Parking brake question

[SteveC5088]

When I set the Spark EV parking brake, I notice that when I put the car in D, then R, then back to D, the car rolls a tiny bit, and there is a definite clunk. It comes from the back, I think. It sounds and acts as if the braking unit is actually moving forward or backward on the wheel a couple of degrees, and the clunk comes when it reaches a stop point.

I am wondering if this is normal.

 

[jsca72]

Something very similar happened to me once. My usual procedure is stop, shift the Spark to park, and then apply the parking brake. But one day something distracted me, and I shifted out of park with the parking brake on. The car made a clunk and rocked. Worried me a bit, but nothing ever came of it. Car's fine.

 

[Oberon]

When I set the Spark EV parking brake, I notice that when I put the car in D, then R, then back to D, the car rolls a tiny bit, and there is a definite clunk. It comes from the back, I think. It sounds and acts as if the braking unit is actually moving forward or backward on the wheel a couple of degrees, and the clunk comes when it reaches a stop point.

I am wondering if this is normal.

Seems normal, mine does that too.

 

[nmikmik]

Something very similar happened to me once. My usual procedure is stop, shift the Spark to park, and then apply the parking brake. But one day something distracted me, and I shifted out of park with the parking brake on. The car made a clunk and rocked. Worried me a bit, but nothing ever came of it. Car's fine.

I have been tough to set the parking brake (while the "regular" brake is still engaged) before I move the shift lever from the drive. This way the brakes are holding the car and not the transmission. On this car there is no transmission, but something is holding those 3000lbs and I doubt it doing any good especially if parked on the incline. If it's a leased car - eh who cares, but if it's purchased vehicle I'd switch your procedure...

 

[StevesWeb]

When I set the Spark EV parking brake, I notice that when I put the car in D, then R, then back to D, the car rolls a tiny bit, and there is a definite clunk. It comes from the back, I think. It sounds and acts as if the braking unit is actually moving forward or backward on the wheel a couple of degrees, and the clunk comes when it reaches a stop point.

I am wondering if this is normal.

This is a measure of the motion in the rear suspension. The front wheels want to move, so initially the rear suspension absorbs the energy because the rear wheels are not interested in turning.

You'll notice that the rear end of the car changes its elevation slightly, this confirms it.

 

[tigger19687]

Stupid ? ...... Do you have to put on the Emergency brake every time you park ?
Or do you just do this as a safety net?

 

[nmikmik]

Stupid ? ...... Do you have to put on the Emergency brake every time you park ?
Or do you just do this as a safety net?

I think we are getting a little into semantics here,
yes sometimes it's called an "emergency brake" most of the time "parking brake" imo.
And yes, I do set my parking brake every time I park, even on a completely flat surface.
If you never used your parking brake, try applying it in a real emergency and see how effective would that be, especially some place in the "rust belt".

 

[tigger19687]

I live in the Rust belt (MA).
I have never used my "Emergency/Parking Brake" other then when parked on a hill that maybe is icy or gravel.
So maybe 10 times in the 30 + years I have been driving.

I have also never used it in an Emergency... I have "downshifted" from the column on 2 occasions in an emergency when my regular brakes were not working well.

That is why I asked

OH WAIT.... I had a 1980 Ford Escort that had the break between the front seats, called the "HAND BRAKE"
I used that twice to do a hard brake to make tire marks all over a cinema's parking lot when I was younger... does that count ?
:lol:

 

[Chocula]

... And yes, I do set my parking brake every time I park, even on a completely flat surface. ...

+1

 

[emv]

I don't know that this fully applies to the Spark EV, but it is generally true for cars with a "Park" position.

Engaging Park drops a pawl into a hole preventing the transmission output shaft from rotating. That's why it's never a good idea to drop 'er in to park while moving. The hole into which the pawl drops is large enough so there is a bit of back and forth play, this makes for easier engagement and disengagement. That's why when you put the car into park it may roll a tiny bit when you take your foot off the brake.

If the car rolls a bit the the pawl can get wedged in tight and be difficult to disengage. This is particularly true on an incline, the fix being to push the car a bit back up the hill to take the pressure off the pawl. Not a fun situation.

Parking pawls have been known to appear to engage without being fully engaged. Ford had a serious problem with this some years ago and people were killed/maimed because of it. The parking brake is your last defense against this. Even on level ground it's good to set the brake. If the car is hit by some stoop it is less likely to roll into who know what.