Electronic parking brake- what would happen if...

[discv]

Following an incident today where I had exited my C4GP, with the box in neutral and engine running. Senior moment I guess, I had assumed the parking brake to be on- a bad assumption. My wife tried to apply the hand brake, which of course is not there. All ended well and lesson learnt!

But I got to thinking. What would happen if the dash top switch where to be operated if the car was in motion? As in an emergency situation where the passenger needed to stop the car where in the past the hand brake lever would have been yanked.

Would nothing happen- or would the rear wheels lock up.

[wheeler]

The parking brake will apply when in motion if you push and hold the switch in the on position. Even though its electrically operated it is still your emergency brake should the footbrake fail.

[GiveMeABreak]

The system uses Dynamic Emergency Braking. It is handled and controlled by the ESP ECU.

In an emergency, (say the driver becoming incapacitated for example), the passenger should pull the electronic handbrake lever fully and hold it continually. The ESP detects this and will bring the car to a controlled emergency stop using the stability programme.

[discv]

Thanks to both replies. But who is right?! Push and hold- or pull up. ( I did not realise the switch could be pulled up)

[GiveMeABreak]

Wheeler and my posts must of crossed.

In your case with your C4 Picasso you pull it - which is what you would normally do to apply it, or press to release:

[wheeler]

Sorry, my reply was generic to all cars with an EPB. Yes, the C4 picassso has a switch that can be pushed and pulled but some cars eg the VW Passat the button can only be pushed, it is pushed to apply then pushed again to release. in this case you push & hold to apply in an emergency. What I was meaning was whatever button you push or pull to apply the handbrake you hold it in the on position & it will bring the car to a stop. This applies to all cars with EPB as far as I know.

[RichardW]

MK1 C4 pic is pull only, Mk 2 is pull on, push off....confused the hell out of me when we first got the new one!

[discv]

My normal problem happens when I drive a car with a conventional handbrake- and get out without pulling up the lever!

[Paul-R]

And my problem is that if I happen to drive one of the daughters' cars that I get out, park up and completely forget to pull the manual handbrake on!