Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

Five weeks ago I changed the "daily", a Fiat 500L 1.6 diesel for a pre registered Fiat 500X 1.6 diesel Multicross.
I knew I was in trouble driving the thing from the dealership - the electronic handbrake refused to release. A mechanic was quickly called and he operated the mechanism a number of times until it finally released. The car was taken into the workshop and inspected.

"It'll be fine now, sir, car's been stood since September."

It failed to release once more on the journey home - my fault, I hadn't co-ordinated pressing the footbrake and lifting the "button" at the same time.

When I arrived home I operated it on the drive and listened to the power of the motor which applies the brake. The strain it must cause to the mechanism cannot be good for it's longevity. Then I worked out if there's an electrical failure, there's no handbrake.

After a month I'd had enough, I didn't like the 500X anyway and yesterday took delivery a nearly new Fiat 500L Lounge.

The manual handbrake is very reassuring.
(My nephew has just paid £850 to overhaul the electric handbrake on his Land Rover Discovery 3)
The present and future in new car technology is leaving me behind..........

Uncle Mort lives on.
_________________
Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[47Jag]

Ellis bach,

The electronic handbrake has a switch on the accelerator pedal. This may have been maladjusted. The way it works is, once the brake is applied, say at at traffic light, you would select a gear and drive away. The action of pressing the accelerator releases the brake. i would think if the switch is not adjusted correctly the brake would 'think' you are driving away.

I'm with you on this. My car has an electric brake but i would rather have a cable. With the electric brake in an emergency when you would want instant results you have to go through a 'negotiation'. You apply the brake and it beeps at you as if to say "are you sure" for a fair distance while you hurtle toward oblivion, then it applies, maybe in time, maybe not.

Art

[MVPeters]

[Dipster]

I really am becoming like Victor Meldrew, I know that.

But I do wonder who thought of putting such gizmos on cars. Are they cheaper to make and install than cables and ratcheted levers? Or do car companies look forward to reaping repair costs later in the car`s life?

Moderns are just too complicated for me. I really get little pleasure in driving most of them. Plus so many look simply wierd to my eyes and often painted strange colours too. Giant Tonka toys. Yuk!!

I really cannot see myself ever buying another new car, all seem too complicated.

[D4B]

[emmerson]

.....and why do they put pink or green bits on black cars?

[Dipster]

[colwyn500]

On a related theme, I was reading up on a device available in Poland, which is a pulley bolted onto the external crankshaft pulley of The Maluch or Fiat 126P. This allows you to use, as they say, "a rope" to pull-start the little, 2-cylinder engine when the battery is iffy because of cold weather. It's actually quite pracical with the engine being at the back and slung quite low.

[emmerson]