#Handbrake car how to

However, two weeks ago I noticed that the noise has disappeared. I didn't have the $500, so I haven't done it yet. I took it in to a mechanic, and he said my valve lifters were going out and I needed to replace them. Question: I have a 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse, and about two months ago I noticed a ticking noise coming from underneath the hood. We'll look for your book when it comes out.

#Handbrake car how to

Tom: So I think YOU'RE clearly the expert on how to make an engine last forever, Richard. And the fewer times it turns, the longer it lasts.

It allows the engine to run more slowly and turn fewer revolutions per mile. Ray: But using fifth gear correctly - as I'm sure you do - at high speed on a level road is actually good for the engine. Tom: And lugging IS bad for your engine, especially an old engine, because it causes overheating.

You probably know what lugging is, right? It's when you try to accelerate in too low a gear and the car bucks and labors and pings until you either downshift or get up to an appropriate speed for that gear. Ray: He's probably concerned about 'lugging' the engine. Tom: You've got 307,000 miles on your car, and he's going to tell YOU how to make your engine last? I don't think so. This guy's brother-in-law sells new Toyotas. He said using fifth gear would allow the engine to 'loosen up.' Personally, I kind of like fifth, due to the fact that it allows me to go faster, and it makes driving quieter. A guy I know told me that I shouldn't use fifth gear on a car with that many miles on it. Question: I've got a 1988 Toyota Camry with more than 307,000 miles on it. But not when stopping is a matter of life, death or even scratched paint. In fact, that's why lawyers at every car company demanded that the name be changed from 'emergency brake' to 'parking brake.' So it's not something you want to count on in an emergency. Ray: And finally, the hand brake is operated by a cable, which can rust, stretch or even break. So all of the power to stop the car has to come from your hand, and no hydraulic assist is provided. Second, the parking brake does not take advantage of the hydraulic system, which multiplies the force applied by your foot. First of all, the hand brake only operates half of the car's brakes (the rear brakes on virtually all cars). Tom: As you've probably ALSO discovered, however, the parking brake is a lot less effective at stopping the car than the brake system operated by your foot pedal is. And no damage will be done to the brakes or the car if you use it that way. Ray: The parking brake, as you've discovered, can stop the car.

Tom: Of course, if it were Thy Neighbor's hand brake, that's another story, Vic. And sure enough, none of them said 'Thou Shalt Not Use Thy Hand Brake to Stop Thy Car.' Just to be sure, I went back and reread the Ten Commandments. Sometimes when I'm driving along, I slowly pull on the hand brake to stop the car, instead of using the brake pedal. If you’re curious enough to try this on your own car, please don’t try this on the public road or at high speed like Chris Harris is demonstrating, because each car reacts differently.Question: My car has a standard transmission and an emergency hand brake. Intervention from car's safety feature also limit the amount of braking force you can 'force' onto the rear axles. These systems generally still brake the rear wheels as it should, but the issue is that the actuation isn’t as abrupt as compared to manually mechanical handbrake, as EPB is actuated by small electric motors. Watch the video by Nick Murray for yourself, but it’s fair to say it’s not good news. With the mechanical handbrake, it was easy to modulate the braking force at the rear wheels, allowing pro-drivers to adapt to various driving needs. However, with the increasing amount of responsibility we are giving to the car's computer, it seems that fun has been engineered out of the system, in return for safer, easier operation.