Electric Handbrake Not Working ?

[Brayden911]

My handbrake doesnt seem to always engage when I'm facing a hill where my back end would roll, any troubleshooting or is it most likely mechanical ?

 

[Skylarking]

With a manual handbrake, you could feel the contact and force applied when you pulled the lever, heck you could even count the clicks of the handbrake lock pawl while doing so. This gave great feedback when things started to get out of spec.

With electronic handbrake, all that feedback is gone and your only left with a message on the DIC (service handbrake, or such) or feedback via the car rolling down a hill.

So, it could be some electrical gremlin not allowing the handbrake to activate (should get a message on the DIC). Or more likely a mechanical issue. You may need new park brake linings or simply an adjustment.

See this post for adjustment procedure.

PS: I use google with searches like “justcommodores VF park brake not working” and it finds relevant results better than the forum search. Suggest you first try searching before creating a new thread as the answer may already be out there

 

[Mattricho]

Next time you park on the hill you could put the handbrake on what 2-3 secs then pull it up again.
Apparently the system relearns the handbrake position and adjusts to the
new spot or something.

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

With electronic handbrake, all that feedback is gone and your only left with a message on the DIC (service handbrake, or such) or feedback via the car rolling down a hill.

Can't see that happening. The park brake won't activate in any position other than Park, and the DIC will display the message, Shift to Park if this is attempted (in auto).

In my old VZ, (very) old habits died hard: park in the garage in Neutral, pull up the brake and get out. The VF was quite another set of circumstances altogether, with the only other cars in our stable being a VW Golf and Tiguan, both with electronic brake and which the old codger driving the Golf (my brother!) still hasn't learned how to use it!!

 

[Mattricho]

Check out post #3 from @Skylarking in this thread. https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/park-brake-problems.270885/#post-2963860

 

[Banjo79]

Can't see that happening. The park brake won't activate in any position other than Park, and the DIC will display the message, Shift to Park if this is attempted (in auto).

In my old VZ, (very) old habits died hard: park in the garage in Neutral, pull up the brake and get out. The VF was quite another set of circumstances altogether, with the only other cars in our stable being a VW Golf and Tiguan, both with electronic brake and which the old codger driving the Golf (my brother!) still hasn't learned how to use it!!

Not that my EPB is anything to go by, but mine will activate when in neutral. It's Auto.

 

[Skylarking]

... The park brake won't activate in any position other than Park, and the DIC will display the message, Shift to Park if this is attempted (in auto)...

Hm, I though all vehicles were required as part of the ADR’s to have an emergency brake (which also conveniently functions as a park brake). If this is true, then surely the the EPB must also be considered an emergency brake, in which case it must be possible to apply it when moving (or not in parked)?

If the EPB can’t be applied in such a manner, then the VF doesn’t have an emergency brake and the question should be does the car comply with ADR or when were the ADR’s changed to not require an emergency brake?

I’ve also got old habit of going to neutral then applying park brake before applying hand brake putting auto into park. That way I avoid putting any strain on the parking pawl within the auto. It’s such a habit it’s become muscle memory so I do it on all my cars. But the Motorsport primarily lives in the garage which is nice and level so can’t remember what I do when I park... though I don’t remember seeing DIC messages Must read the owners manual

 

[lmoengnr]

I’ve also got old habit of going to neutral then applying park brake before applying hand brake.

Foot brake???

 

[Skylarking]

Foot brake???

No, not sure what went wrong with my post... brain fart, faulty cut/paste, auto correct issue,... don’t know.

But what I meant was go to neutral, apply park brake then put auto into park. Ive fixed my post above... thanks for the heads up.

 

[Anthony121]

No, not sure what went wrong with my post... brain fart, faulty cut/paste, auto correct issue,... don’t know.

But what I meant was fo to neutral, apply park brake then put auto into park. Ive fixed my post above... thanks for the heads up.

It wont hurt the auto if you place it in park. i don't like the auto to lock in park on a him with all the weight of the car on the auto park gear ring.

Also the park brake does activate on the VF as I originally came from a VE and used to hit the park brake thinking it as the window switch. Lucky they were not my cars as I got out of that habit after driving the VF for a while.