Is it possible to put a car with an automatic gearbox on the handbrake

The parking brake is a lever connected to the brake shoes with a special flexible cable. Let's look at some of the reasons why car enthusiasts should use it, even if it has an automatic transmission.

Reliability of fixing the car

If you park on a hill, the question arises which is better: “parking” or a traditional handbrake. If you lock the vehicle in this position using the Parking mode, an impact or build-up could break the bumper and cause the vehicle to roll downhill.

Even if no external influences occur, keep in mind that the main weight of the machine will fall on the stopper and gears, and they wear out faster. Even "for the company" you can ruin the mechanical drive of the blocker. How long these breakdowns will occur is a moot point, but it is still better to prevent possible repairs and apply the parking brake in the parking lot. Please note: to change the stop, you will need to completely remove the gearbox, open it and change the element.

The parking brake is more reliable. It is specially designed to withstand extreme loads and support the machine even on steep slopes. This, of course, is also a relative time, and it is not a good idea to “test drive” the parking brake for your car.

The ideal option would be the following procedure both on a slope and on level ground: we stop the car, press the brake, tighten the handbrake, put the selector in P mode and only then release the brake and turn off the engine. So your car will be repaired more reliably and you run the risk of encountering fewer problems. To exit the slope: press the brake pedal, start the engine, switch the selector to the "Drive" mode and, finally, release the handbrake.

Automatic transmission breakdown protection

Another reason why you should prefer the parking brake to the “Parking” mode is to protect the automatic transmission from damage if another car accidentally hits it. If at the moment of impact the car was on the parking brake, nothing terrible will happen and the repair will cost much less than if the automatic transmission suffers (and automatic transmission repairs are expensive).

Habit formation

If you prefer an automatic manual transmission and have switched to automatic for a long time, do not disdain the parking brake. Life can force you to change to a car with a manual transmission: it will be yours or a friend’s, it’s not so important, but the habit of pressing the handbrake when stopping will protect your property and the property of other people in the most unpredictable situations.

Reaching for the parking brake is still taught in driving schools from a young age, and for good reason.

How to use the handbrake

A handbrake essentially consists of a mechanism that actuates the brake, in the form of a lever or pedal, and cables acting on the main system.

How to use it?

Move the lever so that it is in a vertical position; you will hear the latch click. What happened inside the car? The cables are stretched - they press the brake pads of the rear wheels to the drums. Now that the rear wheels are locked, the car slows down.

To release the parking brake, press and hold the release button and lower the lever to its original position down.

Parking brake types

Depending on the type of drive, the parking brake is divided into:

• mechanic;
• hydraulic;
• electromechanical parking brake (EPB).

Cable parking brake

The first option is the most common due to the simplicity of design and reliability. To activate the parking brake, simply pull the handle towards you. Tight cables block the wheels and reduce speed. The car will stop. The hydraulic parking brake is used much less frequently.

Depending on the type of clutch, the parking brake is:

• pedal (foot);
• with lever

Foot parking brake

On vehicles with an automatic transmission, a pedal operated parking brake is used. The handbrake pedal in such a mechanism is located instead of the clutch pedal.

There are also the following types of operation of the parking brake in the brake mechanisms:

• drum;
• cam;
• screw;
• center or transmission.

Drum brakes use a lever that, when the cable is pulled, begins to act on the brake pads. The latter are pressed against the drum and braking occurs.

When the central parking brake is applied, it is not the wheels that are blocked, but the propeller shaft.

There is also an electric parking brake where the disc brake interacts with the electric motor.

What happens if you park your car on a slope all the time

Logic tells many motorists that the automatic transmission mechanism will have to withstand the loads of constant parking on a slope. This will cause the pin to fail. The car will roll down.

Attention! Owner's manuals for cars with automatic transmission advise the inexperienced car owner to remember to use the handbrake on slopes or sloping terrain.

Yes, and in flat parking lots, it is advisable to use the parking brake. If another car crashes in a parking lot without a parking brake, you will need to repair not only the bumper, but the entire automatic transmission.

Learn more about electromechanical handbrake

Continuing the topic of the EPB device, let's also touch on the electronic control unit. It includes the control unit itself, input sensors and an actuator. The transmission of input signals to the unit is controlled by at least three controls: buttons on the center console of the car, an integrated tilt sensor, and a clutch pedal sensor located in the clutch actuator. The block itself, receiving a signal, gives a command to the devices used, for example, a drive motor.

The nature of the EPV is cyclic, that is, the device turns off and then turns on again. Switching on can be done using the already mentioned buttons on the car console, but the shutdown is automated: as soon as the car moves, the handbrake is turned off. However, by pressing the brake pedal, you can turn off the EPB by pressing the corresponding button. When the brake is released, the EPB control unit analyzes the following parameters: the position of the clutch pedal, as well as the speed of its release, the position of the accelerator pedal, the inclination of the vehicle. Taking into account these parameters, the system can be turned off in a timely manner - the risk of the car rolling away, for example, on a slope, becomes zero.

The most convenient and at the same time efficient electromechanical EPB in cars with automatic transmission. It works well when operating a car in large cities, where alternating starts and stops very often occur. Advanced systems have a special “Auto Hold” control button, by pressing which you can temporarily stop without the risk of rolling the car back. This is useful in the aforementioned city: the driver will only need to press this button instead of constantly holding the brake pedal in the lowest position.

Of course, the advanced electromechanical parking brake looks futuristic and extremely convenient. In fact, there are at least 3 shortcomings that negatively affect the popularity of EPB. But let's touch on the advantages of the system:

• Advantages: compactness, extreme ease of operation, no need for adjustment, automatic shutdown at startup, solving the problem of rolling back the car;
• Disadvantages: high cost, dependence on the battery charge (when it is fully discharged, it will not work to remove the handbrake from the car), the impossibility of adjusting the braking force.

The main drawback of EPB only appears under certain conditions. If the car is idle for a long time, the battery will have time to discharge; there is no secret in this. For owners of a running city car, this problem rarely occurs, but if the transport really needs to be left in the parking lot for a while, then you will need to get a charger or keep the battery charged. As for reliability, practice has shown that in this parameter EPB is inferior to more familiar handbrakes, but only slightly.

Purpose of parking harassment devices

The parking brake (also called the handbrake or just the handbrake for short) is an important control on your vehicle's brakes. The main system is used directly while driving. But the function of the parking brake is different: it will hold the car in place if it is stopped on an incline. Helps to make sharp turns in sports cars. The use of the parking brake can also be forced: if the main brake system fails, you apply the parking brake to stop the car in an emergency, emergency order.

Parking brake malfunctions

The rather simple design of the brake system eventually became its weakness - many not the most reliable elements make the entire system unreliable. Of course, a motorist does not often encounter a parking brake malfunction, but statistics show that during the operation of the car, its owner at least once studied the problem of a parking brake malfunction. Here's what you might notice:

• Increased travel of the leading lever. With this option, one of the following is observed: the length of the rod has increased or the space between the drum and shoes has increased in the respective brake systems. In the first and second cases, adjustment is necessary, and in the second, replacement of the pads may be optional;
• There is no inhibition. The options are as follows: jam the spacer mechanism, “lubricate” the pads, everything that is indicated in the previous paragraph. This will require disassembly of the mechanisms and their cleaning. Adjusting or replacing the pads will help solve the problem;
• There is no disinhibition. Simply put, the brakes get very hot. It is necessary to check whether the brake mechanism is sticking, whether the gaps are set correctly, and it is also necessary to make sure that the coupling springs are in good condition. Disassembly, cleaning and replacement of additional components will solve the problem of releasing the brake.

Individual fault: problem with the brake warning light. It may or may not burn in all cases. In this case, the problem most likely lies precisely in the electrical system of the car. If you have to work directly with the parking brake mechanism, be prepared to buy a parking brake cable in advance. Only the original cable serves for a long time, but most automakers do not determine the most impressive resource - about 100 thousand kilometers. Simply put, during the operation of the car, you will have to replace the cable at least once or adjust its tension.

Checking the parking brake is very simple: put the car on a slope, and then squeeze the lever all the way. The transport should not move, but the corresponding light on the panel should light up. If none of the above happened, you need to repeat the check. If the result does not change, the parking brake will need to be modified or the electrical system checked.

Features of the design and breakdown of the handbrake

Operating a vehicle with a defective parking brake is dangerous. Therefore, if a malfunction is detected, it is necessary to seek help from qualified specialists. Someone prefers to use the parking brake in the parking lot, and someone puts the car in a lower gear.

However, using the latter option is dangerous when the driver can simply forget about the included speed and after starting the engine, the car may lean back or forward. The parking brake is used in parking lots and on slopes. The brake is also used for starting off and braking on slopes. The parking brake has a mechanical drive, which is activated when pressed:

• strong pressure sharply blocks the wheels;
• gentle pressure results in a slow, controlled deceleration.

Depending on the design of the parking brake, it can block the rear wheels or the propeller shaft. In the latter case, they speak of a central brake. When the parking brake is applied, the cables are tensioned evenly, which causes the wheels to lock. The parking brake has a sensor that indicates that the parking brake button is pressed and the brake is active.

Before driving, make sure the parking brake indicator is off. Adjusting the parking brake begins with checking its performance. This procedure should be carried out every 20-30 thousand kilometers.

Even if the parking brake works flawlessly, it needs to be checked. To test the parking brake, fully depress the parking brake and engage first gear. Then you need to slowly release the clutch pedal.

If there is no problem with the parking brake, the car's engine will stop. If the vehicle begins to move slowly, the parking brake should be adjusted or repaired. An example is replacing the parking brake cables. This must be done so that the brake reacts to the force of pressing and the wheels are blocked. The footrest or lift can be used to adjust the parking brake. It is better to entrust the work to professionals.