Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny damage

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Remember when bumpers were actually *meant* to bump?

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

After the city in all their infinite wisdom lowered the street in front of our house about a foot and a half, we have a driveway that has about a 13% grade. Therefore I always apply the parking brake first then push park. I hate my driveway!

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

I always use my parking brake with any kind car or truck I drive. Safety first for me and peace or mind.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

This is not correct. It may have been correct for other cars you've owned in the past, but if someone told you this was true of the Pruis, then you've been mislead.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

If you have one of many GM cars with drum rear brakes, backing up the car while applying the brake is actually the motion that adjusts the adjusters, as does moving forwards in some cases. My personal experience is that in several cases I have had the park pawl fail in automatic transmissions and in one case the car almost rolled over a very steep hill with me watching it. On level ground, I do not stress the parking brake cable unnecessarily. On any hill, I always make sure the parking brake is holding the car before park. The Prius parking brake is very strong and does a great job facing forwards or back. If you remember the old GM systems, they only pulled the front shoe directly so in reverse the parking brake was near worthless.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

OK, I really don't get this. When you park the car, you should set the parking brake. The reason to NOT set it is the fear of leaving it on accidentally? With the same logic, you shouldn't open any of the doors, because you might not get them closed again before you drive away.

There's a red light on the dash, and the car doesn't want to move with the brake set. If you set the brake EVERY time, it becomes second nature to release it. It is only the folks who do NOT do it every time who sometimes leave it on. You might as well worry about forgetting to buckle your seatbelt. Or turn your lights on. Or any number of others things. Use the parking brake, and the problem is solved.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Right...thats why they call it the PARKING brake. The brake to use when PARKING.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

And I hate when people refer to it as an E brake or emergency brake.
If you need to rely on the park brake in an emergency you're in trouble anyway.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

When I wife drove she didn't push the parking break in very far and I ended driving away with it slightly on a few times. Very annoying. Now we don't bother.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

The red light on the dash didn't ring any alarm bells?

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

lol you guys are taking this to serious. Just get into the habit of putting the parking brake on. IF you don't want to don't do it then.

it's like second nature for me. Although I notice my parking brake is very weak. I can easily drive off with it engaged

I should have the dealer tighten it up

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

What that little thing? It comes on whenever I start the car. If it stays on while I'm backing out of the garage, (I'm looking backwards) then yeah I could miss it.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Fair enough. I'm guessing if you don't notice it's on it isn't dragging much so it isn't going to have a big impact.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

But when you drive forward (I'll assume you are looking forward!) then it'll be obvious that the park brake is on. Leave it on and you'll probably fry your rear brakes.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Yeah by then I've caught it or soon after wards.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

The parking brake light doesn't come on when you start the car, unless the brake is on. Its the red light that says BRAKE.

Its your decision, but if someone bumps your Prius when its parked firm enough, it WILL roll over the parking prawl and roll away. Thats a fact, I've seen it happen, especially on Toyotas.

its up to you whether a little bit of hassle when getting used to using the brake is worth that chance. To me, the fact that my property might injure or kill someone else because I couldn't be bothered to set the brake is enough.

I made a decision to start using it after a friend of mine's Lexus got bumped while in a parking lot and rolled out into traffic. It took me maybe 3 weeks to get used to it, now its automatic and I don't even notice I'm doing it. Its impossible for me to drive away with the brake on, because its as automatic as shifting the car into gear to me now to release it.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Strangely enought Steve, it is said it takes 21 days (3 weeks) to form a new habit.

 

Re: Foot park brake or not - concerned about slight rocking after park button pushed and tranny dama

Interestingly, that's not the way my car is. The light comes on at any startup and stays on for three seconds even when the brake is off. Plus it is an icon of a exclamation point inside a circle and it's kinda small. I have a 2004 Canadian Prius.