michael769 wrote:fungus wrote:TheInsanity1234 wrote:Am I the only one here who dislikes the electronic parking brake?
You have a good point there, however, your comment about bump starting would not apply to an auto. IIAC, you should not attempt to bump start an auto, i'ts something to do with causing damage to the transmission. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
This is correct for traditional auto boxes. DSG boxes would not be harmed but their electronically controlled clutches would make any attempt to bump start an exercise in futility.
Bump starting can also risk poisoning the catalyst (unless it starts on the first go), so you should not really bump start any, modern car if you can avoid it, and indeed you will find most handbooks warn against it. Personally I've ended up getting one of those battery pack starters.
The big problem with electronic handbrakes is that if they fail to release you cannot even tow the car and I understand it is difficult to even dismantle them at the roadside without the correct software to instruct the ECU to retract the pistons (assuming that even works).
I have to agree I am not a big fan of electronic handbrakes and prefer the manuals, but I they don't really bother me day to day.
That's interesting, what you say about bump starting being likely to poison the catalyst. I must admit I occasionally bump start our 406 HDi, not because I need to, but to save a bit of battery and starter motor activity. Maybe I should reconsider that, in the light of what you say.
Anyhow, cars (going back a while) that could be bump started safely were those Jaguars of the 1950s and 1960s that were fitted with the old Borg-Warner 'DG' transmission. There were no electronics involved, everything was mechanical/hydraulic, but a successful bump start needed a speed of about 35-40 mph to be achieved, because of the hyrdraulic pump mounted at the rear (the output end) of the transmission: lower speeds didn't produce sufficient pressure, apparently.
Anyhow, there was a story (supposedly true) about a chap with one such car needing a bump start, and he explained the speed requirement to another driver who had stopped to offer assistance. Very shortly afterwards, while expecting the other car to gently engage with his rear end (this was in an era when we had proper bumpers, not flimsy plastic) and push him along the road, he looked in his mirror and was horrified to see the good samaritan approaching at about 40 mph......