Hand Brake

[macker46]

3 weeks ago I parked my car on a slight incline near my friends house ( i normally put the handbrake on.....but on this occasion i can't have? ) I went to the back of my car and took paper work out, went to the boot to get the dog out, walked away 200m plus up the road.....when i returned my car was across the road embedded into another car! On opening the car up my handbrake was on????

After swopping details with the lady my car went into i went home and started the insurance claim.....meaning a 300 excess and the loss of my no claims???

Anyone else having problems with this????

[jettech]

If you search the forum you will find that topic many times. It is commons issue with cars, not only Toyota. You NEVER leave your car without the gear on and only with handbrake on. Any car.

[romulon]

Damned bad luck that's for sure

Too late to say it now, and its stating the obvious, but...

it's best to give the handbrake an extra hard pull if you're parking on any kind of slope.

Ok anybody could have guessed that, so its probably not helpful to say it. Sorry.

But there are additional 'tricks' that you can apply when parking a car on a slope.

These "top tips" are passed down from the "Good Olde Days", when cars were simple and heavy, and handbrakes (amongst other things) were inadequate and unreliable.

1. For a manual gearbox car, leave it in 1st gear if facing downhill (or in reverse gear if car is facing uphill), or in 'PARK' if its an 'automatic' car. Dont use higher gears - it must be 1st gear (or reverse gear if facing uphill) to be effective.

2. Leave the steering wheel turned a bit inwards towards the kerb that you're parked against. Then when you take the ignition key out - the steering lock should then hold it 'locked' in that position when you vacate the car. If gravity persuades the car to move, it should soon hit the curb and (hopefully) stop it.

These are secondary, supporting actions compared to the obvious action of putting the handbrake on harder.

But it sounds like these 'tips', if applied, might have saved the day in your particular circumstances.

Anyway, you have my sympathy.

Regards,

Tony.

[Daveyonthemove]

Good advice, however you have the gears wrong.

Put your car in the gear that would drive the car in the opposite direction to the slope.

If facing up hill, you want it to be in 1st to prevent it rolling back and reverse if it is facing downhill.

Don't forget, the gearbox is designed to allow the car to travel forwards in 1st, so placing it in 1st if facing uphill should force the gearbox to hold the car as it won't want to travel backwards if the handbrake fails. Likewise for reverse when facing down hill.

:)

[romulon]

Good advice, however you have the gears wrong.

Put your car in the gear that would drive the car in the opposite direction to the slope.

If facing up hill, you want it to be in 1st to prevent it rolling back and reverse if it is facing downhill.

Don't forget, the gearbox is designed to allow the car to travel forwards in 1st, so placing it in 1st if facing uphill should force the gearbox to hold the car as it won't want to travel backwards if the handbrake fails. Likewise for reverse when facing down hill.

:)

Sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree.

You are entitled to hear my explanation.

(WARNING - my 'explanations' have been known to cause either suicidal or homicidal reactions)

You have been warned, so onwards...

Assuming we're talking about a 4-stroke multi-cylinder engine (that is turned OFF) and is in good condition (i.e. good compression on all cylinders)...

The stroke that offers maximum resistance to crank rotation on such an engine is the 'compression' stroke.

All valves shut as the compression stroke begins, and if the crank is turned in the 'normal direction, crank rotation is increasingly resisted as further movement increases pressure (compression) in the cylinder. This effectively acts as a 'brake' against further movement. This is the effect we're using to stop the car rolling down a hill.

If you force the crank backwards (and yes, it will readily go 'backwards' if forced, as there's nothing to stop it), no proper 'compression' stroke exists that is comparable with a true 'compression stroke', as the valve timing is all wrong (refer to 4-stroke engine valve timing principles).

The induction stroke, when forced to run backwards, becomes a kind of 'exhaust stroke' that pushes air backwards into the inlet manifold!

Meanwhile the exhaust stroke becomes a distorted kind of induction stroke that pulls air backwards, pulling it in from the exhaust pipe!

In any case, it is 'unhealthy' to force a modern 4-stroke engine to turn 'backwards' as there may be items geared off the crank that are not designed to be run backwards (e.g oil, water and hydraulic pumps, plus cams etc).

Bottom line is the crankshaft of a (4-STROKE) engine should only be run in the NORMAL direction, not backwards.

Even if you do force it backwards, the braking effect that we're looking for (due to compression) will be reduced, as engine compression is poor in that mode.

So, if anything tries to force the engine crankshaft to rotate, it will be best resisted by an engine that is being forced to rotate in it's NORMAL rotational direction.

And as soon as that principle is accepted, then the rest follows on like day after night...

If a car is trying to roll forwards, put in 1st gear (with the engine off) to resist the movement. The engine will be forced to turn in the NORMAL direction, and engine compression will resist movement, acting as a brake.

Similarly if a car is trying to roll backwards, put in reverse gear to resist the movement. The engine will turn in the NORMAL direction, and engine compression will resist movement, acting as a brake.

Apologies for the verbal diarrhea. My brain hurts now - time for a lager.

And if you've actually taken the time to read the above properly, have one yourself cos you've definitely earned it.

Cheers ,

Tony

ps. As a rider to the above... if you think a normal manual gearbox (transmission system) has some kind of resistance to backwards rotation, think again!

A 'typical' manual transmission system has no particular resistance to being rotated backwards - it will quite readily turn backwards, if forced, with only minor differences in the losses involved and noise produced, both of which attributes are insignificant when put into this context of low speed rotation forwards or backwards.

[cmia]

Just put the car in gear and walk away.

It wont roll.

I normally put mine in 3rd gear.

No matter where i park it!

[FROSTYBALLS]

The UK Highway Code says (copied from Direct.gov.uk):

"Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should

• park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
• select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
• select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
• use 'park' if your car has an automatic gearbox

"

The Auris handbook also says: 'Fully set the handbrake whilst depressing the brake pedal'.

[Daveyonthemove]

That is what I have always been told, and i have never seen a car runaway when parked like that.

As for the compression idea, I know of an old tractor that a friend used to own that would often roll forward on the handbrake, and on the one occasion that it was parked in 1st facing downhill the movement caused it to bump start (it had faulty ignition system) and it drove off through a hedge, and luckily the wheel locked and it circled very slowly before it was noticed and stopped. It never rolled off on its own when parked in reverse facing down hill, and if reverse can hold a tractor in place, I'm sure it will hold my Auris in place too.

[forevered]

now im worried ! my drive slops down towards the house, ive always parked it there leaving it in 1st gear.

who do i believe ??

[FROSTYBALLS]

now im worried ! my drive slops down towards the house, ive always parked it there leaving it in 1st gear.

who do i believe ??

My earlier reply was copied from Directgov.uk, and comes from the Highway Code - which is Department for Transport guidance. I have always followed the principle that if facing uphill, the car gets left in first, and downhill, in reverse, and never had a problem in 36 years of driving.

Another topic on the Auris forum gives the following info: "With the MMT the handbook recommends it's left in gear on an incline. Reverse for a "nose down" slope, 1st for "nose up".

The same would apply to a manual.

[shoney]

Yep I had this a few weeks ago! I got back from shopping to find my car in the middle of the car park about 3 meters out the space!!!! I jumped in and the hand brake would only pull 1 more click. I'm generally unhappy with my breaks, I had new disks and pads 4 months ago (genuine toyota parts) now they seem really soft and I get a big whining noise when breaking while reversing!

[Mistermena]

The UK Highway Code says (copied from Direct.gov.uk):

"Parking on hills. If you park on a hill you should

• park close to the kerb and apply the handbrake firmly
• select a forward gear and turn your steering wheel away from the kerb when facing uphill
• select reverse gear and turn your steering wheel towards the kerb when facing downhill
• use 'park' if your car has an automatic gearbox

"

The Auris handbook also says: 'Fully set the handbrake whilst depressing the brake pedal'.

Yep... Thats what I teach my pupils. Unless they have an old Volvo 850, because if your parked up and the car rolls forwards whilst in reverse gear it will snap the cam belt.

[shoney]

Went up to mrT yesterday, apparently my breaks are fine, they say all breaks on diesels feel soft, great!! I'll just have to get used to it then.

[Daveyonthemove]

BRAKES are the things that stop your car.

BREAKS are what you take when you need a rest.

Sorry, but that bugs the hell out of me.

[ormi]

lmfao^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ B) B) :D :D :toast:

[shoney]

Haha just seen!!! Oooops stupid auto correct on the iPhone