drove car for about 500m before handbrake was released


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jlchong

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Aug 7, 2004
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guys,

wondered if any of you encountered this issue before?

a friend drove my nissan murano for about 500m before realising that the handbrake was not released. think he hit about 60km/h for that stretch.

will there be any damage to the car?

is the hand brake and foot brake a ''separate system''? or will any damage to the handbrake ''spill over'' to the footbrake as well?

if any one of you guys have past experiences or knowledge on this issue. pls enlighten me.

many thanks!
 

The difference between the parking brake and the pedal brake is that the parking brake uses a system of levers, whereas the pedal brake uses hydraulics. However, both use the same brake pads to clamp on the discs in order to slow down the rotation of the discs, and thus the car.

By driving with the brakes engaged you are wearing out the brake pads, and are of course putting excessive strain on the engine to overcome the increased opposing frictional force.

Anyway, the important bit is the wearing of the pads. When you wear them down, it doesn't matter if you brake using the pedals or the parking brake, since both use the same clamp to stop the car. By wearing down the pads too much, it makes the car more dangerous since you might not be able to decelerate fast enough. I advise you go take the car for a check up.
 

small matter noneed to worry about it just drive and enjoy your car, it will not damage your engine or break system just that your break pad will wear up faster.
 

hmmm... i wonder why the driver can't tell when he/she first accelerates the car. i'm sure he/she can feel some resistance from the car.
 

Well, if it sets your mind at ease, you could go get it checked out by a mechanic but experience says thatit is fine and there isn't a need for concern. It isn't a major issue. :)
 

500m should be ok lah. i did once for a few kilometers. :embrass: that was few years back, guess it was just a newbie mistake (just like we all would've made newbie mistakes when we started on photography)

ever since, i make it a point that prior to driving, i check all warning lights in the dashboard are off :D

and no in city driving, you won't feel so much resistance when you are driving around 40-50-60 kmph. at least i didn't lah.

if you still feel concerned about it, you can take it to the Service centre for a checkup.

PS : a friend of mine though drove some 200 odd kilometers when on a trip to the US, until smoke started coming out and other drivers frantically waved at him to check what was wrong with his car. :bsmilie:
 

i tried once on a highway..
i think it's a problem with auto cars??
never have such problems with manual
 

Absolutely no problem, Sir.
Traveling 500m with hand brake on is nothing when compare to those people driving down hill from Genting highland. 1hr+ of constant hard braking.

Excessive heat generated by hard braking is the main problem. When the brake disc could not dissipate the heat fast enough, it will heat up the brake pads and the hydraulic oil.
Brake pad will become softer and therefore wear faster.
Very hot hydraulic oil will evaporate and burst the hydraulic pipes.


No need to go workshop.
Just check your brake oil level.
And listen for metal rubbing noise when braking. Brakes are designed in such a way that when it reaches the end of life, it will make that kind of noise.
 

I ever drove a few km before reliasing why my car lost so much power.. Darn, forget to release the hand brake. Anyway no real damage done to the car only the brake disc wore out faster.
 

Most likely than not, the handbrake was not engaged fully (sloppy pulling of the handbrake) therefore your friend could get your car to travel up to 60km/h. So really there is nothing to worry about... If the handbrake was engaged fully, and your friend literally floored the accelerator, there would have been smoke... or at least you could have smelt something burning.
 

Some cars have a very good system, like on the Merc and BMW I tried.

Once you hit certain speed with the Handbrake on. It give beeping sound with flashing warning lights indicating what's not right. In this case it'll blink the handbrake sign.
 

Some cars have a very good system, like on the Merc and BMW I tried.

Once you hit certain speed with the Handbrake on. It give beeping sound with flashing warning lights indicating what's not right. In this case it'll blink the handbrake sign.

Yeah, the VW (new) Beetle I used to drive had that warning thing too. :thumbsup:
 

Drive manual lah, easier to find out the lack of power with the handbrake... :thumbsup: :bsmilie:
 

Most handbrakes works on the rear wheels. If the brakes overheat, there is a big risk of damaging the disc and the brake pads. The damaged disc is warped so that braking would result in some vibration felt. Brake pads are much cheaper to change than the disc.

I guess 500m or so would not cause much heat to be generated. If you brake from say 100kph and feels some vibration, then, need to do something about it la.
 

hahah sounds familiar. I know of someone who drove all the way to work with the handbrake on :bsmilie: just change brake pad and ok already.

I ever did that before with a rented car in aus, couldn't feel the drag as it was gravel road, but once it hit tarmac... ooooohhh..... :bsmilie:
 

hmmm... i wonder why the driver can't tell when he/she first accelerates the car. i'm sure he/she can feel some resistance from the car.

It depends on how many clicks the driver applied his/her car's hand brake. If not too tight, usually the car should still be able to move.

For TS, no need to worry too much, as the car only travel a short distance with the hand brake on. Murano should be powerful enough to handle that small strain. Only the brake pads will be warn out by a little. During next maintenance, just ask the maintenance guys to take note. Unless your friend is not able to stop his/her car at the exact spot, then no need to worry to much.
 

Yes, when I started driving, I did forget to release handbrake while driving a few times. The car was unable to speed up. That is why I do check my handbrake manually while driving or the handbrake light at the panel.

Of course nothing wrong to the handbrake so far.
 

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