Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Sun 5 Dec 2010 09:22

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - wrangler_rover

I got a new company car less than 2 years ago. As is the trend, manufacturers are increasingly going away from proven lever and cable handbrake technology to the electronic push button system with electronic actuators.

Last week, my electronic parking brake failed, main dealer said it was due to a failed actuator which had to be replaced. Part was ordered, car in workshop for 2 hours and sorted. I asked what the cost is as a matter of interest (as it is a lease car) and was told the actuator alone is £675 plus 2 hours to fit at main dealer labour rates plus VAT. That makes it not far off £1,000 to repair a parking brake (handbrake) and it is mandatory as it is an MOT fail item.

This will probably lead to perfectly serviceable cars of about 7+ years old being written off due to parking brake failure in the future because of the cost to repair. I know they don't fail every day but the law of averages states that the more of these systems that are in use, the more failures there will be.

Call me cynical but could it be a ploy by manufacturers to fit more complicated electrical systems to cars leading to ever increasing repair bills?

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 10:29

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - gordonbennet

Easily avoided though, there's plenty of good cars that don't have the things so simply as a private buyer don't buy them, many people feel this way about such things, and i will avoid them for as long as possible.

The used car market is such an odd place though, i can understand someone like yourself as a company car user opting for an all singing all dancing electronic jobbie, it's not your problem should it go wrong within it's first three years which to be fair they don't normally.

What i can't grasp is that lower spec used cars bought by private buyers are avoided and executive specced ones loaded to the roof with toys likely to go wrong costing an arm and a leg to fix sell at a premium.

As an aside is it coincidence that we don't see electronic handbrakes fitted to cars with longer warranties?

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 10:54

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - oldroverboy

As with all these new "technologies" perhaps it is a rare occurence, but as you said, who will have to pay down the line? As an example most Rover 75's and Mg Zt's will not be economical to repair at main dealer prices if ecu failure or head gasket failure. Any car at 7 years + old isn't worth the cost of even one major failure. That is how manufacturers do business now. Change at 3 years+happy dealer, happy manufacturer, + you have paid for 3 years servicing t main dealer rates. Don't change and they have still got you for servicing in the warranty period + the big bills that are liable to arrive afterwards. My own choice next time will be small-medium sized hatch with unstressed non turbo petrol engine, ie Hyundai i20 or 30 or similiar with long warranty. Don't forget, lease the car and problems not yours!

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 16:01

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - wrangler_rover

Hi Gordon.

The car I chose as a company car isn't an all singing all dancing high specification car. It is the base model in the range but the entire range still comes with an electronic parking brake as standard. I chose it because: I like the car, it does the job, it has low emissions so lower benefits in kind on the car tax and the base specification car had a reasonably low list price so again lower benefits in kind. Another problem is I am a high mileage driver: 40,000 miles in a year with the standard warranty being for 3 years or 60,000 miles, the car is already out of warranty. For example, Vauxhall now upping the warranty to lifetime or 100,000 miles will still put the car out of warranty if the vehicle lease period is 3 years or more.

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 16:40

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - bathtub tom

Could the advent of electric parking brakes be anything to do with rear disc brakes? By using an outside force, perhaps the parking brake's applied with more force than would otherwise be the case.

It's accepted that the handbrakes on these can fail if the brakes are hot and not enough force is used.

How many have read the handbook which says 'press footbrake whilst pulling on handbrake'.

I got the wife to pull up the handbrake and then press the footbrake while still applying pressure to the handbrake. She's convinced!

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 17:10

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - Avant

This is going to become a common occurrence as cars equipped with this completely unnecesary gadget get older. Some people get used to them, others don't, but no-one ever complained about the ordinary mechanical handbrake that fortunately all the cars in our family have.

Another advantage of an Octavia like mine over a mechanically identical Audi A4 - as well as the £7,000 price doiference - is that it has a proper handbrake.

Out of interest, Wrangler Rover, what sort of car is yours? I presume neither a Rover nor a Jeep Wrangler!

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 17:34

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - 659FBE

The reason why car manufacturers are fitting this pointless device is a matter of cost and perceived additional showroom appeal. Of course it has no real worth whatsoever.

The deletion of the bowden cables and lever associated with a mechanical handbrake constitute a cost saving of materials and assembly labour - with the added advantage of easy conversion from LHD to RHD. This is always a nuisance as far as vehicle makers are concerned (notice how many cars use a LHD wiper set up - including M-B). So much for safety engineering.

A further point against these electronic parking brakes is that, in many cases specific software and an interface cable is required to retract the caliper pistons. This rules out a DIY pad change with simple tools for many owners.

These devices are very much a solution to a problem which, for the user doesn't exist.

659.

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 18:32

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - Falkirk Bairn

My 12 yr old Mazda Xedos (2 ltr V6 power almost everything) failed it's MoT because of handbrake cables sticking.

£100 for 2 cables +£60 fitting - I thought this was pricey - £1000 for an electronic handbrake would have written off a perfectly good car,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I hope to sell it on in the Spring (privately) and get a new motor, or rather new to me motor.

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 20:41

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - wrangler_rover

Hi Avant.

It's a 2009 Toyota Avensis.

I was reluctant to disclose because I have nothing but praise for the dealer, apart from the parking brake issue, I am so happy with the car and the service offered by the dealer that I have recently changed my wifes car to a Yaris.

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 21:20

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - gordonbennet

It's a 2009 Toyota Avensis.

I was reluctant to disclose because I have nothing but praise for the dealer~~~

Well that's a surprise i was convinced this was going to be a Passat.

Nice car WR apart from that idiotic parking brake but especially where they've sited the switch and the downright dangerous action of it, which for those who haven't driven one you press down/in to apply the brake and pull it to release which is the opposite to every other vehicle on the planet as far as i know. Mind you in practice the automatic application and release would mean most people would never manually apply it, but i see the potential for accident there.

Agree with your impression of the dealers, i find our Toyota dealer totally straight and caring of their customers with service dept first class and very reasonable with charges.

Edited by gordonbennet on 05/12/2010 at 21:22

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Sun 5 Dec 2010 22:45

Any - Electronic parking brake - Why? - Falkirk Bairn

Toyotas now have 5 yr warranty in UK IIRC so you would have been covered for longer if you buy in 2nd half of 2010

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