Electric Handbrake?

[sproutdreamer]

How exactly does this work and is there a downside for people with poor finger control, say arthritis in hands?

[Heidfirst]

the operator is above/in front of your left knee & is a push to set/pull to release. This sends a signal to an actuator that acts on the brake. The car has to be static or nearly so for it to set.

The manual transmission cars have an auto-release function (i.e. if in gear you come up on the clutch biting point & the car starts to move it will release) but the autos don't iirc.

Both in setting & releasing manually there is a small delay as it does all it's stuff.

Iirc there is also a difference in epb behaviour which iirc (but not sure) came in with the facelift. In the pre-facelift you can shut off & leave the car without setting the epb whereas in facelifts if you fail to set the epb the car will do it automatically.

I note that even the new version of the Mazda6 (one of the last holdouts of a manual hb in this class) is going over to an epb.

[alan333]

Iirc there is also a difference in epb behaviour which iirc (but not sure) came in with the facelift. In the pre-facelift you can shut off & leave the car without setting the epb whereas in facelifts if you fail to set the epb the car will do it automatically.

My 2012 facelift parking brake doesn't come on automatically, maybe there's a setting for it? I leave mine in Park every night without the EPB on. (maybe the manual versions are different?)

[Heidfirst]

probably, we know that the auto transmission version doesn't have the auto release that the manual does.

Out of interest have you ever tried leaving it in D or R & shutting off (if you can)? Just wondering if that might invoke the epb to come on automatically as per the manual transmission.

I must admit that I tend to belt&braces it & apply the epb & then leave it in gear when parked.

[sproutdreamer]

Thanks for replies so is the handle small and fiddly to operate or is it a big thing easy to grip?

[alan333]

It's a bit like some electric window switches... you know the ones you need to pull/lift to get the window up? IMHO it's in a bit of a silly place too. You don't really need to grip it per se tho, more like put your finger (or two fingers) behind it to pull it forwards, and put your thumb on top of it to push it backwards.

[Istari]

It's pretty easy to operate, the location, in front of your left knee, takes some getting used to though. It does auto release when pulling away and comes on when you turn the engine off on my 2012 manual.

My only advise would be by the petrol version, the deisal MPG is shocking ubless you drive mainky on the motorway.