poll do you use your parking brake?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Trendy2 @ May 16 2007, 07:52 AM) [snapback]443323[/snapback]</div>

I have forgotten, and drove quite a ways with it on before realizing it. I hope I haven't done too much damage. I'm going to have it checked the next time I go to the dealer for an oil change.

Dave M.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Steve Lawrence @ May 16 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]443598[/snapback]</div>

Well, I don't feel quite as bad about mine then. I think I may have gone almost a mile before I realized it was on. It certainly doesn't do much in stopping the car from moving in either drive or reverse.

Dave M.

 

Rarely... As many others have commented, I use the parking brake when parked on an incline. The risk of using it 'rarely' is that I tend to forget I set it and am likely to drive away with it set... not very good for the rear drums and linings. Just this morning (5/17) I drove away from a restaurant about ½ mile before I realized the parking brake was set.

galaxee commented on using it to adjust the rear drums... I thought the rear drum auto setting mechanism works when you brake in reverse. How about it, galaxee?

 

I always use mine. Even so, I have forgotten to disengage it a few times. Since my car won't move when the parking brake is engaged, I have a quick reminder. So, for anyone who has driven their car with the brake engaged, either the brake was not fully engaged, or it needs to be adjusted.

 

Well I never used it until yesterday...now I will be sure to...thanks a lot ya jerks

 

I always use it. And I almost always remember to release it before driving. But if I don't release the brake, it doesn't go very far very quickly!

 

I always use it. Of course, I'm also one of those people who always presses P before powering off.

 

Since nobody seemed to know for certain, I dug into the self-adjust
mechanism and detailed it as a follow-on to the brake maint page.
.
_ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/brkjob/adj.html
.
Happy ratcheting,
.
_H*

 

Thanks Hobbit!

I'm also in the "always uses parking brake" club, mostly because there's no harm in using it, while conversely there may on rare occasion be harm in NOT using it. And for everyone who says they forgot to take the brake off, remember, if you were in the habit of doing it, you wouldn't forget!

If I try to get out of the car now and consciously don't engage the parking brake I still feel kind of weird, like I'm going to get in trouble. When I drive a car with a hand brake, I still stomp on the floor as if there's a pedal there. Now I just have to work on getting myself to salivate when a bell rings and my conditioning will be complete!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ May 18 2007, 10:38 AM) [snapback]444997[/snapback]</div>

I salute your obsessive nature.

This photo made me LOL.



Thanks, now I can go back to being a complete idiot (never using the parking brake except on steep hills) instead of a partial idiot. :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ May 18 2007, 10:38 AM) [snapback]444997[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for that Hobbit.

Dave M.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ May 18 2007, 10:38 AM) [snapback]444997[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for that Hobbit.

Dave M.

 

I use my parking break as well.

With my stick shift I got into the really bad habit of leaving the car in neutral so I had to get into the habit of using the parking break to counter the other stupid behaviour. When you come out of the Kroger and your car has rolled several hundred feet away, you become good friends with your parking break.

 

well well. how about that.

DH saw this and his first reaction was along the lines of "no f'in way." he has not yet had reason to actually disassemble a prius rear drum brake in the shop (you know you believe it.) so this was his first look at everything yanked apart.

to date, what he had seen looked exactly like the parking brake-adjusted systems. so he assumed it was such, given that toyota only says they make two adjustment systems: reverse-brake and parking brake.

but sure as hell. it is different. no toyota literature he's gotten so far has shown this so he is surprised to say the least! now that he has gotten a good look at it he's certain that you're right, hobbit!

(meanwhile, he's over here grumbling about those tricky SOBs :lol

edit: he wishes to add that his official stance is now changed to- the only maintenance related reason to use the parking brake is to make sure the cable doesn't seize up.

and he's still grumbling about 'those bastards!'

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 18 2007, 07:53 PM) [snapback]445457[/snapback]</div>

You know what they say when you nice person-u-me.