Most of the times when we talk about car brakes, we forget to include the parking brakes. It is even more ignored today, since most of the modern cars are equipped with automatic transmissions that automatically instruct the wheels to stay parked. But the mere fact that the emergency or parking brakes still being a composite part of the braking system indicates that its role isn’t over yet.
Mostly you’ll find the car manufacturers recommending the usage of parking brake mainly to immobilize any vehicle that is in the parking slot, irrespective of the kind of transmission it has. As the name suggests, the parking brake is also called the emergency brake, meaning that it is the auxiliary system to stop your car, in an even when the main brakes suddenly start betraying.
At the Liberty Lake service center we were given a detailed explanation about the parking brakes, its importance and servicing procedure when it shows signs of dysfunctionality.
How the Parking Brake Works
Parkingbrake can be used either through the hand lever that stands between the driver’s seat and the center console or through the foot pedal that is placed at the far left of the driver’s pedal string. It is a part that is meant to help the transmission in keeping a vehicle stationary. A vehicle that runs on manual transmission needs to put the stick on first gear or in “reverse” when it is required to apply the parking brake in order to reduce the amount of stress on the transmission.
What Causes its Dysfunctionality
Infrequent use of the parking brakes affects its functionality. Cables in an idle parking brake can become susceptible to untimely corrosion and rusting leading to major cable failure especially just at the time when you need it the most. On the contrary, with everyday use the system stays active keeping the cable as well as other components in good health.
Another common cause of parking brake dysfunctionality is driving while keeping the parking brake engaged. This act in favor of overheating the parking brake, that lead to prematurewearing of both the brake pads while attempting to lock up the wheels. though none will keep the emergency brake engaged while driving intentionally, but it is a common tendency of drivers to forget to free the emergency brake before starting to driveor start reversing.
The parking brake has a self-locking system which is designed to lock the wheels in place till you decide to release them. This locking system is made of springs that are placed inside the parking brake lever which can loosen up in time or even break down. In such a case, the parking brake will not work the way it should.
The parking brake too has a sensor that is made to inform the driverwhen it is still engaged. When this sensor stops working, the brake warning light can stay illuminated, even if you have released the parking brake.
Importance of Servicing the Parking Brake
From the team of mechanics of the Liberty Lake service center we came to know how important it is to keep the parking brake in good operating condition. Hence, it should be treated immediately and taken for a servicing when it dysfunctions.