View Poll Results: A/T ONLY: Do you use your E-Brake when parking?
Voters: 100. You may not vote on this poll
A/T ONLY: Who uses their E-Brake when parking?
A/T ONLY: Who uses their E-Brake when parking?
so i grew up in New York City, driving my parents Volvo automatic. It is just understood that when you park on the street in Manhattan, you use your Emergency Brake - everyday someone lightly bumps your car trying to weasel in or out of a tight spot.
but then i moved to rural CT, RI, NC, VT and slowly began to use my E-Brake less and less.
now i never use it.....
i got into my buddy's car the other day and started making fun of him because he uses the EBrake with an automatic transmission. he said that its actually better for the cars transmission (because its not resting on a gear) and the brake lines (because it keeps them tight, and doesnt allow slack)
is there any truth to this?
but then i moved to rural CT, RI, NC, VT and slowly began to use my E-Brake less and less.
now i never use it.....
i got into my buddy's car the other day and started making fun of him because he uses the EBrake with an automatic transmission. he said that its actually better for the cars transmission (because its not resting on a gear) and the brake lines (because it keeps them tight, and doesnt allow slack)
is there any truth to this?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 239
From: somewhere in Maryland
It depends where you park. If you park on a level surface, than it's not needed. If you park on downhill or uphill, then use it. And yes, it's better for transmission when you use it (notice how hard it's to shift from P when you don't use e-brake on a hill) It's just parking brake-use it for what it was designed for. Also, don't use e-brake when the brakes are too hot otherwise you'll just boil you brake fluid and/or wrap the rear rotors
(insert witty one liner)
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 144
From: Calgary, AB
It depends where you park. If you park on a level surface, than it's not needed. If you park on downhill or uphill, then use it. And yes, it's better for transmission when you use it (notice how hard it's to shift from P when you don't use e-brake on a hill) It's just parking brake-use it for what it was designed for. Also, don't use e-brake when the brakes are too hot otherwise you'll just boil you brake fluid and/or wrap the rear rotors
This has been debated many times. I'm standard so I have to use mine, but I believe the general consensus is don't use the transmission as a kickstand. Use the e-brake. It's really not that hard to pull back a lever...
Basically one wheel turns backwards and the other turns forward canceling each other out and keeping the car stationary...
There's something called a 'park pawl', the way it works being that it sticks a little pin through the gear, which prevents the driveshaft from turning. That's why if you put it in park on an incline without using the e-brake, it will roll downhill a few inches until the pawl catches.
I used to have a beater Mazda AT, I used the handbrake lever usually when I parked it, because my dad taught me how to drive and he drives stick, so he always pulls it. That habit rubbed off on me so I always pulled it. Then I went to an Oldsmobile AT, and that had a foot e-brake, so I got into the hang of only really using it on an incline, since it never became instinctive to me. Then once I got my Maxima MT, I have to do it, and if it was a habit before, now it's really a habit. And now if I drive someone's AT car, I always pull it, and sometimes that person forgets to take it off.
I used to have a beater Mazda AT, I used the handbrake lever usually when I parked it, because my dad taught me how to drive and he drives stick, so he always pulls it. That habit rubbed off on me so I always pulled it. Then I went to an Oldsmobile AT, and that had a foot e-brake, so I got into the hang of only really using it on an incline, since it never became instinctive to me. Then once I got my Maxima MT, I have to do it, and if it was a habit before, now it's really a habit. And now if I drive someone's AT car, I always pull it, and sometimes that person forgets to take it off.
It depends where you park. If you park on a level surface, than it's not needed. If you park on downhill or uphill, then use it. And yes, it's better for transmission when you use it (notice how hard it's to shift from P when you don't use e-brake on a hill) It's just parking brake-use it for what it was designed for. Also, don't use e-brake when the brakes are too hot otherwise you'll just boil you brake fluid and/or wrap the rear rotors
My question is, how will that "boil your brake fluid"? Maxima e-brake is mechanical, uses a cable, no?
And good luck warping your rear rotors with the e-brake. First of all they don't get as hot as the fronts, second of all the e-brake doesnt put a whole lot of clamping force on the rotors, just enough to keep them in place.
I have parked with my e-brake on IMMEDIATELY after slowing from 120mph. They didn't warp. You'd have to do some serious driving to get them f'ing hot and rip the e-brake pretty hard to warp the rears. IMHO...
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,389
Always use it, the cable will/may rust and will need replacement if its not used for a season or two right ?, its also a good idea not to rest the tranny in P (think when u let off the brake pedal the car slightly moves and comes to a stop) this is a bad thing to do
Always use the e brake - EXCEPT in the winter in sub zero temperatures when it may freeze
Always use the e brake - EXCEPT in the winter in sub zero temperatures when it may freeze
Last edited by andrei3333; Oct 19, 2007 at 02:54 PM.
Every time. No matter if I'm parking on an incline or level ground, my routine is as follows....
Stop and keep foot on brakes
shift to neutral,
pull up e-brake,
let off brakes and let car settle on e-brake,
shift to park.
and FWIW, I do the same thing for my manual trans vehicles.
Stop and keep foot on brakes
shift to neutral,
pull up e-brake,
let off brakes and let car settle on e-brake,
shift to park.
and FWIW, I do the same thing for my manual trans vehicles.
Last edited by tvis; Oct 19, 2007 at 04:19 PM.
I do the same exact thing, I want the car's weight resting on the locked wheels, not on the parking pawl.
Originally Posted by mazzivart
It doenst "lock" the wheels....what it does it makes makes the wheels rotate in different directions...that is why it can roll forward or backward slightly...
Basically one wheel turns backwards and the other turns forward canceling each other out and keeping the car stationary...
Basically one wheel turns backwards and the other turns forward canceling each other out and keeping the car stationary...
Originally Posted by nalc
There's something called a 'park pawl', the way it works being that it sticks a little pin through the gear, which prevents the driveshaft from turning. That's why if you put it in park on an incline without using the e-brake, it will roll downhill a few inches until the pawl catches.
Best image I can find of it:
Granted, that's a transmission, not a transaxle, but exactly the same thing, just different placement.
I do the same exact thing, I want the car's weight resting on the locked wheels, not on the parking pawl.
Close, but not entirely correct. There's a 'gear' on the back of the output shaft (IIRC, I haven't torn apart an RE4F04A in about a year now), and a lever that looks much like the hammer on a sidearm, operated by a mechanical linkage when the shifter is placed into park. The lever slips into the gear, prevents any movement of the axles (obviously there's still some, it's not a press fit).
Best image I can find of it:
http://www.cowdery.org.uk/images/zf/DSCF2125.JPG
Granted, that's a transmission, not a transaxle, but exactly the same thing, just different placement.
I do the same exact thing, I want the car's weight resting on the locked wheels, not on the parking pawl.
Not how any auto I've ever torn apart works, that includes everything from TH350s to RE4F04As, to 4L60Es, A4LD, A4OD, etc etc.
Close, but not entirely correct. There's a 'gear' on the back of the output shaft (IIRC, I haven't torn apart an RE4F04A in about a year now), and a lever that looks much like the hammer on a sidearm, operated by a mechanical linkage when the shifter is placed into park. The lever slips into the gear, prevents any movement of the axles (obviously there's still some, it's not a press fit).
Best image I can find of it:
Granted, that's a transmission, not a transaxle, but exactly the same thing, just different placement.
^^^^ This is the best explanation yet. It does not mees up your transmission gears if you don't use e-brake. Doesn't matter if you use it or not. After that being said i use e-brake when I am on an incline/decline and turn my wheel left or right depending which way I park (incline=turn wheel away from curb and decline=turn wheel towards the curb).
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 995
You might also keep in mind, using the parking brake helps keep your rear brakes adjusted (not all cars but the Maximas style of rear brake caliper). That said, I always use the parking brake. Only exception is the wifes car in the garage, she never uses it. I use it if I'm going to be driving the next time someone gets in the car, but not is she will be the next driver.
Most of the responses share why you use your e-brake. Would be interesting to understand why you don't use your e-brake (understanding that you don't use it if it is broken).
...Nissan engineers put it there for a reason, otherwise why not eliminate it and save $.
...Nissan engineers put it there for a reason, otherwise why not eliminate it and save $.
Last edited by 93SCMax; Oct 21, 2007 at 03:08 PM.
Originally Posted by FMVSS 571.105 (S5.2)
. Each vehicle shall be manufactured with a parking brake system of a friction type with a solely mechanical means to retain engagement, which shall under the conditions of S6, when tested according to the procedures specified in S7, meet the requirements specified in S5.2.1, S5.2.2, or S5.2.3 as appropriate, with the system engaged--
if you are parking on a 25% grade (a steep hill) it would make sense to use your ebrake.
completely removing it from the design is not an option.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 105
I dont think there is any merit to the arguement that it will somehow boil brake fluid. It actually should help dissipate heat away from the rotor better then air (air is an insulator!!!). The only time you must NOT use it is if your at the track and the brakes heat up beyond their normal operating temp, engaging the e-brake after you have been out racing can actually fuse the parkbrake to the rotor.
A lot of overreaction in this thread. Think of the 80% of the public automatic drivers that never use their e-brake. It's called "Park" for a reason...it WILL hold your car, even on a moderate incline. How many times have you heard of "park pawl" failure?
Granted, I do use my e-brake on any sort of incline and a lot of places otherwise, but more for the ease of shifting out of Park than for the safety precaution.
Oh yeah, TONS of useful info here:
http://ask.metafilter.com/34398/Shou...rked-on-a-hill
Granted, I do use my e-brake on any sort of incline and a lot of places otherwise, but more for the ease of shifting out of Park than for the safety precaution.
Oh yeah, TONS of useful info here:
http://ask.metafilter.com/34398/Shou...rked-on-a-hill
Last edited by EnervinE; Oct 20, 2007 at 01:54 PM.