I have had a automatic car for 20 years and I have rarely used the handbrake, except on hills. I have never had any problems with the mechanics.
In Oct 2010 I purchased a Mk 2 on a 57 plate.
On 10 months later I have had to replace a significant part of the hand brake system , because I had not used the handbrake.
I have been told that I need to regularly use the handbrake otherwise the system will corrode -- which was the issue with my Mk2.
Questions:
Is it necessary to use the handbrake regularly?
Does the handbrake system corrode IF the handbrake is left unused?

OR is all this hogwash

I myself rarely use the handbrake and there is a little truth in what they say. Due to the mucky environment the mechanism lives in then regular usage should ensure it won't seize up, and come service time hopefully they would apply some lubrication to carry through for another year.
But if its not used then yes, I would expect it to partially seize.

I remember that advice being in handbooks back to my old man's first automatic Volvo in 1973!

Same goes for sunroof cables.

use the hand brake to do the odd 'safe' emergency stop every now and again this should heat it up and dry it, they do corrode causing the liners to fall off and/or the adjusters to seize. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Handbrake is part of MOT and must record 15% efficiency calculated against vehicle weight. It is classed as an EMERGENCY BRAKE. Old cars without dual circuit foot brake need 25%.
If you do not apply handbrake until vehicle is stationary NO wear can take place and as such should have a long life, regular use prevents all moving parts from seizing.
Similar, if you do not use air con seals dry out and gas leaks. All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

Looking at the amount of rust that built up on my rear discs last winter, I'm not surprised the handbrake corrodes. On older cars the brake automatically cleaned itself as it worked on the main brake shoes, but that's no longer the case.
It's actually bad practice to leave an automatic in park with the engine running. There were cases in the States of the box slipping out of park. Again it was worse in the old days - remember the DAF that had no neutral position in the box, or the man who was crushed to death by his Austin Cambridge auto when he started it on the handle while it was in gear.

Mine has started to play up too. I haven't been using it all the time and when I do, I don't pull it up to the same extent I would with a manual car because I know it won't go anywhere. It does work if I need it and I checked last week because I was getting a squeek afterwards if I did use it. I would like to strip it down to check whether the linings are fully attached but the adjuster on the side I checked seemed to have seized up. I did give the screwdriver a whack with a persuader but still no go and didn't want to force it. It is coming up towards a yearly service but it would pay me to do the job myself. It seems to have stopped sqeeking at the moment.

Colin 1982 RR Classic-converted to 200TDi-gone
1992 RR VogueSE- converted to autogas-gone
2000 FL1 3dr (wife's)
1996 Disco 1 300 Tdi(gone)
2007 FL2 TD4 GS auto (gone)
MY 2011 SD4 HSE Automatic

chicken george wrote:

use the hand brake to do the odd 'safe' emergency stop every now and again this should heat it up and dry it, they do corrode causing the liners to fall off and/or the adjusters to seize.

Mona Geeza wrote:

chicken george wrote:

use the hand brake to do the odd 'safe' emergency stop every now and again this should heat it up and dry it, they do corrode causing the liners to fall off and/or the adjusters to seize.

Ive tried a stop on only the handbrake on a couple of occasions to test its effectiveness on the FL2 and when you do it its sounds like its affecting the rear diff and 4 wheel drive system, which I suppose it must as its detecting a possible skid situation, it causes expensive sounding clunks from the rear end, I wont be doing that anymore?

It's probably a LR recommendation so when your FL2 is running fine it can generate some revenue  2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

Great responses

Thanks everybody

NO NO NO DONT USE THE HANDBRAKE FOR EMERGANCY STOPS !!!!!!!!!!. Yes the inside of the drums will rust over time due to damp air and or wading etc etc. Al you have to do is use your handbrake lighty at about 30mph for a 100 yards or so every three months or every time you have been wading.
This will stop the adjusters from sticking and keep clean the drum linnings of the rear discs. Your hand brake is only for parking and nothing more but lack of incorrect use will cause failure

superspark wrote:

NO NO NO DONT USE THE HANDBRAKE FOR EMERGANCY STOPS !!!!!!!!!!. Yes the inside of the drums will rust over time due to damp air and or wading etc etc. Al you have to do is use your handbrake lighty at about 30mph for a 100 yards or so every three months or every time you have been wading.
This will stop the adjusters from sticking and keep clean the drum linnings of the rear discs. Your hand brake is only for parking and nothing more but lack of incorrect use will cause failure

Is that why it's called the 'parking brake'  2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

Simont.
The handbrake is NOT for emergency stops IT IS AN EMERGENCY BRAKE as well as park brake that is why it must have a braking effiency of minimum 15% against vehicle weight when tested on MOT brake rollers. It is tested with wheels rotating and brake applied. The footbrake is required to have minimum 55% efficiency so you will gather that handbrake has to have reasonable stopping power.
Should you have total footbrake failure this is all you have left and that is why it is part of MOT.

For 4 wheel drive vehicles brakes are tested on the road using a decelerometer type meter and car is driven at 15mph and handbrake applied, meter must register required efficency.

I agree gentle application now and again at low speed keeps things clean.

Handbrake on autos is high of fail list of MOTs All FL2's (3) Gone
2011 Mercedes C180 CGI Gone
FL2 GS Auto SD with heated leather, factory tints, alloy spare and a few other bits.

when I said a 'safe' emergency stop I meant that, not an attempt to slam the brakes on, either way your unlikely to wear the shoes out before the corrosion kills them so dont' worry about using them to slow you down at least from time to time.


my old park brake shoes were corroded to hell due to damp on them, I shall be letting them get warm from time to time now, especially in winter, best way to do that is an emergency type stop/slow down At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Last edited by chicken george on 3rd Aug 2011 4:00 pm. Edited 1 time in total