cars with foot brakes.. how do you do a hill start / handbrake turn?

Gary

Gary

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i rented a VW Passat the other day and the parking brake was a button on the dashboard.
i'm renting a merc C220 next week for my little trip through the dolomites and Monza, and I'm reliably informed it has a foot operated parking brake!

In an automatic i can understand it because they dont roll backwards on hills, but these cars are manual. Anyone know how to stop it rolling backwards when starting on a hill? I mean i can just burn the clutch out but i'd rather drive it properly.
 
mercs have had foot pedal application for the park brake for years, most have a separate lever to release the park brake near the steering wheel.

Vehicles with electronic park brakes won't release the brakes until it sees a throttle increase (engine load) with the clutch switch changing status.

Hill launch assist is also used on some vehicles, this in basic terms keeps the foot brake on via ABS control for a few seconds after the park brake has been released and engine torque increased.
 
digitalfailure said:
mercs have had foot pedal application for the park brake for years, most have a separate lever to release the park brake near the steering wheel.

Vehicles with electronic park brakes won't release the brakes until it sees a throttle increase (engine load) with the clutch switch changing status.

Hill launch assist is also used on some vehicles, this in basic terms keeps the foot brake on via ABS control for a few seconds after the park brake has been released and engine torque increased.
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cool. exactly the informative answer i was after.
thanks for that
 
I have the auto hold which comes with the DSG box, however with yours I think you just bring it up to the bite and it shoud come off.
 
badgerbaiter said:
i just dont understand whats wrong with a handbrake.. That parking button on the Passat got right on my t*ts
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There's not enough to go wrong with a Handbrake, it's got to be a super-auto-complexo-braking system to push up the servicing costs :woot:
 
Is this the trip to Monza where you get to drive that amazing road? THe one that the Muira drives on during the ITalien Job and the one that was featured on Top Gear?
 
I only ever use a hand brake to stop the car rolling away when it's parked. Other than that I just use foot brake, clutch and accelerator. Never rolled back, never burnt out a clutch.
 
nilagin said:
I only ever use a hand brake to stop the car rolling away when it's parked. Other than that I just use foot brake, clutch and accelerator. Never rolled back, never burnt out a clutch.
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is that what your driving instructor taught you? How do you not roll back between moving your right foot from the brake to the accelerator? Heel and toe?
 
the latest galaxys have some stupid pull up handle (like on a suitcase) as a handbrake lever...


like what a stupid idea, how the hell are you supposed to take hairpins 'on the bar' ???
 
The parking brake of a Passat disconnects automatically when you pull away :)

Cheers!
 
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badgerbaiter said:
is that what your driving instructor taught you? How do you not roll back between moving your right foot from the brake to the accelerator? Heel and toe?
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Just a habit I've taught myself over the years. The idle revs are enough to hold the car motionless on the bite point of the clutch. That and being able to move the right foot quickly from the brake to the accelerfator pedal.:LOL:
Must admit I've never encountered that many really steep inclines, that I've had to pull away on.
 
badgerbaiter said:
i just dont understand whats wrong with a handbrake.. That parking button on the Passat got right on my t*ts
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I love the one on my scenic, hill starts are so easy, just start to pull away and the handbrake releases, turn the engine off and the handbrake is applied. also can manually be applied and released with a little lever switch thing on the dash.
 
My Merc C43 has a foot operated handbrake. Fortunately its an automatic as the hand release isn't controllable. Those who drive manuals must have 3 legs as the cars of this period didn't have hill assist. I never use the handbrake unless parking on a hill.

Curiously, mine must be an French surrender specification car as the handbook suggests it has 2 reverse gears - although I've never tested this out...
 
I have this big lever thingy between the front seats, if you pull it up the brakes come on, push it down, they go off, and you can use any setting in-between - simple really!
 
nilagin said:
Just a habit I've taught myself over the years. The idle revs are enough to hold the car motionless on the bite point of the clutch. That and being able to move the right foot quickly from the brake to the accelerfator pedal.:LOL:
Must admit I've never encountered that many really steep inclines, that I've had to pull away on.
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Thats how I do it too. Clutch out till you hear the engine note drop then experience has taught me how to switch from my brake to accelerator quickly, with how much pressure to put on. I suppose its bad driving really.

That said, I do use a handbrake on steeper inclines.
 
Oh yeah I agree. I don't hold it for long on the clutch, only if setting off is imminent again within a second or two.
I'm talking about setting off :)
 
andrewc said:
No matter how good a driver you are, holding a car on a slope with the clutch will shorten its life quite considerably. Handbrake is a much cheaper option and kinder to the car.
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My car had 151,000 miles on the clock when I bought it and now has 216,400 miles. All on original clutch. I nearly always hold the car on the clutch at traffic lights, very rarely on the foot brake and never on the hand brake.
 
andrewc said:
Well consider yourself lucky. One day the Karma fairy will come and you're flywheel will explode.
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You have no chance of inducing explosive stresses or terminal heat build up within a flywheel simply by holding the car on a hill with the clutch.

The worst your likely to do is increase the friction linings temperature and reduce it's ability to transmit engine torque as a result of it's reduced coefficient.
 
depends on the hill :)

Maybe I should have rephrased it "one day the Karma fairy will come and you'll suffer a terminal and expensive mechanical failure"

Fortunately on my track day car we did a FEA before lightening (and balancing) the flywheel.
 
andrewc said:
Fortunately on my track day car we did a FEA before lightening (and balancing) the flywheel.
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Isn't it strange how you can shave material off the flywheel and expose it to a much more aggressive duty cycle and still it doesn't explode.


;)
 
when i posted this thread i thought i wasnt expecting any replies, but now we are challenging the word association thread :) :)

btw, the hills i have in mind arent going to work well with the 'hold it on the clutch and then hit the gas' method ;)
 
Handbrake every time. Holding the car on the clutch for long periods is fatiguing on the ankles and risky at best. Handbrake and reeeeelax!
 
CT said:
Handbrake every time. Holding the car on the clutch for long periods is fatiguing on the ankles and risky at best. Handbrake and reeeeelax!
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Pah, if it's fatigue you're worried about, get a driver to do it for you and lounge in the back :D
 
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