handbreak button

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

nospam - 13 Jun 2006 01:07 GMT

Hi,

I have just got my first focus, 1.8 Ghia 2004 54 plate

the owners manual say don't push the button in when you raise
the hand- break.

Why?

I hate the sound of the ratchet and would rather not wear the ratchet
out.

Does anyone know of a sensible reason why I should not continue to push
the button in when I apply the hand-break?

Thanks for any info.

Reply to this Message

Blinky the Shark - 13 Jun 2006 04:18 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Why?

I'll bet they assume you to be dim enough to keep holding it, so that
the ratchet will never catch and the brake won't set. I suppose they
have to write like that to reach the lowest common denominator of users.

Signature

Blinky RLU 297263
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html
Coming Soon: Filtering rules specific to various real news clients

Reply to this Message

John Tallyman - 13 Jun 2006 08:41 GMT

I'm like you, I've always held the button in - it's a hangover from
when my dad taught me to drive & he got me to do it so it 'wouldn't
wear out the ratchet' - in the days of such things happening. These
days the rest of the car will collapse before the ratchet dies. I'm
guessing the idea is that if you hold the button in it will not apply
fully as it will settle at the position below where you halted - with
the ratchet it will go to the higher one & stop. This is possibly more
important with disk brakes than drum brakes (which previous Focuses
had) due to the different way they operate.

>Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
>Thanks for any info.

Reply to this Message

Lorenzo - 13 Jun 2006 23:26 GMT

I too was surprised to read in the manual that we are now supposed to leave
the button alone when putting the hand brake on. (I was also surprised that
we are supposed to push firmly on brake pedal at the same time!) I was told
by my dad that pulling it up too hard would stretch the cable.

I assume that if you push the button in, and release it at the top of the
movement, you are less likely to get it to "catch" at the very top leaving
the brake less firmly on. Stretching the cable may not be an issue these
days, so we are encouraged to give it a good pull (which you will find is
harder if you are using your thumb to hold and release the button at the
same time!)

>>Does anyone know of a sensible reason why I should not continue to push
>>the button in when I apply the hand-break?

Reply to this Message