Showing posts with label car parking brake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car parking brake. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Do you use Parking brake everytime you park your car ?? PartsAvatar Explains everything you need to know about Parking Brakes!
7/04/2017 11:30:00 AM
automatic transmissions, brake pads, brake release cable, brake shoes, car brake parts, car parking brake
1 comment
How often do you use
Parking brakes of your car? Let’s discuss the importance of parking brakes in
this article – Parts avatar Auto brake parts
Why do we specifically
call parking brakes as parking one? This is because they are meant to be used
when you need to park your car. But the major question arises that how often do
we use parking brakes? The answer is most of use the parking brakes on the
hills or if your car’s transmission is manual. According to a research, about
82 percent of the vehicles with manual transmission use parking brake to park
their vehicle.
This methodology is
totally wrong. Whether you are in hilly or a flat area, using automatic or
manual transmission, you should use parking brakes every time you park your
car. Parking
brake has nothing to do with the transmission mode and
terrain.
Why
parking brakes?
The parking brake on a
car provides redundant safety feature that prevents unintended vehicle movement
due to user error or the failure of transmission system. Not applying the
parking brake means the driver solely relies on the transmission to hold the vehicle
after he parks.
Parking brakes are one
of the pivotal components of the car’s safety system. It is not only important
part of manual transmission but also plays important role in automatic
transmission. When a vehicle with automatic
transmission triggers parking mode, parking pawl inside the transmission
engages. Parking pawl engages into the notch ring that is attached to the
output shaft of the transmission. When the brakes are engaged, the pawl
restricts the transmission output shaft from turning.
If the parking pawl
breaks or become dislodged then there might be a problem of car rolling away.
This is the least case of hazard even though. But still we should take
precautions. The parking brake enables strong hold of your car than just
putting the car in “Parking” mode.
The steps to apply and
release the parking brakes are quite simple. Most parking brakes are hand
operated levers located in the center console. Steps to apply the parking
brakes are:
1. Put your foot on the
brake pedal.
2. Pull up on the
parking brake handle.
3. Lift the handle as
far as you can.
4. Put the car in park.
5. Take your foot off
the brake pedal.
6. Turn off the engine!
It is to be noted that
you should set the parking brake while your foot is still on the brake pedal,
before shifting to “park”. This reduces the strain on the parking pawl.
Depending on the vehicle
there are two ways to release the parking brake. In some cars, either the brake
pedal is pushed until you hear a “click” sound or brake lever is pulled which
is located near parking brake pedal. To release the parking brake:
1. Put your foot on the
brake pedal.
2. Crank the engine.
3. Press the release
button at the end of parking lever depending upon your vehicle while lifting up
slightly.
4. Lower the lever
completely. Make sure that the parking brake light disappears.
5. Put the car in gear.
Before driving away,
make sure to disengage the parking brake otherwise it will ruin your car parts
slowly. So make this a habit to apply the parking brakes when you park the car
and disengage the parking brake before you drive. This also ensures the long-lasting
life of your car’s
brake pads.
Symptoms
of a failing Parking brake and its parts
As a safety feature,
all cars and trucks are equipped with parking/emergency brakes. These brakes
are not only meant to park the car but also can be used in an emergency
situation. There are certain symptoms that sign towards malfunctioning parking
brakes. For the sake of your safety, pay attention to the following symptoms.
Parking
brake not engaging properly
It the very first
signal of a malfunctioning parking brake. If there is a problem occurring while
pulling or engaging the parking brakes, it means the parking brakes have gone
bad and you may not be able to engage them in emergency situations or to park
your car.
Parking
brake won’t release
Another symptom is
parking brake not disengaging properly. Parking brake may have issues while
disengaging if the lever gets stuck or jammed. It is not good for your vehicle
because if you start driving with parking brakes engaged, it will cause the
brakes to overheat and sustain damage.
Parking
brake shoes does not hold vehicle
If the parking brake
shoes become worn, they lose their tendency to hold and secure the weight of
the vehicle. It may cause the car to roll on inclined surfaces like hills which
is quite dangerous.
If the parking shoes
are severely worn, the end result will be a non operational parking brake. This
increases the risk of rolling and accidents on inclined surfaces. Parking brake
shoes of your car play an important role in parking brake control. Make a visit
to your mechanic and replace the car
parking brake shoes if they are worn.
Parking
brake cable malfunctioning
Parking cable in many
cars is used to activate the parking brake. A failing parking cable may result
in vehicle rolling down the surface or getting into a serious accident.
If the parking brake
cable becomes excessively worn it will not be able to pull the parking brakes
tightly. This may cause the vehicle to roll even if the brakes are engaged due
to loose gripping. Parking brake won’t be able to function if the cable breaks.
Another symptom of a
broken or worn out parking release cable is illuminating car's parking warning light switch. If the parking light switch is still
illuminating even after disengaging the parking brakes, it means that cable has
been stuck or the release process has not been performed properly.
If you suspect any
issue then get your parking brake cables replaced.
Parking
brake release cable fails to disengage the brakes
The parking brake
release cable’s main task is to disengage the parking brake. Make sure your car’s
parking brake release cable is in good condition otherwise
issues with disengaging of brakes effect the brake and transmission system
drastically.
If you are unable to disengage
the parking brakes, there are chances that the release cable has been broken.
Waste no time and get your car checked by technician immediately.
The parking brake
release cable corrodes over time. In cold temperature areas, the cable may
become frozen and fails to disengage the brakes when needed. It is wise to
first warm up your car before disengaging the brakes if it is freezing outside.
If you are driving your
car with the parking brakes still engaged, you are just ruining your vehicle’s
entire braking system yourself. Save yourself from unwanted repair bills.
Repair
parking brake
Parking brake repair is
also a part of car’s routine maintenance. You can easily maintain some of the
components of the parking brake system or at least could decrease your repair
bill.
Make
small adjustments
Check your car’s
service manual and make small adjustments like tightening the cable or removing
the additional slack.
Apply
lubricant
Lubricate the parking
brake system if they become sticky by time. If you have problem releasing the
brakes, sometimes the brakes might be demanding lubrication. Review entire
parking brake mechanisms for further lubrication by removing rear brakes if the
stickiness still persists.
Replace
worn cables
Carefully replace the
worn cable. A damaged cable results in malfunctioning parking brakes and
inability to stay on an inclined plane. There are chances of rolling of car if
the cable breaks. For your safety, without any delay, get them replace if
necessary.
So, with this guide,
you will get to know about another important safety feature of car.
Visit PartsAvatar
replacement auto parts with free shipping for best deal
in aftermarket auto parts across Canada.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Dont get stuck on a highway with a flat tire on your car. Learn how to safely change a vehicle wheel.
1/23/2017 04:13:00 PM
auto wheel parts, car parking brake, car wheel, replace auto wheel, vehicle tire change
3 comments
Have you
ever faced such situation where you have released that there is no mechanic or
garage nearby and your tire need to be replaced immediately? Yes, it is very
essential to know the procedure to replace the wheel.
Changing the wheel is not a pleasant task or not very tough task either. It
depends on situation and not time consuming at all. Hardly it will take 30
minutes if you follow the right procedure. And if some easy tricks can save you
from harassment then it’s worth to know.
First of all
make sure that your car is on the flat hard surface Try not to attempt to jack
your car on a slanting or delicate surface. In most the cases, you will move
your car a short distance in order to place your car onto good surface. If there
is no option left a car could be jacked on an extremely slight slanting surface
of few degree, yet enough chocks must be utilized. This is to keep the vehicle
from rolling when it is lifted on the jack. Chocks ought to be set under the
declining side of the tire in the inverse corner of the car from the wheel
being altered. You can also use house brick, big rock or wooden block instead
of chocks. It is advisable not o jack your car on a delicate surface as the
jack will sink into the ground making it unsteady. And if you feel any complex situation you are
advised to call experts.
Now apply
the cars parking brake
and put it in gear. In case if your car have automatic gear shift it in park and
apply parking brake. All travelers must leave the car and remain in a sheltered
place to avoid accidents for moving traffic. If accessible put on a high
visibility vest and place a cautionary triangle. Do not place a cautionary
triangle or other alarming device on freeway. Gather the required equipment
like jack, wheel nut wrench and extra wheel. Now you position the jack under
the particular point of the car. Typically these will be cut-outs or
indentations just behind the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels.
Consult the vehicle hand book if in doubt as this will show the jacking
locations. If a different type of jack
is being used then a secure jacking point will need to be found. Consult the
vehicle hand book for the manufacturers recommended jacking points. Jack your
car marginally to take a portion of the weight off the wheel. Try not to lift
the car up so the wheel is off the ground. Utilizing the wheel nut wrench to
open each of the nuts marginally. In the event that the vehicle was lifted so
the wheel was off the ground at this stage the wheel may turn without the
losing the wheel nuts. Having the tire on the ground prevents it from rotating
when the nuts are being loosened initially. The car can now be jacked when the
wheel is entirely off the ground. It is advisable not to jack the car more than
necessary.
Then you
take out the wheel nut and keep it in safer place. Now you take out the flat
wheel and replace it by the spare one. The time that the wheel is off the
vehicle and is fully supported on the jack should be kept to a bare minimum to
reduce the possibility of injury or damage should the jack fail or the vehicle
move. The draught from a passing vehicle or strong wind could be sufficient to
move the vehicle and make the jack unstable.
Adjust the
fixing holes in the extra wheel with the jolt wholes or wheel studs on the
wheel center point. The jack may should be raised marginally as a swelled tire
will have a more prominent distance across that a punctured tire. Once the
wheel is found refit the wheel nuts, hand fixing each until the wheel is held
flat against the wheel center point. The bottom of the wheel may should be held
into permit the wheel to sit level against the wheel center point. Don't over
fix the wheel nuts at this stage. To make sure there is no distortion when you
will be re-fitting the wheel the nuts ought to be tightened in order so as to
render an even sharing of force. Utilizing the wheel nut wrench tighten
the topmost wheel nuts marginally. Transfer to the diagonally opposite nut and
tighten it to some extent. Clockwise Move to the nut counter of the first nut
and tighten marginally. Follow the process of tightening and moving nut
diagonally reverse until all nut have been tighten .This should be repeated
until all nuts are as tight as they can be without the wheel turning.
Bring down
the jack until the wheel is touching the ground and some weight is on the tire.
Follow the above fixing procedure to get the nuts as tight as you can oversee. Bring
down the jack
gradually until the greater part of the vehicle weight is back on the wheel. At
that point keep on lowering the jack until it can be remove from under the car.
Care ought to be taken if utilizing a water powered jack as the vehicle may
drop rapidly if the discharge system is opened too far. The bringing down for
the vehicle should dependably be under control to anticipate harm and harm. 18.
Stow the tools recollecting to recover the notice triangle and wheel chocks if
utilized. 19. Get yourself and travelers once more into the vehicle and in
progress as quickly as time permits. Congrats, you have now effectively changed
a wheel at the roadside. It is prescribed that in the wake of driving 50 miles
the wheel nuts ought to be checked to guarantee they are still tight. With the
wheel nut wrench go round the wheel nuts again as itemized in step 13 to check
they are all still tight. Then again take your vehicle to a technician and have
them fix the nuts to manufactured specified torque setting.
To know more
click on Partsavatar.ca- Deliver High Quality
Autoparts across Canada
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