Mercedes Parking Brakes
Discussion
I'm not sure if this is the place for a rant but.....
Why oh why do Mercedes persist in these god awful devices? they are OK (sort of) with an auto, but last few days have had the misfortune to be driving a manual Merc with one of these foot operated parking brakes.
As luck would have it, the traffic was busy and it was in a quite hilly town, so lots and lots of hill starts.
Stop.
Keep Right foot on brake.
Engage neutral.
Move left foot from clutch to parking brake.
Press parking brake, oh damn forgot to pull the release so get the horrible ratchet sound.
Right foot off brake.
And rest oh stuff it we're off again,
left foot on clutch,
engage gear, bit of gas, biting point, fumble under dash for brake release.
Away we go.
after 50 yards.
Stop.
Keep Right foot on brake.
Engage neutral.
Move left foot from clutch to parking brake.
Remember about ratchet, fumble under dash for brake release.
Press parking brake, release brake release.
Right foot off brake.
And rest, oh stuff it we're off again,
left foot on clutch,
engage gear, bit of gas, biting point, fumble under dash yet again for brake release.
Away we go.
and reiterate.
aaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Anyone found a decent way of operating these infernal things?
I got a lot of heel and toe practice.
Not very mechanically sympathetic though.
Why oh why do Mercedes persist in these god awful devices? they are OK (sort of) with an auto, but last few days have had the misfortune to be driving a manual Merc with one of these foot operated parking brakes.
As luck would have it, the traffic was busy and it was in a quite hilly town, so lots and lots of hill starts.
Stop.
Keep Right foot on brake.
Engage neutral.
Move left foot from clutch to parking brake.
Press parking brake, oh damn forgot to pull the release so get the horrible ratchet sound.
Right foot off brake.
And rest oh stuff it we're off again,
left foot on clutch,
engage gear, bit of gas, biting point, fumble under dash for brake release.
Away we go.
after 50 yards.
Stop.
Keep Right foot on brake.
Engage neutral.
Move left foot from clutch to parking brake.
Remember about ratchet, fumble under dash for brake release.
Press parking brake, release brake release.
Right foot off brake.
And rest, oh stuff it we're off again,
left foot on clutch,
engage gear, bit of gas, biting point, fumble under dash yet again for brake release.
Away we go.
and reiterate.
aaaaaarrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Anyone found a decent way of operating these infernal things?
I got a lot of heel and toe practice.
Not very mechanically sympathetic though.
My E class has a footbrake hold feature. You press firmly on the footbrake, then release the pedal and the footbrake continues to hold. When you start moving, the brake releases automatically. The brake you were using is called a parking brake, and that is what it is intended for. Although my Merc is an auto, I have driven manuals with similar hill start systems which work a treat. Are you sure the car you were driving did not have this feature?
Personally, I would like to see Mercs following Jag BMW Lexus and many cheaper brands by introducing an electronically operated parking brake - which would also have a hill start feature.
Personally, I would like to see Mercs following Jag BMW Lexus and many cheaper brands by introducing an electronically operated parking brake - which would also have a hill start feature.
waremark said:
My E class has a footbrake hold feature. You press firmly on the footbrake, then release the pedal and the footbrake continues to hold. When you start moving, the brake releases automatically. The brake you were using is called a parking brake, and that is what it is intended for. Although my Merc is an auto, I have driven manuals with similar hill start systems which work a treat. Are you sure the car you were driving did not have this feature?
My old '86 Subaru Leone had one of those - clutch in, pump brake twice and stays on until you let the clutch out.
waremark said:
Are you sure the car you were driving did not have this feature?
Not able to check now unfortunately to give a definitive answer, but I did stand on the brake fairly hard when brake testing first thing in a morning so I would imagine it would have triggered, but basically no idea either way tbh. It was a Vito, so maybe that feature doesn't make it into the more agricultural end of the range.
I agree that the variety of parking brake systems can be confusing. I have three cars each with a different system. On the Mercedes, I find the parking brake "hold" OK when stopping at traffic lights etc but not as good as my Picasso when stopping as its easy to forget to push the brake on hard enough - I count clicks now and double check. Also if you use the hold function then switch off the engine, alarms go off to say "apply brake now!!! That really got me first as I kept pressing the foot-operated parking brake and the alarm still sounded. Discovered that you have to press the footbrake again to disconnect the "hold" function - very confusing at first.
My main gripe the the merc is that the "hold" function doesn't work in reverse. For example if you are maneuvering a five point turn in a restricted space and having to reverse up a slope, you have to apply the foot operated brake then slip the clutch and disconnect the brake using the hand switch - this come off suddenly - its not progressive. I found its easy to get into difficult situation if you have other cars within a few feet in this type of situation.
Agree that its technology for the sake of it. When I used to tow - decided not to get a merc for this reason.
Bring back the hand brake!!!
My main gripe the the merc is that the "hold" function doesn't work in reverse. For example if you are maneuvering a five point turn in a restricted space and having to reverse up a slope, you have to apply the foot operated brake then slip the clutch and disconnect the brake using the hand switch - this come off suddenly - its not progressive. I found its easy to get into difficult situation if you have other cars within a few feet in this type of situation.
Agree that its technology for the sake of it. When I used to tow - decided not to get a merc for this reason.
Bring back the hand brake!!!
Holy thread resurrection
My Volvo xc90 has a foot operated parking brake - I bought an auto because having driven a manual vito with the same set-up I could not be arsed with the hassle.
In the vito, the foot operated brake is there so that you can have 3 across the front bench - god only knows why Volvo felt it necessary to do this in the XC90 which only has 2 front seats and a massive centre console.
My Volvo xc90 has a foot operated parking brake - I bought an auto because having driven a manual vito with the same set-up I could not be arsed with the hassle.
In the vito, the foot operated brake is there so that you can have 3 across the front bench - god only knows why Volvo felt it necessary to do this in the XC90 which only has 2 front seats and a massive centre console.
king sF i F said:
Not able to check now unfortunately to give a definitive answer, but I did stand on the brake fairly hard when brake testing first thing in a morning so I would imagine it would have triggered, but basically no idea either way tbh.
It was a Vito, so maybe that feature doesn't make it into the more agricultural end of the range.
My hold function doesn't always work when cold...It was a Vito, so maybe that feature doesn't make it into the more agricultural end of the range.
Clark3y said:
Why do you need a handbrake for a hill start anyway? I've never had a problem going from brake to accel without rolling backwards. I suppose if you are a total beginner driver then maybe a problem exists there, but otherwise?
Use a handbrake please, your brakelights are burning my retinas.simoid said:
Use a handbrake please, your brakelights are burning my retinas.
Sorry, you have to put up with it if you are behind me. In the Merc I use the brake hold feature which keeps the brake lights on. In the Jag I keep the footbrake pressed in order to keep the engine stopped. If I apply the (happily in my opinion) electronic parking brake and release the footbrake the engine restarts. Having become used to Stop/Start, it seems incredibly wasteful to have the engine running while stopped.If you don't want the car in front to wait with brake lights on, you will have to persuade the manufacturers that waiting with brake lights is a problem. It isn't for me - and apparently not for many others, virtually all cars waiting at lights in London show brake lights.
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