# When applying the handbrake do . . .



## mocky-Dower (24 Apr 2008)

Press the release button and pull the handbrake up OR do you just pull the handbrake up. 

Which do you do ?


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## truthseeker (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



mocky-Dower said:


> Press the release button and pull the handbrake up OR do you just pull the handbrake up.
> 
> Which do you do ?


 
Just pull it.


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## DrMoriarty (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

Press the release button for 'stealth mode'.


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## Topsido (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

Press the release button then pull the hand brake up. If you are going on a driving test, bottom line is that the hand brake must not make a sound.


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## quinno (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

Yep. That's the way I was thought - Press button, and pull up. Repeat process for releasing. Probably kinder on the break mechanism / cable as well.


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## mocky-Dower (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

Its just that I got and 04 Mondeo and I was reading through the manual, and its say's that when applying the handbrake you should just pull it up, when leaving the handbrake down you must first press the release button then leave the handbrake down, but its say nothing about pressing the release button when applying the handbrake.

BTW: I always press the release button then pull it up


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## truthseeker (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

why would you press the release to pull it up? is it not to release it from a locked position (brakes on), when its down the release button has no tension in it (not in my car anyway).


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## truthseeker (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*

theres an interesting link on the subject.....

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/genera...-bulletin-huk-regarding-handbrake-recall.html

I also looked in wikepedia and it says the button pressed prevents it from latching, so when engaging the handbrake itd make more sense not to press it (to my mind anyway).


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## Pee (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



Topsido said:


> Press the release button then pull the hand brake up. *If you are going on a driving test, bottom line is that the hand brake must not make a sound*.


 
Where did you hear that, is it a fact?


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## z104 (24 Apr 2008)

I think different car manufacturers say different things. There was a watchdog programme featuring this a few months back. some cars rolled away after being parked. the thing in common was a French made car and the fact that all the people pressed in the button pulling up the barke?


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## mocky-Dower (24 Apr 2008)

yeah, the manual says just pull it up, Truthseeker, I always press the button before I pull the handbrake up, I suppose out of habit, looks like for Ford's you just 'Pull it up'


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## Speedwell (24 Apr 2008)

It was Vauxhall on Watchdog and there was a big deal made from Vauxhall re not using the button to pull up the handbrake. As this apparently was the reason some models were rolling away.


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## jackswift (24 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



quinno said:


> Yep. That's the way I was thought - Press button, and pull up. Repeat process for releasing. Probably kinder on the break mechanism / cable as well.


 When releasing the handbrake pull it up slightly before pressing the button. Less effort needed that way.


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## truthseeker (25 Apr 2008)

mocky-Dower said:


> yeah, the manual says just pull it up, Truthseeker, I always press the button before I pull the handbrake up, I suppose out of habit, looks like for Ford's you just 'Pull it up'


 
i drive a ford 

on my last car if you pressed it before pulling up it wouldnt stick properly whenit got to the top of being pulled up - so i just got into the habit.....


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## Mel (25 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



Pee said:


> Where did you hear that, is it a fact?


 
I think it's rubbish - my driving instructor told me this, that I should press the button to prevent damage to the handbrake ratchets. I asked someone else who is a mechanic - they'd never heard of it, so I drove in test as I always drive, just pulled it up. I obviously press the button to release the handbrake. 
It certainly wasn't noted as an issue in my test (which I passed).


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## mik_da_man (25 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



Topsido said:


> Press the release button then pull the hand brake up. If you are going on a driving test, bottom line is that the hand brake must not make a sound.


 
Rubbish!
On Most cars you should always just pull up the handbrake - that is the way they are designed to work. I have a few mechanic mates and they have confirmed this. If you just yank it up while pressing the button the cable is more likely to stretch and the handbrake will not work as effectively.

The clicky things are there for a reason 

Mik


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## sparkeee (25 Apr 2008)

its called a release button for a reason


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## mocky-Dower (25 Apr 2008)

Thanks everyone, I think that's a resounding 'Just Pull it up' all I got to do now is get into the habit


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## jackswift (25 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



mik_da_man said:


> Rubbish!
> On Most cars you should always just pull up the handbrake - that is the way they are designed to work. I have a few mechanic mates and they have confirmed this. If you just yank it up while pressing the button the cable is more likely to stretch and the handbrake will not work as effectively.
> 
> The clicky things are there for a reason
> ...


 Yes, the notches are there to stop the handbrake going down after pulling it up, not because you will be able to hear it clicking as you pull it up. As for over stretching the cable when you press the button, that statement is total nonsense.


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## becky (25 Apr 2008)

I had a very cranky drive instructor a few years ago who was suppose to have an excellent pass rate. 

He had a fit when I pulled the handbrake without pressing the button - went into a complete rant about it.

Ever since I just press the button .......


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## RS2K (25 Apr 2008)

The rtachet in the handbrake mechanism would need to ground down mnay hundededs of thousands of times for it to make the slightest bit of difference to the question of holding the car or not by the handbrake.

In any event if you are parking on a hill, you should leave the car in 1st gear, just in case.


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## jackswift (26 Apr 2008)

RS2K said:


> The rtachet in the handbrake mechanism would need to ground down mnay hundededs of thousands of times for it to make the slightest bit of difference to the question of holding the car or not by the handbrake.
> 
> In any event if you are parking on a hill, you should leave the car in 1st gear, just in case.


 I had a five year old tractor that the handbrake released itself after being parked. The tractor rolled down the yard and crashed into a shed.


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## GeneralZod (26 Apr 2008)

*Re: When applying the handbreake do . . .*



jackswift said:


> When releasing the handbrake pull it up slightly before pressing the button. Less effort needed that way.



Always do that when releasing the handbrake, it makes sense that that helps since it's controlled by a ratchet.

Never heard of pressing the button in before engaging the handbrake. Always just pull the thing up. The idea of pressing the button in first is ridiculous. The button releases the ratchet mechanism that prevents the handbrake slipping off when engaged. The ratchet doesn't prevent the brake being engaged so the button doesn't need to be pressed in when pulling the lever up.


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## RS2K (26 Apr 2008)

jackswift said:


> I had a five year old tractor that the handbrake released itself after being parked. The tractor rolled down the yard and crashed into a shed.



You should have left it in gear too.


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## ang1170 (26 Apr 2008)

Although some handbrakes are now complteley different, most are a simple ratchet mechanism. They are designed to work just by pulling them up. Yes, this will wear the machanism, but never to the extent of damaging it, or it needing replacement: if this was the case the design would be flawed (not that that never happens, of course ) .

The only reason to press the button is to make the whole thing quieter. There is a slight risk I guess on some mechanisms it won't latch correctly if you release the botton at a particular point on the ratchet, but I would have thought this would have been pretty unlikely.

Me: I press the button, but would always give an extra yank with it in at the top, just to be sure.

Safest I guess is not to press, but that sound can be quite annoying on some cars, which I guess explains the rant, above.


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## ang1170 (26 Apr 2008)

RS2K said:


> You should have left it in gear too.


 
That has its own risks (ever start a car in-gear? and yes, I know you should always check...).

Mind you, I've owned some cars that had me well trained to leave it in gear when parked, the state of their handbrakes....


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## jackswift (26 Apr 2008)

RS2K said:


> You should have left it in gear too.


 The engine was running at the time.


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