Hi Guys,

I've just recently started using the E-BRAKE, for the first time after 1.5 years of leasing my car. I never really had a use for it, as I would just put the car into park (automatic), and be done with it. I'm in Florida, so there's not much hills or any reason to use it for an automatic.

Anyways, I park on uneven ground (https://www.myg37.com/forums/g37-sed...ed-ground.html) where I live, and the car seems to have a hard time getting out of park if I don't use the E-BRAKE.

I started using the E-BRAKE in this fashion...Stop car, shift into neutral, push e-brake with foot all the way down (while holding brake), still hold brake, and push into park...

When doing this everything shifts smoothly, and the car doesn't make any weird noises or clunks...

Although...It seems like the foot brake is very hard for me to push in, and also very hard for me to disengage. Is this because I haven't used in years? Does it get smoother, or is it suppose to hard to push out? I honestly feel when I'm engaging and disengaging it, that I'm almost straining with my foot. I remember an older car with a hand e-brake, being very smooth.

Is it also ok to sometimes use it (at night when I get home) and not use it during the day? I have no reason to use it at work, as the parking places are perfectly flat.

Thanks!

Brad

 

When parking: get to where you're leaving the car, pull up e-brake and put into park

When leaving: Put car into reverse first then release e-brake. Doing this backwards will negate putting the brake up to begin with.

IIRC (and please chime in) there's just a small pin thats essentially holding the car on an incline when the car is in park. Its obviously not fragile but I shudder at the clunk cars make going into reverse.

As far as frequency and time of day -- anytime is fine. I (because I like to be safer than sorry especially when its asinine to do otherwise) will sometimes leave my car (6MT) in the garage in neutral without the e-brake up. Some have the tendency to stick but thats if its been sitting a while (read: weeks if not months) I'm sure the weather has something to do with that, too but I've never run into brake issues save for master cylinders in Hondas.

Hope that answers it.

 

this forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

Its called a "pawl", Im not sure its a pin or something like an "arm" that pivots and when engaged meshes into the nearest gear tooth in the transmission to prevent the car from moving.

But yeah, I use the parking brake (on my 7AT, and any other automatic I have) if even on the slightest incline.

For some reason Nissan/Infiniti seem to have the biggest "clunk" when going into gear on an incline. Im not sure this is a BAD thing, it might mean the parking pawl engages better, tighter, etc. My wifes Acura doesnt clunk at all except for really big hills (which I use the parking brake for anyway)

In my G, even with the parking brake on and using teh correct procedure, I still get a slight clunk going into gear on an incline. Ive seen others mention that too, but I think its more of an annoyance than an issue (i.e. I dont think its damaging anything)

 

It's a parking brake. It is not an emergency brake.

Go look at the OP's thread history. It's... interesting.

 

I should have said this poster never ceases to amaze me, seeing as how every dumb thread that came to mind was created by him lol. I just looked through his history and connected the dots hahaha.

 

woohoo...another one. it's like the sunday paper funnies.

 

I always use the e-brake when I park and use the parking brake in an emergency.

 

Sorry I was under the impression that the foot brake on the left hand side was also known as an e-brake? I've even heard the guy at the dealership refer to the foot brake as an e-brake. Isn't it the same thing as I had on my Integra, where you would pull up the brake next to the automatic transmission, although now it's positioned differently?

I've been using the foot brake almost every time I park. Usually when I get out of the car I hear a load creek from the rear brakes...not sure WTF that is though?

 

I read the OP and then this and it really made me LOL.

 

When one applies for a drivers license in the US, do you they not get tested on this stuff?

 

Not really. In the US the tests are geared more towards "do you know the law" rather than "can you safely operate a motor vehicle". There's usually a written test that covers road signs and traffic laws and then a practical that makes sure you are smart enough to follow the laws when a government official is in the car with you. Beyond that, you (and all of the other drivers) are on your own.

 

On most cars, the Parking Brake is a mechanical (cable) connection to the rear calipers. In this design, the Parking Brake can fully operate the rear brakes. There's no ABS, and you can lock up the rear tires. Google "Rockford Turns" and you'll understand the physics.

On the G37, the Parking Brake is implemented with its own little parking pads that expand into a sculpted area on the backside of the rotors, very much like a Drum Brake design. There's not enough force here to lock up the rear tires, so if you use them in an emergency situation, you will only slow the car down. Very, very slowly.

That's the diff.

I'm surely not the only person here who finds the OP's threads ridiculous.

 

He very well could be laughing all along this little trail of misfit threads with all of them being a giant level, or maybe not

 

We're done here.