Do you drive Manual / Standard transmission in the UK?

Do you drive Manual / Standard transmission in the UK?

  • No, why would I ever use the e-brake unless there was an EMERGENCY?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I don't drive manual transmission... what's a clutch? whats an e-brake?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    1
Operator said:
Anyway, this is about using a hand brake on a hill not shifting with your weak hand, and I still think its better to use your real brakes (all 4 of them via the pedal) than using your rear brakes with some sort of hand operated device ;)

I can understand that brake is more comfortable, or prefered by some people than the handbrake. Whatever floats your boat...

What I don't understand is, why you don't trust your handbrake? Ok, in a 944 it might be weak/woren etc. But in most car's the handbrake is intended to fulfill the purpose that is also in it's name, brake.

As I said, when you park your car on a steep hill, you leave the handbrake on, and your car does not roll away. So why on earth wouldn't you trust it while standing at a red light on a hill? :?

Also, what's wrong with a "hand operated device"? You turn your steering wheels with your hands, you shift with your hand...so what's wrong with the handbrake being "hand operated"?
 
pdanev said:
^ That's the way to be cool in our (East European countries). 8)

Since when is Holland considered East Europe? :lol:

Z Draci said:
I've never used my handbrake while starting off on an incline.
I just use the heel-toe technique. I use the ball of my right foot for the brake pedal and the heel for the accelerator pedal. Then I use my left foot to feather the clutch pedal for a smooth start.

How often do you have to replace the clutch on your car (in kilometers/miles)?
 
I've never used my handbrake while starting off on an incline.
I just use the heel-toe technique. I use the ball of my right foot for the brake pedal and the heel for the accelerator pedal. Then I use my left foot to feather the clutch pedal for a smooth start.

even easier is to let the clutch go untill it starts gripping, and they you can release everything, and just the friction on your clutch keeps you in place
give it a little throttle and you're going up
 
Operator said:
btw, asthenia, threadless fan?

Yes; also, I like to get wasted and dress up as a clown. ;)

I was trying to figure out why my car, like the 944, has the handbrake on the 'wrong' side. Do you think it's so you can change into 1st gear with one hand, and let the handbrake off with the other?
 
On 944 it's because there's no place in the middle I think. Why would you need to change gears while releasing handbrake anyway. The action starts when you depress the clutch, so the problem is having only 2 feet :) For some anyway, I use the clutch-slipping.
 
a quick off topic question, what is an electronic e-brake? i noticed that the A6 and other newer cars are starting to have those instead of the conventional handbrake.
 
bartboy9891 said:
a quick off topic question, what is an electronic e-brake? i noticed that the A6 and other newer cars are starting to have those instead of the conventional handbrake.

Ewwww...:lol:

Give me a mechanical hand brake anytime.
 
Here you're always taught that if you're going to be stopped for a decent length of time, you put the handbrake on and the box in neutral. If you're taking off on a steep hill it's pretty essential: You can just hold the handbrake up while you get to the bite point with the clutch+throttle, then release the handbrake and presto: you're at a dead stop on the hill with no brake, and can gently pull away without rushing over to the throttle when you get off the brake pedal. Seems strange to me that Americans don't use it when stopped on hills o_O

As for the shifting with the 'weak hand' thing, it's not really a weak hand, its just what you're used to. It feels really odd when i shift with my right hand in a LHD car, i can't do it as well or strongly as with my left (i'm right handed). It's just what you're used to. Like watches, i can't fasten one with my right hand for the life of me, but its easy with my 'weak hand' left hand since that's just what i've always used.
 
The creator of this thread doesnt seem to have realized that you need an extra foot to operate the clutch. Of course you use the handbrake when stopping on a steep hill. And no it doesnt wear out the brake pads or something, you dont drive with the handbrake engaged, youre just using it for not rolling backwards.
The Electronic Handbrake in the new Passat and A6 do the same - automatically. It engages when you stopped on a hill and then disengages when you start rolling.
I also see no point in calling the handbrake E-Brake since its never really used in an emergence. You mainly use it for parking and doing fun stuff with your car.
 
I live in US...

and my dad taught me to use the e-brake everytime on a hill. It is just for safety reasons.

My dad puts his hand on the e-brake even on a street that has no incline every time he starts in first.

I think the topic starter should live in San Francisco for a few months. That way, he will be forced to use his handbrake on a hill. This is because a lot of times, he has to stop on a hill with cars in front AND behind him. It is quite hard to start without rolling backwards because the hills are VERY steep.

And for the person who uses heel-toe... how do you do it? All I get is stalling whenever I try.
 
DJ said:
Z Draci said:
I've never used my handbrake while starting off on an incline.
I just use the heel-toe technique. I use the ball of my right foot for the brake pedal and the heel for the accelerator pedal. Then I use my left foot to feather the clutch pedal for a smooth start.

How often do you have to replace the clutch on your car (in kilometers/miles)?

The clutch on my car is 5 years old. I've owned the car for 2 years and driven it 20.000 miles. (The previous owner must have done a lot more driving.) I still have no slip at all.

I don't ride on my clutch aggressively. I'm really delicate with the touch so the car starts out smoothly without revving the engine hard. It took a lot of practice to master!
 
My father uses the handbrake for setting off on steep hills. I use the heel and toe technique, using the heel on the brake and the toes for the throttle, but if I'm far back in the line, then I leave it in neutral untill the lights change, then into 1st and then i arrange my feet in this odd position, I also use it for changing down a gear, but that depends on the car and the posistion of the pedals. On some cars the pedal position is useless for heel and toe gearshifts and setting off. So in some situations I use the handbrake...
 
"using the heel on the brake and the toes for the throttle"

Yeah and I am the pope.


Ever seen a video with racing drivers doing the heel toe manouver?
They do it by having the toes on the brake and heel on the throttle.

Why?
Cause it's almost impossible to do it the other way.

Atleast for me cause I cant move my foot with my heel on the brake and toes on the throttle.
 
Scud said:
"using the heel on the brake and the toes for the throttle"

Yeah and I am the pope.


Ever seen a video with racing drivers doing the heel toe manouver?
They do it by having the toes on the brake and heel on the throttle.

Why?
Cause it's almost impossible to do it the other way.

Atleast for me cause I cant move my foot with my heel on the brake and toes on the throttle.
Good evening pope... :wave:

I have most of my foot on the brake, and kind of tips one side of it on to the trottle. If the car has the brake and the trottle close enough to eachother it is possible and level in one line, but on most cars I have to do it the other way, because the trottle is an inch or two closer to the firewall, and then it must be done with the heel on the trottle and the toes on the brake... It also depends on my shoes, if I have big winter-boots I just can't do heel and toe changes/set offs.

The reason why I prefer it the other way (If possible) is because I find it a lot easyer to feather the trottle with my toes, than with my heel...
 
and urm.... why again do you wear out your clutch with artistic maneuvers instead of using the handbrake?
 
If you use heel-and-toe, you don't need to use the handbrake. If it's already braked, what's the point in handbraking?
 
What ever the case is if you do it the right way you get just as much clutch wear as with using the handbrake.
Clutch will only suffer if you really revs the engine and let go slowly.
Othervise it wount take suffer atall.


It's not emergency brake.
That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard.
 
marcos_eirik said:
Scud said:
"using the heel on the brake and the toes for the throttle"

Yeah and I am the pope.


Ever seen a video with racing drivers doing the heel toe manouver?
They do it by having the toes on the brake and heel on the throttle.

Why?
Cause it's almost impossible to do it the other way.

Atleast for me cause I cant move my foot with my heel on the brake and toes on the throttle.
Good evening pope... :wave:

I have most of my foot on the brake, and kind of tips one side of it on to the trottle. If the car has the brake and the trottle close enough to eachother it is possible and level in one line, but on most cars I have to do it the other way, because the trottle is an inch or two closer to the firewall, and then it must be done with the heel on the trottle and the toes on the brake... It also depends on my shoes, if I have big winter-boots I just can't do heel and toe changes/set offs.

The reason why I prefer it the other way (If possible) is because I find it a lot easyer to feather the trottle with my toes, than with my heel...

I know what you mean. I used to do it on my old E30 chassis 325i.
The brake and accelerator pedal are so close together that you can just twist your foot whilst braking and you'll hit the accelerator.

Why do people assume our fancy footwork causes increased clutch wear?
It doesn't! We're just using the normal brake pedal instead of the hand brake. Everything else is done exactly the same.
 
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