I have a 2000 Buick Century. A new mechanic I just started going to told me I should engage the parking brake a couple of times each day. His reasoning has something to do with keeping the rear brakes functioning properly. Is there any sense to this?
Can’t hurt.
Many of us use the parking brake frequently so we have no problems whatsoever. Some owners of cars with automatic transmission don’t even know what that lever is supposed to do. Your mechanic has the right idea about maintaining the system with occasional use, but he exaggerates. Once a week will serve your purpose.
Some cars use the parking brake as the adjusting mechanism for the rear brakes so if your car has this method, then using the parking brake occassionally is definitely a good idea. Plus, it keeps the cable and the rest of the parts from rusting solid in that unused position.
A couple of times a day might be asking too much. I exercise mine a lot less often when I am in the flat lands. I have not had a problem since I had a winter freeze-up of the parking brake on a '67 Valiant. In that case I obviously would have been better off if I had not set it.
C’mon guys. You know better than that.
Maybe I should ask all of you why vehicle manufacturers install parking brakes in the first place?
A parking brake is not an option in the vehicle.
I guess they put them on cars because they know we will put a car in park on a steep hill and think the car will always stay put. They do want us to use it. Your car will go a long way if it gets whacked while parked while it is only in park or in gear. Two more votes for using it. So call him Roadrighter.
As I understand it, when hydraulic brakes first came into being on automobiles, way back in the '20s, government entities would allow their use only if there was a mechanical back-up brake.
Hence the mechanically operated emergency brake, from which derived the mechanically operated parking brake.
Cripes, most of the places I park these days the car would not move even if I left it in neutral (unless with wind blows pretty strong).
Relying on the transmission to hold a car is not a good idea. Even manuals have been known to fail to hold the car and automatics, while they have a lock, that lock is not designed to hold the car and using it may result in a failure or it may not actually be engaged or it make break. How hard it is to use the parking brake every time?
I have been driving for over 40 years. I have had a parking brake fail me once. It was at Army basic training after a few hundred miles driving in the rain and parking it for four weeks. Even then I was able to break it free without assistance.