How often do you put on your emergency/parking brake?

[flymore]

A

[omar302]

I used to put on daily whenever I park as it was along time habit, but recently with it being electrical on the Gen2 Edge I just felt that the actuator might fail sooner if I kept engaging it every single time. So now I judge when I park, if it is  a level surface I'd skip engaging the parking brake.

[handfiler]

Every time I park the vehicle...........unless I forget to. I was taught long ago to do this to take the stress off of the parking pawl when the vehicle is parked on an incline. And by doing so you also prevent the cables from seizing from lack of use.

I shift my Mustang with manual transmission into neutral and apply the parking brake every time I park it........without fail.

[flymore]

All the time I park it's on a level surface, therefore I never need or set it when I park.

Years ago on several cars if you put on the parking brake, it wouldn't release.  The parking brake would stick in the locked position, this makes me reluctant to use it as well.

My Edge stops better after I've set the parking brake.

I'll have to remember to set it once in awhile.

 

 

[normkol]

Only when I need to, on a hill pointing up or down.

On my first new car, 1972 Toyota Corona with 4 speed, I used it all the time because of the manual tranny. It eventually stretched the cable. Ever since then, I hesitate to overuse the emergency brake.

[jmbreeze23]

On 10/20/2021 at 9:08 AM, normkol said:

Only when I need to, on a hill pointing up or down.

On my first new car, 1972 Toyota Corona with 4 speed, I used it all the time because of the manual tranny. It eventually stretched the cable. Ever since then, I hesitate to overuse the emergency brake.

 

That's great! We had a 1974 Toyota Corona 4 speed. It was poop brown. LOL The dash was cracked from the sun, so my dad put faux fur on it! Great memories! 

[Cyberdave]

A few years ago I was going to be leaving my car in the driveway for a month as I was going out of town and the driveway was on a little incline. 

I didn't want a problem while I was gone so I put on the emergency brake. I get back a month later and once I started driving I realized there was a problem with the brakes. 

I had it looked at and the rear brakes were toast! 

That was a $700 mistake I will not forget! 

I had parked the car facing my garage. The guy at the Ford dealer told me I didn't need to use the emergency brake if I parked the other way around, that the "engine brake" or something would lock and keep the car from moving. 

That's what he told me anyway. 

At any rate, now I don't use the emergency brake unless there really is a need to and that means almost never. 

I moved so I don't have that driveway anymore. 

 

[Gustafa]

My driveway is on an incline and backing up to the garage door is not really an option, so I use the parking park daily.  If I don’t it’s rather noticeably more difficult to get it out of park and there’s a slight thud. 
 

I may try backing in and hogging the driveway since the other car doesn’t really get used and see how that affects the parking pawl. 
 

Curious issue. No wants to spend $700 or more for bad parking lol

[1004ron]

6 hours ago, Cyberdave said:

A few years ago I was going to be leaving my car in the driveway for a month as I was going out of town and the driveway was on a little incline. 

I didn't want a problem while I was gone so I put on the emergency brake. I get back a month later and once I started driving I realized there was a problem with the brakes. 

I had it looked at and the rear brakes were toast! 

That was a $700 mistake I will not forget! 

I had parked the car facing my garage. The guy at the Ford dealer told me I didn't need to use the emergency brake if I parked the other way around, that the "engine brake" or something would lock and keep the car from moving. 

That's what he told me anyway. 

At any rate, now I don't use the emergency brake unless there really is a need to and that means almost never. 

I moved so I don't have that driveway anymore. 

 

Either that "guy at Ford" was blowing smoke up your rear, or you didn't understand what he said.

 

Is it a manual transmission - if not, there's no engine brake involved at all.

 

Its more likely that your experience with the use of the parking brake has more to do with maintenance, the lack of.

 

is it good practice to use the parking brake automatic transmission - Google Search