Got to work to find an empty, snow covered car park.

Usually this is a red rag to a bull, however I had a bit of a problem this morning, ie no handbrake just a bl**dy button on the dash.

I wasnt too sure what effect this would have on a) my ability to control slides and b) the car, so i sensibly parked up and went into the office.

Has anybody tried handbrake turns by button?

Another piece of evidence to back up my theory that Passats are one of the dullest cars ever made.

My car park wasn't empty. Didn't stop me!!

AHAHAHAHA!!!

you LOOSE!

this pleases me 🙂

(commiserations :p)

ESP traction thing needs turning off too! If the button is hit repeatidly it does help get 'things' started.

The car park was empty & you still wouldn't press the button?

wuss 😉

wasn't the whole point of the handbrake that it was an entirely seperate mechanical system for stoping the car? Hence why they always used to work on the rear drum as its easy enough to fit one mechanical and one hydraulic piston?

Surely somethig that relies on the car's electrics is just as doomed to fail in an emergency as the existing brakes?

wasn't the whole point of the handbrake that it was an entirely seperate mechanical system for stoping the car?

I always thought of it as a parking brake
the main braking system has separate, independent sub-systems

Yeah – always seems to have half finished packets that lie around for ages, never getting used – fusilli, macaroni, shells etc…..

Oh, hang on!

Same on my Merc. Little foot pedal for a hand brake, separate hand lever to release it. At least on my AMG you can turn off most (but not all TC, ESP, USP, TLA, EBDC, ETC) ncontrol systems.

😆 Give it abit of scandinavian flick

Good example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbr1K3uuOPk

Goan – Premier Member
Do you guys have no skills whatsoever. Reverse donut is the way forward in a fwd car in the snow….

Good Man! 😆

Do you guys have no skills whatsoever. Reverse donut is the way forward in a fwd car in the snow….

J-turns if you are advanced. 😀

Went out in the Legacy first thing this morning. I live in the country with some great roads. Power slide tastic. I underestimated just how icy it was and had a heartstopping moment as the ABS took forever to stop me.

At lunch time, I went through to Edinburgh in the C5. I couldnt get out of the driveway and uphill at all. Subaru's rock. I can just about forgive the fuel comsumption for the rest of the year for the few days when it snows 😀

will, i blame you when i bin my car on the way home this evening 🙁

That's very clever will, you knew what he was going to say before he said it!

whats the state with passats and MOTs? my understanding was you needed a completely mechanical brake to pass the MOT (for emergencies, I guess) but if the passat doesn't have one, how do they pass (or are they not that old yet?)

I am clever aren't I 😆

my renault has an electric parkign brake – it's on a spearate circuit to the main brakse and just uses a small electric motor at the back to pressurise the system. They even provide a helpful hole in the boot floor so you can let the pressure out the system if you have a total electrical failure and need to move the car.

the swedish 'steer away from the corner and then into it' is the way forward for car park antics. I've watched Cars!

whats the state with passats and MOTs? my understanding was you needed a completely mechanical brake to pass the MOT (for emergencies, I guess) but if the passat doesn't have one, how do they pass (or are they not that old yet?)

that was my point,

-drum braked cars have two cylinders
-loads of disk braked cars have a second set of calipers for the handbrake

the main braking system has separate, independent sub-systems

Not always, mines just 1 master cylinder and 4 callipers, although yes I do believe modern cars have the system split into front left+rear right and vice versa so you always have one front brake and one on each side of the car.

Not always, mines just 1 master cylinder and 4 callipers

All the master cylinders I've seen are designed with dual systems built into them as a fail-safe

EDIT:
Like this

Nope.
Mine has a hand brake and worked just fine last night in Tescos's car park!

My old Alfa Sud's HB worked on the front wheels. Now where's the fun in that!

Think i'm going to go empty car park hunting tonight on the way home 🙂

yup, mines old, only on line form the master cylinder, spits into two, then into four

Hehe, j turns tonight in the yard, managed to get a couple of perfect 180's.

Even better tomorrow there will be snow on top of ice, am going to try a full 360, well or just keep my foot on the gas and see what happens.

Behind PC world in Swansea is a massive sheet of Icy fun at the moment. Giggle-tastic.

you should try pushing the same sort of button in an Audi A8 – manual says you can do it – you get a mega emergency stop lol!