SSQ

Hey guys, I accidently drove with my emergency break engaged today. It for for quite a few miles.... like 5 maybe. Should I worry?

AcidDrop

iTrader: (4)

depending on how high the handle was, i've droven like 3 miles with it 1 click up and i was like why the heck is my car laggin it until i saw when i was already at my destination LOL. but really no you shouldn't and you should double check it that it's fully down everytime you hop in.

TylerC08

Just check out your rear brake pads. If you had the handle engaged pretty light then you'll probably be ok.

XPRESSCION

I driven my old Ford Probe with the full brake. Doing speeds of 35 about five-six miles. That was interesting. Got home and my brake pads were smoking

Funny thing about that was I bought the car within a week.

Did the same with my old xA. For some strange reason, the car seemed to disengaged it for me. No struggle on acceleration and no brake pressure. No smoking or burning smell.

Now, I'm used to putting on brake and I'm 100% with turning it off. Helps when you live on a hill and you have better car to take care of, I guess

SSQ

Well, we actually have a drum brake behind the disc brake for the emergency. So you can't really tell by just looking at the pads. I think I was doing like 3 clicks up, and after I noticed it, I drove for a litte longer and then pulled over to look. It was REALLY hot and I smell something burnt.

However I did try to see if the hand brake still feels right by going up a hill, settig it in Neutral, pull the hand brake, and it feels ok. Also I set it in drive, let it roll, and slowly pull the hand brake click by click. First and second click there was little resistance, third click slowed the car down, and 4th and 5th stopped the car. So that part is normal. What concerns me is that at the 3rd click, while the car is still rolling slowly, there's a high pitch squeal, which then disappears as I pull it to 4th or release it. Does this sound normal?

WAlterEgo

iTrader: (1)

if it smelled bad while ur driving, u should get that checked out. if not, u should be fine.

SSQ

well, I didn't smell bad while I drive. I was in the car and smelled nothing. But when I got out to look at it, there's a slight smell....

Eltaco

The only concern I could see would be a warped rotor due to the heat. After it cools, put the car in reverse and back up a ways, use the e-brake to stop the car to set the pads. Not sure if this will work because I am going off the knowledge that older vehicles with drum rear brakes used to have an auto-adjuster that would seat the shoes every time you would apply the brakes in reverse.

SSQ

thanks, I'll make sure to do that. Man.... this sucks, I have never done this before in all of my previous cars, but this is already the second time I did this in my tC.

Spicy_McHaggiz

iTrader: (1)

No such thing as an emergency brake, its a parking brake and should never be used for emergency situations

RCZDesigns

I did it ALOT in my old tC. I am not sure why but when I first got it I kept forgetting to lower it 100% and I only noticed when I looked at my dash and seen the light.

Eventually it didn't lock the wheels at full engagement but it still held the car in place on a hill, so effit.

The squeek i'm sure is nothing new and (while I can't explain why it does it) you probably only notice it now because you're looking for it. Don't lose sleep over it, but if you're feeling froggy take off your rear wheel, caliper and rotor and take a peak.

bigwillystyle23

hahah true^^ OMG PANIC lets lock up the brakes and slide out of control now!!!!$#%

SSQ

Well, I am no expert when it comes to cars, that's why I am asking. I apologize if I misused words, but hey, at least it got my point through!

But your inputs has been very helpful, I don't feel as bad now.

bigwillystyle23

hahaha i laugh at it but i call it an e brake too

RCZDesigns

Emergency has been a popular term for the parking brake for like decades now, haha. Don't feel bad. I actually call it an e-brake also.

Think about it, your main brakes go out, what do you do? Steer for grass, houses, pedestrians? I think not. Hitting a person will dent my hood or worse, so i'm slowing myself with the E-BRAKE.

Am I right or am I right?

trialsindude

Hmm maybe having no brakes....the EMERGENCY brake will come in handy to slow the car down a little bit.

TeeCizzle

HaHa...I've done this too!....OOPS!

Eltaco

Hmm, would your brakes work without hydraulic fluid? It is true that it's first and foremost use is for parking, ie in an automatic transmission it is not advisable to rely on the "park" position of the gear selector, in a manual transmission it is not advisable to rely on the compression of a non-running motor to hold your vehicle in place. I would use the parking brake in an emergency if I were to lose hydraulic fluid in my brake lines.

By the way, airplanes that have hydraulic controls have a cable system as a fail-safe, similar to the "E-brake" in your car.

FallenAngel

One afternoon (I had my old Sunfire that I got rid of for my tC), I was supposed to be going to pick my sister up from work. I noticed I had a turn signal light out, so I went ot stop at the auto parts store to get a new turn signal bulb.

Now, the intersection at the bottom of the hill where the auto parts store is VERY busy. I went to stop at the bottom of the hill (waiting to make a right hand turn, while the cars coming the opposite way making a left had the right of way, so I had to yeild/stop). Only problem was, I was hitting the brake, and I wasn't stopping. My foot pressed on the brake pedal and went "THOOMPH" (or something like that)... no stoppage!

So, I pulled on the emergency brake and stopped. I had an emergency, and it stopped me. Scariest thing that ever happened to me.

Had I not noticed my turn signal light was out and stopped at the auto parts store (had to stop using the e-brake at 30mph), I would have went straight to pick my sister up from work, on the highway, at 70mph. The exit ramps around here are VERY short, and I highly doubt the e-brake/parking brake would have stopped me in time from hitting something very dangerous at 70mph. I think someone was looking out for me that day.

So the term e-brake is fine with me (btw, the inspection station missed the fact my brake line was about ready to burst, bubbled up and all... it ruptured, caused me to lose the fluid, and caused my brakes to fail)

To the OP, if you're worried about it, I'd have it looked at just to make sure it's in working order. If you had an emergency and your brakes don't work..........