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Who has pulled the parking brake switch while driving?

11K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  tturedraider 
#1 ·
I've been reading the manual. Under parking brake: setting: while driving: use while driving; it states "pull the switch and hold it. The vehicle brakes hard while the button is being pulled." Well, I'll bet it does. But why? Probably good for doing 180 degree turns while running from the police but why else would you want to do this?
 
#3 ·
If you pull the handbrake and holds it I think you trigger the emergency breaking (like the passenger could stop the car if the driver suddenly pass out or something), but I don´t think you end up with locking the backwheels and the good old drifting from handbrake pulling on cars with manual handbrake.
 
#5 ·
This is really good to know. M-B has an archaic, frankly painfully analogue "Foot E Brake" which is the antithesis to cool or forward-thinking, but I always accepted that an analogue E-brake was the safest way to have an "Emergency-brake". I wondered how even with BMW's much more elegant and tech oriented "E"-brake, they figured we could actually use it in the case of an "Emergency". Glad to know that it can be used as such. Now to register it in my head in case I ever need it for anything (hopefully I don't!).
 
#6 · (Edited)
Just FYI, as to "forward thinking"... In the 60's and forward, Cadillac used a vacuum release P-Brake, which released automatically when the car was put in gear. It was your typical foot-operated small pedal. One of the stated reasons for this design is that it would not lock while in gear, and could be used, if necessary, as an auxiliary brake.

In my previous BMW's with the standard hand-lever design, the manuals stated it was a good idea to momentarily engage the p-brake occasionally while driving, to clean the device (does it have it's own shoe or pad, I forget) -- but I maybe did that 2 or 3 times.
 
#11 ·
LOL. :) I hadn't even read the manual when in the first week of owning my car I wanted to see what would happen if I activated it while driving, so I did. I was only going 30 or 40 mph in my neighborhood, but sure enough the car rapidly slowed down, accompanied by all manner of chimes and flashing dash lights.

So it seems to work as advertised, at least at moderate speeds...:thumbup:
 
#12 ·
With the advent of dual circuit brake systems the trusty "emergency" brake is really more of a "parking" brake. It is nice to know that activating and holding the "e-brake" will slow the car rapidly (according to the owner's manual!)
 
#14 ·
I've done it in my 550. It doesn't lock the wheels, it just decelerates quickly and lets you know the emergency brake is on through a chime and icon on the dash. Like a previous poster said, it's designed to allow a passenger to stop the car in an emergency.
 
#15 ·
Having the electronic ebrake is a very, very good thing for other reasons. It allows our F10's to have Hill Descent Control, Auto Hold, and the other feature that keeps MT cars from rolling backward when you start up on a hill (forget the particular name for that one). Our F31 has a traditional mechanical ebrake, and as a result lacks all those features. I miss them.
 
#17 ·
Not related I don't think. My '08 335i, 6MT, had hill assistant which kept it from rolling backwards on a hill, with a traditional, "manual" hand brake. Auto Hold is also not a function of the parking brake. These are functions tied to the normal service brake operation.
 
#23 ·
Not related I don't think. My '08 335i, 6MT, had hill assistant which kept it from rolling backwards on a hill, with a traditional, "manual" hand brake. Auto Hold is also not a function of the parking brake. These are functions tied to the normal service brake operation.
Correct. The F3x has Hill Hold.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I did it. All four wheels locked up and my car went out of control little bit, but safely did double 360 spin. I stepped out bit dizzy & said "The Ultimate Driving Machine".
On a serous note, as long as the lever is pulled, car will brake hard itself to a complete stop without crazy lockups and leave the car with e-brake engaged. If you let go lever, brakes are released. It acts just like foot pedal brake. I have done it multiple times.

You guys are ***** to try it. :)
 
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