Did you know that your vehicle is equipped with a safety system that, when activated, can help keep your vehicle in place? The parking brake now is mainly used to keep the vehicle in place when parked. This mechanical system uses cables that are attached to the emergency brake lever. When engaged on cars with drum brakes, the cables pull another lever that puts pressure on the brake shoes to hold the vehicle.
On cars with disc brakes, applying the parking brake activates a corkscrew mechanism that pushes a piston into the brake pads to stop the vehicle. Pedal — The pedal emergency brake is a small pedal that is positioned on the floor and to the left of the gas, brake and clutch pedals. Press down on the pedal until you hear it click to engage it.
Pull the lever above the foot pedal to release the brake. Center lever — Popular on late-model vehicles with bucket seats, this type of parking brake is found between the seats.
Simply pull up the lever to engage the emergency brake. These are usually button-operated and located somewhere on the center console. Some older vehicles may have a lever somewhere by the steering column under the instrument panel. This mechanism is usually made up of cables underneath the vehicle that extend to spring-operated levers at the rear brakes.
Some vehicles use separate brake shoes for emergency brakes while others connect to the rear brake callipers. Electric emergency brakes engage via motors at the rear wheels instead of the cable mechanism. Fully engaging the emergency brake locks the rear wheels only. The emergency brake is designed to bypass the hydraulic braking system in case of an untoward failure of primary brake, be it disc brake or drum brake.
When applied, the metallic cable connected to the emergency brake passes through an intermediate lever, enhancing the power of the pulling. Then comes an equalizer that splits that power evenly between the brakes. Some foot pedals require you to depress the foot brake twice to deactivate it. Because not all braking systems are identical, the differences impact how the parking brake works. Vehicles with automatic transmissions often have parking brakes with automatic releases while some later models require the main brake pedal to be depressed before the transmission can be switched out of park.
Anytime Drive or Reverse is selected on the automatic transmission, the parking brake is automatically released. Older models would only require the gear shift to be moved without pressing down on the brake pedal. The parking brake will press against rear drum brakes mechanically with a force that is less than what is used with the main braking system.
With disc brakes, the emergency brake activates the calipers or a small drum brake that is contained within the hub of the disc. Larger vehicles often come with power-operated parking brakes or ones that are power assisted. The driver will pull the lever and hydraulic pressure is allowed into the brake cylinder, applying force to the brake shoes.
This is an added safety mechanism that is often seen on commercial vehicles. A recent development in parking brakes is the electric parking brake. It functions much the same way as the traditional parking brake, except that it engages at a push or pull of a button instead of using a mechanical lever.
The more advanced designs even use a motor that is controlled by a computer to engage the parking brake. Some high-end luxury models have a system that automatically engages the parking brake when the engine is stopped. It is released once the gas pedal is pressed with no other human intervention necessary. One of the main issues with the parking brake for owners is corrosion.
When the parking brake is not engaged on a regular basis, it begins to corrode. Shielded cables are especially vulnerable because water and road debris gets trapped in the outer shell. It is also recommended that you use your parking brake every time you park to keep it in working order. With regular inspection and maintenance, you may never need to replace your parking brake.
You want to ensure it is in good working order in case you must rely on it for any reason. The most popular service booked by readers of this article is Parking brake won't engage Inspection. Our certified mobile mechanics perform over services, including diagnostics, brakes, oil changes, scheduled mileage maintenances, and will come to you with all necessary parts and tools.
However, if your primary brakes fail, you can use the emergency brake to slow down and stop your car. You should use your emergency brake every time you park. As the name suggests, you should also use your emergency brake in an emergency. If you can't stop your car, slowly pull up on the emergency brake handle or press the pedal down to come to a complete stop.
The correct way is to stop your car with your primary brakes, set the emergency brake and then place your car in park before turning off your engine. If you put the car in park and then release the brake pedal, the transmission holds the car in place. That increases the wear and tear on it.
Engaging the emergency brake first is easier on the transmission. When you're ready to leave, start your engine, press your primary brake, release the emergency brake and shift into drive. Remember that driving with your emergency brake on can damage your car. Using the emergency brake every time you park gives your car added stability.
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