Handbrake Failure

[diverse]

Been driving around today, picking up stuff for installing stereo in S when i get it next week.

Went to my dealers to drop off Facia adaptor and request for them to remove wave cassette, requesting that confirm that CAN + and CAN- are on the radio loom.

I parked behind their demo fully loaded S, handbrake on, got out, spent an age getting into the boot, got out the CAN BUS adapter and facia plate, (car still in place), locked doors and walked into dealership.

Anyway, I spent 15-20 minutes inside the dealership, got back and car was not where I had parked it, it had moved backwards two or three car lenghths? Shocked by how this happened I checked the front of the car to see if it had been pushed or hit backwards, no sign of damage!

Drove out of car park thought nothing more of it, the car is rejected and only 7 more days of ownership left, I gave up pointing faults out when it was rejected, lifes to short!

Went to the boot again and noticed a dent in the rear bumper, then I get a call accusing me of reversing into the Sales Managers car and causing him £500 worth of damage!

What makes it worse is one of their guys noticed that our cars were kissing rear bumpers and didn't say a word! They confirmed that they saw the handbrake was on and that the car was locked!

The only saving grace is that their BMW saved them a fortune, had the car rolled back into the main road and people could have been injured!

I have heard of others having this problem (hot discs cooling down or some such excuse) so "Beware Of The Failing Handbrake"

FRIDAY THE 13TH, I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN BED!

Update: BMW Assist say the handbrake is not solid at one or two clicks, but if you wrench it hard it's safe!

Now dealer is trying to say I might have not have put handbrake on enough! if that were the case the car would have rolled in to me when i was going into the boot! But they also confirm they saw the handbrake was on! which is it boys!

[thegrommit]

- hopefully the guy who backed you up doesn't decide to change his story.

When parking uphill, I always turn the front wheels away from the kerb. When parking downhill, turn them into the kerb. This way if the car rolls, it'll only go into the kerb and not into traffic. Anyone who's driven in San Francisco knows this

[diverse]

No, the sales manager has called me and he confirmed that the car was seen by his sales guy, parked into the sales managers car, locked and handbrake on!

Mmmmm, he then said to me I believe you are telling the truth! You wouldnt come in and sit down and talk to me and not tell me that you had reversed into my car! I said if I had reversed into you do you think if I wasn't going to tell you i'd leave it there! DOH!

[miniyup]

In all my 18+ years of driving a stick (VW Jetta, Toyota truck and previous Ford Werke AG Capri marketed as U.S. "Mercury" Capri) I always was in the habit of leaving the car in gear when parked. This eliminates the risk of this kind of scenario.

[Ady]

This sort of thing happened to the early Citroen Xantias if i recall and it was indeed the brakes cooling and easing their grip as things contract, one of the problems that goes along with a hydraulic hand brake, at least with a cable you get a certain amount of stretch in the cable that will compensate as things cool down. Besides i currently drive a mini classic and my hand brake rarely grips very well, so leaving it in gear is second nature

Ady (R50)

[diverse]

Why bother having a handbrake if it doesn't work all the time!

[HarryHBMCC]

I always leave my car in gear when turned off. That, and when parked on a hill I turn the wheel so the car will fall into the curb if both the parking brake and tranny fail to stop it. Was taught to do this in driver's ed and I still remember it for some reason...

Harry

[ches]

R50, I think you hit the nail on the head. As a brake drum heats up and expands, it moves away from the brake shoe. As a disc brake heats up and expands, it moves towards the brake pads. Thus, as a car with drum brakes cools down, the handbrake gets tighter but a handbrake on a car with all-disc brakes gets looser.

I guess the moral of the story is to really yank up on that sucker when setting it (and of course cramp the wheels and leave it in 1st or reverse).

[BigMack]

I seem to recall being taught to leave the stick in gear in Drivers Ed in high school.......And set the hand brake.

Although, now I live in flat Florida and almost never use the handbrake.

[Loui]

I know this is an old thread. This afternoon i parked my car on my mates drive. The drive isnt paticulary steep, left the car on there with the handbrake on, pulled right up im sure of it. Well i was sitting in the front room and we hear a car alarm going off. we look out the window to see my car sat in the middle of his road, luckily it had hit nothing, quite lucky as its quite a busy road. The most worrying bit is that my cars had the handbrake recall done
Ive rung my dealer and they said they will ring me tomorrowas nobody is in from the service department and the guy who sold me my car is not in.

[Minty]

quite concerning chris...specially after recall.

i always park in gear anyway...always have done.

[Loui]

Quote:

Originally posted by Minty
quite concerning chris...specially after recall.

i always park in gear anyway...always have done.

Yeah is a bit Minty, i think i`ll be leaving it in gear from now on

[Minty]

good habit to get into anyway...just incase.

[~sugar~]

I just noticed my car rolling after i parked it. What production date is the recall for? Also, I am a new manual car driver. Everytime someone leaves my car in gear and I start it, it stalls. What is the correct way to start a car when it is in first gear with the handbrake on? Thanks.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by ~sugar~
I just noticed my car rolling after i parked it. What production date is the recall for?

The recall is just for RHD MINIs, so North American MINIs are not affected by the recall at all.

Quote:

Originally posted by ~sugar~
Also, I am a new manual car driver. Everytime someone leaves my car in gear and I start it, it stalls.

Huh? Something must be wrong with your car - have a dealer check it out. Due to federal vehicle regulations in effect for at least the past 12 years, all manual shift cars sold in the US have a starter interlock on the clutch pedal. Unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed, the car's engine won't even turn over - whether the car is in gear or not. This dumb law prevents dumb drivers from starting cars in gear and having the car accidently jump forward (or backward if in reverse) as the starter motor turns the engine.

Quote:

Originally posted by ~sugar~
What is the correct way to start a car when it is in first gear with the handbrake on? Thanks.

You've got to push down the clutch pedal before turning the key. It's safer to get in the habit of selecting neutral before turning the key, just in case you get into an older car not equipped with a clutch starter interlock (or the safeguard somehow fails on a newer car).