads. It's a goldmine of information and sometimes, entertainment!

Caz456 never came back and posted again though - I almost feel bad now