Volkswagen Golf Handbrake Failure

pete park

Hi All

I have a 2012 Mk6 golf. I purchased it in June 2012. I live in Dublin, in July 2012 I left the car on a slope and when I came back 40 mins later, I found it in a wall. To this day I am convinced I put the handbrake on full. I really am not that careless. I have tried different hills and it won't budge. I got the car fixed but it has always been in the back of my mind. Then I heard this strange accident yesterday that happened these poor people in Belfast. I read the article in the paper and to my horror it was a similar car to mine, but in black. I read some other forums relating to Volkswagen. There have been number of failures noted on other forums. I believe that if the handbrake does not catch properly when you are pulling it up, that it will drop straight back down to its original off position, rather than dropping down to the next wratchet. I was wondering if anybody has had this problem with this model? If so I really think the car should be recalled now. This accident has killed a child. I'm convinced it was the same thing that happened me but I was very lucky mine only hit the corner of a wall. I would be interested to see if there have been any further accidents. I really would appreciate any feedback.

Many thanks in advance.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...281.html?r=RSS

Kenny Logins

The fact that you have posted this same thread twice now leads me to think you may have short-term memory problems... Did you apply the handbrake?

furtzy

Always park a car in gear

bazz26

Groundhog day.

Daxsta

Hello all

I've joined this forum to share my experience of what happened today, fortunately no one was walking past at the time. The golf (MK6, manual, 2012 140 GT TDI Bluemotion) was parked on my drive for around 15 minutes when I heard the bang. Handbrake released and the golf ended up rolling into the side of my Missus car which was parked on the road.

The 5 or 6ft run it had of free wheeling caved the offside rear bumper in on the Leon, slight scuffing on the golf.

Supergurrier

I park my car on a slope every night i leave it in first with the Handbrake on, best job.

I'm always surprised to hear of people putting their faith 100% in a handbrake to hold their car when it's parked up.

CiniO

90% of the times i leave my car without handbrake on.
100% of times I leave it on gear.
I never had any problems.

I'm really surprised how people can leave car only on handbrake on a incline/decline.

ironclaw

CiniO wrote: »

I'm really surprised how people can leave car only on handbrake on a incline/decline.

People don't put their cars in gear when parked? I do it automatically no matter where I am.

Leonard Hofstadter

ironclaw wrote: »

People don't put their cars in gear when parked? I do it automatically no matter where I am.

As do I, it surprises me how many don't, and worse, I've seen people put a car in first when the front of the car is pointing down a hill, and reverse when it's pointing up a hill:eek:!

kirving

Why does the orientation of the car on the hill matter?

Leaving the car in gear means that the inertia of the powertrain tends to inhibit movement, the direction doesn't matter. So first gear will be just as good as reverse in inhibiting movement(if ratios are equal).

Is there a ratchet device within the car prevents the powertrain from rotating "backwards"?

CiniO

captainspeed wrote: »

As do I, it surprises me how many don't, and worse, I've seen people put a car in first when the front of the car is pointing down a hill, and reverse when it's pointing up a hill:eek:!

Why do you think that's worse?

I also heard that it's better to leave on first gear when facing up the hill, and reverse when facing down the hill, but firstly if someone does opposite it's surely not worse than leaving on neutral, and secondly I can't really think of any reason to do that way not opposite.

In general the best protection against rolling will be on lowest gear, which in most cars is reverse.
So it would make sense to leave cars always on reverse.

duckandive

I parked my car mk 6 golf 1.2tsi at 11.00am in the morning taking a bike out of the boot, I live on a hill at 2.15pm in the afternoon I heard a bang went out out 10 mins later to find my car embedded in a brick gate post 2 doors down from me the car was locked and the handbrake was on 3-4 notches I read the article on the guy in belfast and the fatal accident do you think we should inform him of our accidents cause I like you can't for the life of me understand how it has happened.I purchased the car in England but it was first registered in Dublin and only had delivery mileage.Thanks for reading

bazz26

I still cannot understand why people with manual cars don't park the car up with the car in gear as well as having the handbrake on, especially when parked on a hill. If the car was in gear then it wouldn't roll in the event the handbrake did fail.

visual

The hand brake is designed or at least should be to hold the car in position without having to engage gears.

Saying you have to also put car in gear is side stepping the issue.

Why not say the wheels should be pointed towards or away from the kerb depending on dirrection of slope. Sure use wheel chocks also.

The handbrake mechanism must be defective if it activated correctly and car rolls

mickdw

visual wrote: »

The hand brake is designed or at least should be to hold the car in position without having to engage gears.

Yes but manual handbrakes in general can be affected by many issues from weak drivers, poor adjustment, partial siezure etc.

visual wrote: »

Saying you have to also put car in gear is side stepping the issue.

To depend on it is crazy when the tools to remove all doubt are under your finger tips.

visual wrote: »

Why not say the wheels should be pointed towards or away from the kerb depending on dirrection of slope.

Nothing wrong with that idea either and in fact to many its second nature.
Anyone who has ever spent any time driving old tractors will know what way to turn their wheels and indeed to park it in gear.

bazz26

visual wrote: »

The hand brake is designed or at least should be to hold the car in position without having to engage gears.

Saying you have to also put car in gear is side stepping the issue.

Why not say the wheels should be pointed towards or away from the kerb depending on dirrection of slope. Sure use wheel chocks also.

The handbrake mechanism must be defective if it activated correctly and car rolls

I'm not side stepping the handbrake issue. I'm simply saying that if the car was parked up in gear especially on a hill, it would not have rolled and subsequently been damaged. Because it wasn't left in gear the owner is now faced with getting bodywork damage fixed as well as the handbrake.

Since I began driving I have always been advised to park the car in gear in the event the handbrake fails. It's a simple habit to get into and good practice imo. Depending on a handbrake cable as the sole mechanism to keep a manual car stationery especially on a hill is just plain daft.

visual

I too have drove older cars where handbrake was questionable and extra precautions where needed. While I would agree sticking a car in gear is a extra security the handbrake should be able to hold the car on a slope.

ironclaw

Do people not leave there car in gear? Always done it, even on the flat.

R.O.R

duckandive wrote: »

I parked my car mk 6 golf 1.2tsi at 11.00am in the morning taking a bike out of the boot, I live on a hill at 2.15pm in the afternoon I heard a bang went out out 10 mins later to find my car embedded in a brick gate post 2 doors down from me the car was locked and the handbrake was on 3-4 notches I read the article on the guy in belfast and the fatal accident do you think we should inform him of our accidents cause I like you can't for the life of me understand how it has happened.I purchased the car in England but it was first registered in Dublin and only had delivery mileage.Thanks for reading

When you parked, did you come to a stop balancing on the clutch, then pull the handbrake up, or did you come to a halt with the brakes, then use the handbrake? My guess would be the former....

Brake discs expand due to heat when you are driving, and contract when they cool down. If you use the handbrake without the footbrake first, the discs contract away from the pads when they cool and the car slips down the slope.

Happened a good few times to various different cars on our fleet over the past number of years.

Always brake then use the handbrake.

duckandive

thanks for all the replies specially the last one I've parked golfs on an incline outside my house for 30 years and believe that if the hand brake is on when you get out of the car and the car does not move I should be able to reliably summise that it should not move three hours later, is it electronically operated or are they still operated by a cable to the rear drum brakes and is there a failsafe locking device on the ratchet. cheers

Moneymaker

Driven for nearly 5 years, always parked in gear. Never any problems.