Handbrake failure on 2009 Mini Cooper

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

Woah! Didn't exactly see where I have been trumpeting the praises of the MINI. I know they have more faults than I care to list. All I was saying was what I have expereinced myself and that they do have a fault with the handbrake...I was agreeing with the original thread and providing a solution to the problem.

The fact that you open with...

Quote:

The MINI handbrake is fantastic, far better than the BMWs...

The OP is having a bad enough day without you jumping in an putting all the blame on her. MINI has an issue and I have personally inspected one of these issues. The brake was pulled all the way and the car rolled. The car had 5000 miles.....

There is a problem with the OEM rotors and pads not keeping their bite. That being said, the OP should have left the car in gear. This could have been really ugly if someone would have been behind that car when it rolled.

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

With regards to loads of people on here having technical knowledge of the MINIs...so what? I am stating how to avoid it next time...no selling of anything on here..I never have and I never will.

How to avoid it? By telling people that you are 100% certain that they can park on a slope without putting it in gear? How will you feel when someone comes on here telling you that their car rolled and killed someone because they listened to "MINI Sales Man".

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

My BMW/MINI handbrake comment may have been 'selling' but that is simply from first hand experience.

So which is it, selling or experience?

My beef with you is...

1. You gave some really bad advice.
2. You pinned the blame all on the OP.
3. Your name suggest that you are an expert thus people might listen to you even if you are giving bad advice.
4. You have a bit of a flippant attitude attitude about it and this is actually pretty serious. Someone could have been killed.

Am I being hard on you? Perhaps... However, I want people to read this and know that they should be leaving the car in gear when they park just in case the brake fails.

[MINI Sales Man]

1. True to an extent I did give bad advice. I admit that, although having sold these cars for four years I have only come across this problem a few times and as mentioned it has happened to me too and I rectified this by pulling harder on the handbrake when leaving the car parked on a slope.

2. Yes I did as I was not aware of the OEM rotator pad fault

3. Sorry to mislead - I'm no expert by any means.

4. Didn't mean to come across with a flippant attitude and thankfully the only harm came to the MINI

And the MINI handbrake is fantastic....for handbrake turns

[BoyScout]

whoa whoa whoa... , I don't think that sales man was trying to offend anyone at all! In fact, I think he's just making a point and didn't really mean to upset anyone here! You see, from my experience, the handbrake does work only if you pull it all the way to the top (as Mini sales man has mentioned). Of course, in order to guarantee the car won't roll backwards would be to utilise first gear whilst parked. In my opinion, having my Coop for over 2 years now, I always double check first whether the car rolls back as I frequently park on a slope. If it does, even the slightest, then I pull higher on the handbrake (on the top click). You see, the advice regarding first gear and turning the wheel whilst parked on a slope, for me, would be advice for older cars, for instance a car from the 1990s (my other car, a 1999 Micra, I would always engage in first gear).

I'm not trying to cause havoc here, please understand, but I just feel that Mini sales man has been condemned as others have misunderstood what he wrote. Its just that the Mini's technology is ever evolving, and so its brakes are of a particular standard. That, and I wanted to write something on here, cause my tumbler (what I call my Mini) has finally returned, .

[DaFlake]

Uhmm.. I just made a comment about him being off base and we had a debate. I have not "condemned" him.

As for the advice you speak of, it has not changed just because you have a newer car. It is still a fail safe to keep the car from rolling out of control down a hill and MINI's brakes are based on technology that has been around for decades. Rotors and calipers haven't changed in a long time.

The fact I am trying to make is this....

If you park a car and only apply the handbrake and it fails thus rolling back and killing someone, you are going to be held responsible even if the brake was pulled. MINI will not... We have also heard many reports of MINI's rolling and if you scour the web you will find that this is common on cars with rotors all around. Older cars actually were better off with drums to be honest. I believe that MINI has a safety issue in this area. The one that I checked was all the way up and I could pull it any further. Oddly, I released the break, started the car, pumped them a few times and then reset the brake and all was fine. The owner got rid of it because he no longer trusted it.

So, to MINISalesman, I am sorry if you think that I am singling you out. I simply took offense to the fact that you were pinning the full blame on the OP when there clearly is shared blame here. Search this site and you will see that it is a common occurrence.

No condemning needed.

[BoyScout]

That's certainly fair doos, Mr DaFlake. I would agree that older cars were better off with drum brakes: what about nowadays? What's you opinion on drum brakes on modern cars? If I can give an example: I was driving a Ford Focus (09) for about 2 weeks (courtesy), and the brakes were absolutely appalling! Front end had discs but the rear end had drums. It came to the extent that I nearly had to do emergency braking in order to stop the car! God, I hate Fords...

[DaFlake]

Discs are great for driving and the standard concept has not changed in years. However, we are talking about parking. The drums held better for parking. You can go to other forums and find where cars have released after being parked for a few minuets even with the brake fully applied. It happens if the conditions are right and sadly the only thing that will stop it is by putting the car in gear. Turning your wheels can also help as you will hit the curb (if there is one) if your transmission fails to hold the car.

Bottom line is that you should never park the car without leaving it in gear....

[Lawrothegreat]

I completely agree with DaFlake on this one.

I feel sorry for people who aren't aware handbrakes can fail, don't leave their cars in gear, and subsequently roll their car.

However to give advice that there's no need to leave a car in gear on a slope as long as you pull up the handbrake a little more is completely irresponsible and could prove dangerous.

Most handbrakes don't fail (so most people will be fine just pulling it a bit harder) but why would you risk your car, or the life of someone else? It can be that serious. At least everyone reading this thread will now know how to park, and if they choose to ignore the advice, one has to question whether they should own a licence.

[BRG/Blk Cooper S]

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

1. True to an extent I did give bad advice. I admit that, although having sold these cars for four years I have only come across this problem a few times and as mentioned it has happened to me too and I rectified this by pulling harder on the handbrake when leaving the car parked on a slope.

***try reading the highway code.

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

2. Yes I did as I was not aware of the OEM rotator pad fault

***doesn't say too much if you are not aware of such a common issue (or limitation) of the MINI's design (disks all round) after 4 years of selling them.

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

3. Sorry to mislead - I'm no expert by any means.

***frankly after selling them for 4 years you should be - don't you think?

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

4. Didn't mean to come across with a flippant attitude and thankfully the only harm came to the MINI

***

Quote: Originally Posted by MINI Sales Man (original)

And the MINI handbrake is fantastic....for handbrake turns

*** great.....on the public road in cars you later sell as "demonstrators" I assume?
Mmmmmm

[CTMA71]

Wow, I didn't intend to cause problems here....Sorry!!! Thank you all for your advice and comments.

I have used first gear since this 'little accident' and hopefully I won't have further problems.

If anything comes out of this expensive incident...I hope other's will apply/ use first gear as a matter of course. I have never had to on any of my other cars....but hey, expensive lessons learned!!!! I will have to wait another month before I purchase a new pair of Christian Louboutin shoes

Mini will not move on this one as expected!!!!

Thank you all once again. I think debates like this are healthy anyway. Life would be so boring if we all held the same views....

[sony]

Living in hilly Sheffield leaving the car in gear is automatic, believe me!

[Lawrothegreat]

Quote: Originally Posted by CTMA71 (original)

Wow, I didn't intend to cause problems here....Sorry!!! Thank you all for your advice and comments.

I have used first gear since this 'little accident' and hopefully I won't have further problems.

If anything comes out of this expensive incident...I hope other's will apply/ use first gear as a matter of course. I have never had to on any of my other cars....but hey, expensive lessons learned!!!! I will have to wait another month before I purchase a new pair of Christian Louboutin shoes

Mini will not move on this one as expected!!!!

Thank you all once again. I think debates like this are healthy anyway. Life would be so boring if we all held the same views....

Don't worry it's just a healthy discussion!!!

[M.O.S]

Quote: Originally Posted by BRG/Blk Cooper S (original)

great.....on the public road in cars you later sell as "demonstrators" I assume?
Mmmmmm

To be fair who doesn't thrash the living daylights out of a demonstrator?