I was watching TV yesterday and a car commercial came on. (Don't know which car because they all look alike.) Anyway, a new car feature was an electronic "parking" brake.

I know our 914's have an emergency brake while newer cars we call it the parking brake. Is this because of the split front/back brake systems and our cars no longer need an "emergency" brake? Inquiring minds want to know!

I know an electronic parking brake sounds nice but just wondering of possible electronic gremlins that lurks?!

This off the web-

"Two variations are available: In the more-traditional "cable-pulling" type, an electric motor simply pulls the emergency brake cable rather than a mechanical handle in the cabin. A more complex unit uses two computer-controlled motors attached to the rear brake calipers to activate it. "

I know what you mean. The replacement of linkage with switches is something that worries me. The new Dodge Ram pickup has an electronic dial to switch between gears in its automatic. I'm sure its perfectly safe, but I find myself asking what if. And why?

A lot of it stems from "make it so complicated only our techs can fix it".

Really fly by wire throttle is so great I see nothing going wrong with this.
This society is becoming so fricking lazy. ...but I imagine there's an app for that.

all is good until your battery goes dead & your car rolls down a hill!

Seriously, not much involved in pushing in a pedal or pulling a handle.
But having said that, neither of my two daughters or my wife EVER put the E brake on ???
So if the new Electronic E brakes automatically apply when you put the trans in park then there potentially maybe more cars parked with handbrakes on.

My wife's Audi has an electronic e-brake. I'll bet she doesn't know it even exists...

Well the art & joy of driving a manual transmission is dying in America. No one cares now that you just slam it into park.

Electronic e-brakes are simpler from a hardware point of view. No lever, no cables to fray, rust, adjust. Besides, the brains to do the braking already exist with ABS.

Part of the reason we are seeing more and more fly by wire type things is because wires are lighter than cables. Lighter cars mean more performance and better fuel mileage. Every current Porsche has an electronic parking brake. It started with the Panameras, then the Cayennes, now the Boxsters and 911s have them. The Boxsters and 911s also went with electric assisted power steering instead of hydraulic, again aimed at weight savings.

Couple weeks ago our '96 golf winter beater wouldn't start and I was too sick to look at it. The wife said the coil must be gone...damn she was right.
In fairness this happened to our last golf and she went to P/U the coil.

I had a coil on the parts car out back (same last golf, it was a new coil) swapped it and it fired right up.

Got to love a wife that knows something about cars



Woody, if that is true why are new cars so frickin' heavy?

Not for me. I had quite a scare (in the 914) a few years back when the MC exploded on me in commuter traffic going over the SF bay bridge.

If it hadn't been for a working hand operated "emergency" brake i would have plowed right into the idiot that cut me off and made me slam on the brakes in the first place.
It's quite interesting to navigate several miles of bridge traffic with only your handbrake (and low gear) to slow you down.

Reminds me of a recent post I made.... Goes along with the automatic parking, and automatic slowing you down when you approach a car from behind and............ And all the other electronically assisted crap that just takes people who already needed more driver's ed and enables them to think they need it less.

Anyone who likes this shit should just ride in a Google autonomous car and give up their license.

I thought this was to take the P/S pump load off of the motor to improve fuel econ/HP.

I like the idea of the electronic nanny applying the parking brake when in park. My wife never does this and when she parks on a hill her SUV rocks back and forth when she lets off the brake as the transmission takes the brunt of the weight. Cringe every time...

But I love me some manual e-brake and the satisfying clicks of the handle. They are not hard to adjust nor do you do it that often. Ahh progress.

Actually, the fly by wire system was implemented because of "traction control" systems ie- get off the throttle dummy. You know, that thing that tries to straighten up the car when your trying to slide through a corner, putting you square in to a curb.

Because of all the other things people demand in a car, heated 10 way adjustable seats, 20 speaker sound systems, safety equipment, ect...

Most systems are still capable of an emergency stop. Just push the button and hold on.



My early cable throttle Boxster had traction control.

"Little Mark Henry"

man...don't poke me with that thing!!! no one know what you stuck it in last!

I washed it

I am all for progress and technology. I would be out of work without either, but I feel that there is a line that is crossed all too often. When good habits, critical thinking or common sense are engineered into obsolescence, the line has been crossed.

I think about the auto headlights on my wife's X3 and her previous RX300. It is nice that they come on when it is dark out, but what about when that photo-sensor goes bad and she inadvertently drives without headlights until she happens to notice it.

I really dont know what theyre thinking when they make things overcomplicated . It seems like theyre just making more work for themselves. today i swapped in an aftemarket radio in my neighbors toyota. There were two antennas and it sucks if you only hook up one. Really? now iv got to pull the whole damn thing apart again when the splitter comes in. we have been building cars with just one antenna for a hundred years and now we suddenly need two to make our radio work.

Electronic e-brake might not go over well with the drift
crowd.

I would use one if I knew what would fit on my 930 rotors.

You have a working handbrake?

Used to, but not currently, yet soon again.