Have you noticed that some people go through life putting un-necessary strain on innocent items such as:
Any other pet strains you have noticed?
The thread-strippers and nut& bolt head-rounders club.
My brother in law when he turns a light. Turns it back on, then off again to make sure its working.
Pulling up handbrake without pushing in the button at the end.
Sometimes seems that actors are told to do this as it is rare not to hear the ratchet mechanism in films/TV.
As I recall....and I'm not going out to the car right now...my car manual tells you not to push in the button when applying the handbrake.
OK, it's not a totally conventional handbrake handle, but near enough. (Ford S-Max 2006)
I wonder for how long we will hear the sound of an SLR to convince us in films that a photo has been taken.
My wife still asks - "did you pull the chain" when grandson uses toilet.
That is because if you depress the button it is possible to release it and have the ratchet just catch on the tips. It can then release and run you over.
It can happen on other cars but the driver will always swear they have put the handbrake on properly even if they have never read the manual.
To be honest, how often have you had to replace a hand-brake ratchet in the last ten years? Perhaps once upon a time it was a problem, but it's certainly not a major cause of mechanical breakdowns.
And how will pressing the button prevent that? I'd say you're just as likely to drop the pawl on a chipped tooth as you are to catch one on the fly.
If the instructions are anything like those for my Mondeo, you are supposed to keep the foot brake fully depressed, then yank the handbrake on firmly without touching the button. If you release the ratchet whilst you are doing this, it is almost inevitable that your pull will have relaxed slightly by the time you engage the ratchet. The recommended method ensures you capture maximum pull.
Chris
Chris J Dixon used his keyboard to write :
That works on any car....
Keeping the foot brake pressed down compresses the shoes/pads permitting the hand brake lever to be pulled up further and to hold it on tighter. You can feel the difference if you press down on the pedal at the same time as you pull the lever up.
I do push the button in as I pull the lever - if it hasn't dropped into the ratchet properly, you can feel it on the button as it is released.
What about car wheels always squealing even when the car has been driven off in a straight line at 20mph. Or a public address system / mic always squealing / feeding back when a person takes to the lectern, even if they never moved the mic ? Simon.
Honestly - never. But I particularly notice it when the cars are period and might be affected by wear.
All those decades ago when I had driving lessons, my instructor made a big deal about pressing the button in - maybe to prevent wear, maybe because he couldn't stand the sound - I know not.
Since then, I have always noticed when others let the ratchet clickand prefer to to inflict that on others.
Many cars have totally separate handbrake mechanisms with no connection to the footbrake at all. Most BMWs, for example, have disc rear brakes which includes a drum in the centre for the handbrake. Jaguars used to have a second mechanical caliper on the rear discs for the handbrake only.
Message-ID: from Rod contained the following:
It was the general advice as I recall. But then so was the advice to get into top gear as soon as possible. Nowadays they teach 30mph = 3rd gear
Slamming the car door with a bunch keys of keys in the lock. You can count how many times they have done that by the number of chips in the paint caused by the other keys.
Pressing harder on remote control buttons when the batteries are going flat. If they're really on their way out, pressing hard and thrusting the RC towards the TV in a stabbing motion.
Pumping the button at a pedestrian crossing, to make the lights turn red sooner.
I find the squealing tyre sound effects even more amusing when the vehicle is being driven on loose sand, gravel, grass or even bare earth.
Is the tarmac in supermarket car parks specially developed to produce the squealing noise at every turn?
And twiddling that knob underneath to make them change faster. Not many people know that the knob is there for visually impared people - it rotates when the green Man is on.
And pushing in front of you to press the already illuminated Lift Call button.
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