Having to park your vehicle on a hill can be stressful. When you get back, will your vehicle still be there? Will it move on its own? You don’t want your car to possibly endanger other people, therefore you shouldn’t leave this to chance. This is where an emergency brake comes into play.
Did you know that your car has a safety feature that, when activated, can help keep it stationary? Continue reading to find out more about the emergency brake on your car and when to apply it.
What is an Emergency Brake
The emergency brake, which is a major component of your vehicle’s braking system, works separately from the primary brake system to prevent rolling away. Initially, the designers intended to use the emergency brake, often referred to as a parking brake, hand brake, or e-brake, if the vehicle’s primary stopping system failed.
The parking brake, however, lacks sufficient stopping strength in today’s automobiles to stop the vehicle. Nowadays, people mostly use the parking brake to keep the car in position when parking.
How Does an Emergency Brake Work?
To lock the wheels in place, the emergency brake disengages the hydraulic braking system of your car. This mechanical device uses cables that fasten to the emergency brake lever. When engaging the drum brakes on an automobile, it pulls another lever to apply pressure to the brake shoes and hold the car in place.
When applying the parking brake to a car with disc brakes, it triggers a corkscrew mechanism that forces a piston into the brake pads to stop the automobile.
Types of Emergency Brakes
Parking brakes come in four different categories:
Pedal
A small, floor-mounted pedal, situated to the left of the clutch, brake, and gas pedals, operates the emergency brake. To engage it, depress the pedal until you hear a click. To release the brake, pull the lever located above the foot pedal.
Center Lever
This style of the parking brake is located between the seats and is common on late-model cars with bucket seats. To activate the emergency brake, simply pull up the lever. Press the button at the end and depress the stick to release the brake.
Push button
Among the other console controls, people usually situate this electrical device. This kind of parking brake is simple to engage and disengage by pressing a button on the console.
Stick lever
Often located under the instrument panel, the stick lever emergency brake is a frequent feature of many vintage cars.
When Should We Use The Emergency Brake?
Many individuals believe that using the parking brake is only necessary while parking on hills or in vehicles with manual transmissions. In actuality, you should always engage the parking brake. Using your e-brake is a smart habit to form whether you drive an automatic or stick shift, or whether you park on a flat area or a slope.
Regular use of the parking brake keeps it in good working condition. If you don’t use the emergency brake, it can corrode, and you won’t notice a problem until you absolutely need it.
Every time you park, ensure you apply the parking brake to prevent your car from rolling away. It increases security by one level and relieves pressure on the driveline and gearbox components.
Apply the emergency brake gradually if you do completely lose your brakes. While its primary purpose is to keep your automobile in place, you can also utilize the parking brake to securely stop your car in an emergency. Just bear in mind that it won’t suddenly stop your car; it will only assist you in bringing it to a stop.
Dangers of Emergency Brake
Corrosion and Rust Due to Infrequent Use
Infrequent use can cause the e-brake cable, despite being enclosed in a protective sleeve, to corrode and rust. This could lead to the cable failing when you need it the most. Regularly using the emergency brakes avoids accumulation and maintains the cable’s condition, but you should still have them regularly checked as they occasionally need adjustment.
Potential Issues in Cold Weather
The emergency brake cable may freeze in cold weather and not disengage when the lever is released. It may be possible for you to prevent this issue by parking in a garage or other secure place. However, you shouldn’t attempt to drive your car if you have to park outside when the ground is frozen. You can wait it out or jack up the car and use a hairdryer as a solution. The best course of action in sub-freezing conditions is to just never apply the emergency brake. Put your manual automobile in first or reverse and omit the e-brake if you’re driving on level ground.
Understanding Brake Distribution in Your Car
You should be aware that in some cars, the emergency brake only applies pressure to the front brakes. You will be protected in circumstances when you have to jack up the vehicle by being aware of which brakes are set and correctly chocking your vehicle’s wheels. Before you lift the automobile, consult your service handbook. It might be exceedingly risky to assume that the rear brakes are engaged when they are not.
Using the Emergency Brake in Brake Failure
The key concern now is: If the other brakes fail, is it safe to use the emergency brake? No, and yes. Rapidly pulling the brake lever will cause the car to fishtail, lock up, or skid, thus taking the driver’s control of the vehicle away. However, if you ever find yourself in the incredibly unlikely but extremely dangerous circumstance that your service brakes quit working, try to maintain your composure and draw the e-brake lever up slowly and steadily to bring the car to a longer but more controlled stop.
