Handbrake failure compensation

[Charles_Harding]

Originally Posted by Koen

For cornering on snowy roads?

K.

You've seen me passing then?

I'd be the one without a wiper!

"I've Just bought a self help DVD on 'How to Handle Disappointment'.
When I got it home the box was empty!"

[Jack The Lad.]

I think that the handbrake fix in 2008, will include a wiper Charles.
It will work in conjunction with the handbrake button.

[Charles_Harding]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

I think that the handbrake fix in 2008, will include a wiper Charles.
It will work in conjunction with the handbrake button.

There is a God!

"The problem with people who have no vices is that you can be pretty sure they will have some annoying virtues!"

[TTDegs]

to clarify my 'no button pressing' thread

I'm suggesting a clever gismo inside the handbrake assembley which only allows the button to be depressed when the lever is above 'X clicks' from the bottom (horizontal) position.

Thereby preventing your from pressing it on the way up

Once at the top, said device would release the button, allowing you to press it and let the handbrake off

You would then have no option but to apply the handbrake in the Honda approved fashion

[Brodick]

Originally Posted by Jack The Lad.

I think that the handbrake fix in 2008, will include a wiper Charles.
It will work in conjunction with the handbrake button.

Originally Posted by Charles_Harding

There is a God!

"The problem with people who have no vices is that you can be pretty sure they will have some annoying virtues!"

Oh someone is going to be in for a dissapointment

[TTDegs]

Originally Posted by TTDegs

to clarify my 'no button pressing' thread

I'm suggesting a clever gismo inside the handbrake assembley which only allows the button to be depressed when the lever is above 'X clicks' from the bottom (horizontal) position.

Thereby preventing your from pressing it on the way up

Once at the top, said device would release the button, allowing you to press it and let the handbrake off

You would then have no option but to apply the handbrake in the Honda approved fashion

much like this - from the other handbrake thread

Originally Posted by STX1300man

Got my letter on Tuesday. I would never have considered NOT pressing the button when applying the handbrake.

Interestingly when I drove my father-in-laws FRV which has a strange handbrake which you pull out from under the dash, if you push in the button when applying the handbrake it will not latch at all, and returns to its resting place. Instead you just pull it and clench your teeth as the ratchet does its thing.

My guess is they had an American on the design team Every film you watch they NEVER hold the button in.

[The Doctor]

How about an umbrella handle type handbrake under the dash board. My dad's old mark2 Cortina had one. You pulled it out to apply it and to release it you turned it through 90 degrees and allowed it to retract. There was no way to put the brake on without the ratcheting sound. Mind you I do seem to remember it going 'poing' a couple of times & failing due to a shear pin shearing or something.

[mrh339]

Still think Honda are going to install some parking bricks in the armrest, just chuck them in front(or behind) of the wheels when you park and hey presto!!

[Minkster]

Every car I have ever owned at some point or other has had a handbrake issue, and as a result I *ALWAYS* park in gear, be it on a slope or not. It's been habit for years.

However not pressing the button when applying is a new one to me. I always do this and will now have to get used to pulling the lever up wit...h the clanking of the ratchet as just another sound of motoring

[lloeki]

my experience:

- my instructor learned me to put a gear while hill parking.
- my parents learned me to put a gear while hill parking.
- my parents learned me to put a brick (or wood piece, or stone) back a wheel while steep hill parking.
- I have been playing with all handbrakes I've come up to (that's 10+ cars of various brands) since I've been driving with the very way honda does not recommend, just to see how they behaved, and they all did have a point where pushing the button in a certain way while pulling the lever made the lever bang down with only a slight bump on either the lever itself or the car.
- my previous car (opel/vauxhall corsa) had such a weak handbrake that even if it didn't snap it was mandatory to put a gear in even slight hills.
- only with my latest car (civic) have I lost the habit to put both a gear and handbrake while parking (certainly because of the previous point, the civic made me much more confident).
- I have never been instructed to turn the wheels.

my thinking:

- risk zero doesn't exists. even with a perfectly built handbrake you may have a failure.
- two points of failure is just less likely than one.
- with power steering (and all the more when electrical), turning the wheels and cutting contact will have the effect to lock the wheels in that position (unless enough force is applied laterally on the wheels), thus not only it could make the car bump in a kerb if there is one (and thus stop) even if the wheel was not right on it in the first place, but it may alse give the car some other stop point if there's no kerb. I mean some stop point not 100 meters downhill, and not down a cliff either. what's more the car would acquire less momentum in a circular movement around a hill than straight down.
- the point may be not only to minimize the risks of a total failure happening, but also in the event of such a failure, minimize the (material and physical) damages. I'd rather bump my alloy wheels in the event of the car rolling down than having the car smashing a wall, another car, or worse, someone.
- those who fear bumping their alloy wheel while parking near a kerb, well, then maybe just parking a tad farther away the kerb would help
- in the event of a bad build by honda, all of the above of course does not excuses honda in any manner.
- maybe I learned all this because I live in a really hilly area (the Vosges mountains in France), but I feel people just receive less (or even plain wrong) education from driving license instructors. e.g my wife and I being 6 years apart, the difference in driving education is incredible.

[Dalboy]

Originally Posted by lloeki

my experience:
.

- maybe I learned all this because I live in a really hilly area (the Vosges mountains in France), but I feel people just receive less (or even plain wrong) education from driving license instructors. e.g my wife and I being 6 years apart, the difference in driving education is incredible.

Driving instructors teach you to pass the driving test, in my opinion it should be compulsory to have further instruction after passing test to learn how to drive properly

[Blackcivic]

my car, civic 07 rolled downhill lastweek with the handbrake applyd. just stopped within 1 meter of another car... lucky .. (now always using gear)

[lloeki]

Driving instructors teach you to pass the driving test, in my opinion it should be compulsory to have further instruction after passing test to learn how to drive properly

back in the day, I learned at least the basics of emergency breaking, snow driving, mountain pass driving and so on... nothing at all that my wife learned two years ago. all she learned was "something's wrong? BRAKES!". the instructor even full-stopped her ON THE HIGHWAY because she was going to switch to the left lane (remember, that's in france) to let someone come in from an insertion lane while there was nobody else anywhere to be seen, then he admonested her, arguing that she should ALWAYS let the guy enter the highway whatever the case, and was oblivious to the fact that the guy inserting had a "cédez le passage" marking on the ground. and that's one among many other bullsh*t she had to cope with on training.

back on topic: I read this topic this morning, and received the official honda france handbrake notice by mail like two hours later. rendez-vous on march 2008 for the hardware fix

[Patrick1969]

Hey! My Civic's just rolled into the front of my house, with the hand-brake still on full! Nice! Off to the pub now to contemplate my extreme luck!

[mrh339]

Originally Posted by Patrick1969

Hey! My Civic's just rolled into the front of my house, with the hand-brake still on full! Nice! Off to the pub now to contemplate my extreme luck!

That sounds different to the known handbrake fault.

[3rd Honda]

It is an unfortunate 'characteristic' of cars with discs all round that if the handbrake is applied with the discs hot, as they cool and contract the degree of pressure between the pads and the discs decreases. This can result in the car then 'rolling away'.

[jont122]

Hello

In this weeks Autoexpress page 62, It states that Vauxhall are recalling 250,000 Vectra and Signum's for the same handbrake fault as the civic?

Does this mean Honda will as well?

[NH Dan]

Originally Posted by jont122

Hello

In this weeks Autoexpress page 62, It states that Vauxhall are recalling 250,000 Vectra and Signum's for the same handbrake fault as the civic?

Does this mean Honda will as well?

I think you'll find that's a mis-print as it was the same recall as the problem on the Corsa not Civic.

The Vauxhall/Opel issue was a toothing issue on the cogs on the handbrake mechanism which has been re-enginered, i'm not au fait with what the cause of the Civic malfunction is.

In the UK Highway Code handbook there is apparently a section that advise when parking on a gradient to apply not only the handbrake but also leave the car in gear (preferably opposite to the direction the car is facing vs the gradient) and to turn the steering slightly so that in the event of the car moving, it pulls into the kerbing by the roadside and lessens the movement. I must admit though, I haven't seen a copy of this for at least 15 years so have no idea if it is true or not!!

[M99TT P]

Hi

I have just found this site and wanted your opinions on my sittuation.

I Bought a New Civic in July 06 and took it for its first service in Oct 06 (I do a lot of miles). Whilst in for its service I got a call from the Honda dealer to say that they have had an accident with my car!! It turned out that after completing the service the mechanic (who had worked with them for 20+ years) had parked the car in the car park and it had rolled across the car park and hit another car. It The corner of the other car had hit my bumper corner and scraped down the whole side of my car. The mechanic had said he was sure he had left the handbrake on and could not understand it.

I was very unhappy to have them to repair my car as it was only a few months old and I did not want a car full of filler, that's why I bought a brand new car. After a very long back and forth discussions with the Honda dealer they agreed to replace the car but I would have to pay just over £1000 for this to happen. I did get a 56 plats instead of an 06 and it obviously had o miles on the clock but I feel that it was not my fault and I am still unhappy that I had to pay out for this.

Sorry it is so long but I would welcome your opinions.

[Greedy]

Originally Posted by 3rd Honda

It is an unfortunate 'characteristic' of cars with discs all round that if the handbrake is applied with the discs hot, as they cool and contract the degree of pressure between the pads and the discs decreases. This can result in the car then 'rolling away'.

That 'characteristic' is not applicable to the Civic - or CRV/Accord. These models have adopted a new technology call 'drum in hat'. Basically the inside of the disc - which is top hat shaped - is machined to act like the old drum brake and an mini sized drumbrake is used in it to act as the hand brake. Thus the mechanical drum handbrake and the hydraulic disc foot brake are totally seperate systems. It means in theory that as a disc cools and thus contracts, it in effect, puts the brake on harder.