2004 zafira diesel 20000 miles,after a long journey which ended in comming down two long hills the car was parked on a slope with the hand brake ON. after about 5/8 mons the car rolled back down the hill stoping with the aid of a large tree!! the car was started but would not move forward until the hand brake was released.
Have any other reader experienced this problem or is this a one off
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I reckon that what I'm about to say could be uncharacteriscally right for once and I'm quite excited about it.
Somethine to do with discs warming up, the handbrake being applied and then the discs "shrinking" as they cool thus rolling your car into a tree.
The exact reason why I always leave my car in gear wherever I go (and get told off when I do the same with mate's cars)
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It depends upon whether the handbrake works on discs or drums. Hot discs will contract away from the pads, in theory hot drums will contract onto the shoes and apply more force. Citroen had the disc problem on the early Xantias, they would wander off on their own. The "cure" was to remove some teeth from the rachet mechanism to make the owner pull the handbrake on harder before it hit the teeth.
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Sorry - I assumed a new Zafira would have had rear drums. Please say it does - then I can be right!
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Mate had the same problem in a nearly new Vectra, resulting in mucho damage as it didn't stop until it hit a tree rather hard.
Cause never found, assumed to be same as Adam says.
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Sorry, not much sympathy. There's a reason why you should leave your car in gear on a hill. Likewise have no time for people who drive through the wall of their garage because they don't push the clutch on starting the engine. It's basic safety.
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Sorry, not much sympathy. There's a reason why you should leave your car in gear on a hill. Likewise have no time for people who drive through the wall of their garage because they don't push the clutch on starting the engine. It's basic safety.
A rather unnnecessary post (IMO of course) - whose benefit was it for?
I'm sure the unlucky victims are all looking forward to the day that your car runs away or crashes into your garage wall because you were distracted or preoccupied and momentarily forgot 'basic safety', so that they can enjoy not sympathising too.
No matter how careful you are, you can't decide never to have an accident or an oversight Good luck.
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Sorry - I assumed a new Zafira would have had rear drums. Please say it does - then I can be right!
Doesn't matter if it has rear discs or drums. The handbrake will be drum brakes regardless as rear disc brakes still incorperate a drum for the handbrake.
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Do you mean on the Zafira or cars in general as this cannot be correct
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Do you mean on the Zafira or cars in general as this cannot be correct
Cannot vouch for other cars, but all Vauxhall's to my knowledge that have rear discs also have a drum for the handbrake.
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Complete rot! The vast majority of cars use a combined rear (front if Citreon or Alfasud!) calliper that has handbrake integrated in with it. When you pull the handbrake a cam moves the pads onto the the disc. And as someone has said then if the disc cools this can free the handbrake.
A few cars, my 944, some beemers and some volvos that I know but their will be others use a drum within the rear disc but a definite minority.
PS 99% sure the Zafira is rear disc handbrake.
Jim
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Complete rot!
Tis not.
PS 99% sure the Zafira is rear disc handbrake.
Complete rot!
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The handbrake will be drum brakes regardless as rear disc brakes still incorperate a drum for the handbrake.
Some do,like Volvos,but many have a cam which operates on the pads.
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Sorry - I assumed a new Zafira would have had rear drums. Please say it does - then I can be right!
I meant to say rear discs not drums. I still would have been wrong though!
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It always amazes me when you are recommended not to keep your foot on the brake when stopped so as aleviate the chance of damaging the disc yet as we know some cars have disc operated front handbrakes which will have the same effect
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Doesn't the Highway Code also recommend that if parked on a hill, you should turn the front wheels to the kerb so that if the car does start to move, it will soon meet the kerb which will halt it? And Yes, I always leave a parked car in gear too.
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And Yes, I always leave a parked car in gear too.
I have no choice. I cannot remove my ignition key until I put the autobox into P.
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Just happended to my mother. A runaway camper van rolled about 50 metres down a hill, fortunately hitting a wall before finally coming to rest in the back of her Volvo. Her car was shunted about three metres forward but amazingly, no visible damage. She is however persuing a claim against the other motorist to have her car inspected for chassis damage and anything else.
Fortunately her car was there to stop it. If it had carried on, it would have gathered speed as the hill steepens, passing by a small shop frequently visited by young children for sweets etc. It doesn't really bear thinking about.
Always leave a vehicle in gear and the wheels in one direction or the other - not straight ahead. Whether the Highway Code states this or not I don't know. But it doesn't really matter, it's just common sense.
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How many of us have climbed into a parked car, driven there by AN Other, to find the handbrake so feebly engaged as to be useless?
Many years ago the RAF taught me to fly, and in the Bulldog we had a parking brake. The only way to get a good bite on the parking brake was to push the foot brakes on full before applying the parking brake.
I still do this in cars/lorries I drive today - am I doing any harm?
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