Collidog Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Having got my new car yesterday and being used to the electronic parking brake in my daily car, I drove approx 1/4 mile with the handbrake on. It could not have been ratcheted on too hard as the car drove freely. I was only alerted to it by the smell and promptly released it. Any harm done here apart from scrubbing the rear pads in?Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I doubt you've done any harm at all, especially if you consider how much braking effort you might apply descending a long, sinuous (Alpine) pass.You'll probably find that the handbrake becomes totally superfluous on a 7. Just engaging gear is sufficient when parking.JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wodybode Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 My first 7 had the handbrake under the passenger dash, out of reach with a harness on. My current one does get used but probably doesn't actually do much. It's not like we do many handbrake turns like in our first car as a teenager. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Golf Juliet Tango Posted July 22, 2018 Area Representative Share Posted July 22, 2018 I use the handbrake once a year on the Crossflow as it is under the dashboard.On the 21, where it is on the tunnel, I do use it more often but mostly I just leave it in gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Don't worry, as the handbrake acts on the normal brake pads, it is very unlikely to have done any harm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revilla Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Interesting to read that people don't seem to use them and don't think they do much... Just by way of balance mine has a central tunnel-top handbrake and I think I use it just as much as I would any other car, just never really occurred to me not to! And at the last MOT on the brake test rollers I was able to lock the rear wheels with the handbrake. Had to swing on it a bit mind you, but they certainly do work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ. Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 My Mot tester commented on how good my handbrake is. Unlike the one on my Lotus Elan that only worked on MOT day after I had adjusted it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverSedlacek Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Drove all the way from Oxford to High Wycombe once with the handbrake on*redface* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 Yep me too. Many years ago, I pulled up at a road works red light, situated on a hill, and as the handbrake was under the passenger side scuttle, it never got used, but as the light looked as if it was going to be red for some time, I actually undid my 4 point, and pulled the lever on, enough to hold me on the hill. The engine then got switched off and I waited and waited, with the queue building up behind me. Then when the lights finally did change, I was all flustered and started and drove off so as not to hold people up. It wasn't until I had parked up 20 miles further on, that I could smell the pads and see them smoking gently. Whooops. Anyway, I released the h/brake so the disc didn't warp, and after it had cooled sufficiently, it seemed to work just as well as it did before. So, it seems it does no harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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