Thinking of buying a new Qashqai? Read this first.

Voodoomelon

What I would be worried about is the following statement:

"It seems to me that the park-brake failure was related to the pre-existing Stop/Start fault. I have been advised that a car’s electronics are all related – a fault in, or damage to, one part for instance can often have a knock-on effect on another, seemingly unconnected, part. The fault in the electronics caused some momentary, one-off, de-activation of the park-brake and it rolled back. "

Unless this has been proven to be the case with your particular vehicle, i'd remove this straight away from your blog. Your entire accusation is based upon your own opinion, or that of an un-named party. You're leaving yourself wide open there, its pure speculation that one fault caused another.

The fact that something similar happened in the UK doesn't mean a whole lot. There was hundreds of reports of E65 7 Series running into walls and the fronts of houses when they came out, the Park button was allegedly failing when owners were parking up, yet no fault codes were being logged. Owners simply weren't pressing the button fully before releasing the brake.

ianobrien

Another case of cars rolling away (Focus i think but could be wrong) when the handbrake was applied was people were not pulling the handbrake hard enough. What was happening was people were applying the handbrake just enough to hold the car, but were applying it to a hot disc. The disc cooled and contracted, coming away from the clamping pads just enough for the car to roll.

Also, I know my car has hill hold and it releases after 1.5 seconds. I'm thinking that the car didn't think it was parked (door open) so when the hill hold released the car didn't apply the handbrake. Was the handbrake button pushed hard enough to engage?

colm_mcm

think that was the Citroen xantia that did that

slimjimmc

captainspeed wrote: »

My assertion that your driving isn't as great as you make it out to be is backed up by the fact that you've also stated incorrect information in your blog and could lead other motorists to follow your advice with similarly catastrophic consequences. It is not true to state that the car should always be put into first gear when you turn it off. This is only useful if the car is facing upwards on a hill, as putting it in first prevents the car from going backwards (99.99% of the time - it is still possible under extreme circumstances for a car to go backwards in first). However, if the car is facing down on a hill then you might as well have put it in neutral. It is first facing up hills and reverse facing down a hill. On the flat it doesn't matter which one you choose.

Rubbish.
Leaving the car in gear relies on engine compression overcoming gravity along the incline. The only difference between 1st gear and reverse is gearing ratio and if one gear holds better then hold's better regardless of orientation. Putting a car in reverse gear when facing downhill is no different to putting it in reverse facing uphill, the forces on the engine are identical. If the incline is too steep for the engine then the engine will rotate clockwise just as easily as anti-clockwise.

captainspeed

captainspeed wrote: »

...........However, if the car is facing down on a hill then you might as well have put it in neutral. It is first facing up hills and reverse facing down a hill. On the flat it doesn't matter which one you choose............

lol

That's brilliant :pac:

billy few mates

Regarding those little handbrake switches and their effectiveness, I have one on the Golf that I drive and I was driving along one day half day dreaming and idly 'fingering' the switch when I suddenly caught it with my nail and it engaged...:eek:

Let's just say I'm more careful where I leave my hand now and apologies for the brown trouser moment if you were the one driving behind me...

colm_mcm

Wouldn't thought it would have engaged at all, would have thought it would just beep. Unless you held the button for a long time.

digzy

searay wrote: »

I have an electric handbrake on my Passat. If I over-ride it, say because I'm reversing the car In my driveway and don't want bother with a seatbelt, it stays off when you next switch off the ignition.

If there was a hill in my driveway, my Passat would have rolled away. Assuming the qashqai's electrics are similar, a roll away could easily be caused by a driver over-riding the handbrake and then not switching it back on when he parks.

I've a 13 Passat too. The odd time the hb doesn't come on and I just flick it in with my finger. Not wanting to be condescending here but it's not a big deal to wait the half second to hear it come on or look at the dash for it..

Avns1s

billy few mates wrote: »

Regarding those little handbrake switches and their effectiveness, I have one on the Golf that I drive and I was driving along one day half day dreaming and idly 'fingering' the switch when I suddenly caught it with my nail and it engaged...:eek:

Let's just say I'm more careful where I leave my hand now and apologies for the brown trouser moment if you were the one driving behind me...

Your "handbrake" is also your "emergency brake" and even the electronic ones (any I have come across anyway) will come on, once you hold the button. Normally isn't immediate as in, it may take a second or so of holding before it activates.

gctest50

slimjimmc wrote: »

Rubbish.
Leaving the car in gear relies on engine compression overcoming gravity along the incline. The only difference between 1st gear and reverse is gearing ratio and ............

nope, its just a throwback to when diesel things had a pull-to-stop instead of electric fuel cutoff

if it was in first facing downhill and started to roll away, it might start up and hasten the disaster

ba_barabus

colm_mcm wrote: »

Wouldn't thought it would have engaged at all, would have thought it would just beep. Unless you held the button for a long time.

If you hold the button down it will activate the handbrake as an emergency brake.

colm_mcm

ba_barabus wrote: »

If you hold the button down it will activate the handbrake as an emergency brake.

doesn't it beep first?

What good is an 'emergency brake' if you have to hold it for a second or two before it activates? I'd be against electronic handbrakes on the grounds that they're useless/dangerous emergency brakes (id imagine it's a random button that could be pressed by kids etc, whereas a conventional handbrake would be much more difficult to engage for anyone that's not the driver).


I had a very close call before, where I nearly side swiped a car that pulled out from a side road in front of me. I danced on the brakes, and then pulled the handbrake. Came very close to hitting him (I'm shocked I didn't, to be honest, it was that close. I was actually convinced I did hit him initially). In that situation, with an electronic brake, I'd have been sitting in his car with him.

Traditional handbrake is something I'd insist on in a car. Would never buy one with an electronic handbrake. It's such an effective/necessary aid when emergency stopping.


Maybe I'm just old fashioned though. I only drove two cars with electronic brakes and both caused me a bit of discomfort (especially as I often pull the handbrake on hills for hill starts and such, to eliminate any potential for rolling at all).

La Fenetre

billy few mates wrote: »

Her indoors has a new Nissan Qashaqi and she's been back to the main dealer eight times in the last seven months with a fault (not this one), and she has to go back again with it in mid January when the next spare part they try will be available. The main dealer has been worse than useless as have Nissan Ireland where a customer services person was going to 'personally' see to it that it's fixed. She only chose this car because she already had one and loved it so much, suffice to say her next one won't be a Nissan.
Poor customer service, poor troubleshooting skills and poor communication....

Looks like the new model Quashqai is fast becoming the new Renault Scenic.

Should have bought a Hyundai.

colm_mcm

Deleted User wrote: »

What good is an 'emergency brake' if you have to hold it for a second or two before it activates? I'd be against electronic handbrakes on the grounds that they're useless/dangerous emergency brakes (id imagine it's a random button that could be pressed by kids etc, whereas a conventional handbrake would be much more difficult to engage for anyone that's not the driver).


I had a very close call before, where I nearly side swiped a car that pulled out from a side road in front of me. I danced on the brakes, and then pulled the handbrake. Came very close to hitting him (I'm shocked I didn't, to be honest, it was that close. I was actually convinced I did hit him initially). In that situation, with an electronic brake, I'd have been sitting in his car with him.

Traditional handbrake is something I'd insist on in a car. Would never buy one with an electronic handbrake. It's such an effective/necessary aid when emergency stopping.


Maybe I'm just old fashioned though. I only drove two cars with electronic brakes and both caused me a bit of discomfort (especially as I often pull the handbrake on hills for hill starts and such, to eliminate any potential for rolling at all).

why would you pull the handbrake to help you slow down?

Avns1s

Deleted User wrote: »

What good is an 'emergency brake' if you have to hold it for a second or two before it activates? I'd be against electronic handbrakes on the grounds that they're useless/dangerous emergency brakes (id imagine it's a random button that could be pressed by kids etc, whereas a conventional handbrake would be much more difficult to engage for anyone that's not the driver).


I had a very close call before, where I nearly side swiped a car that pulled out from a side road in front of me. I danced on the brakes, and then pulled the handbrake. Came very close to hitting him (I'm shocked I didn't, to be honest, it was that close. I was actually convinced I did hit him initially). In that situation, with an electronic brake, I'd have been sitting in his car with him.

Traditional handbrake is something I'd insist on in a car. Would never buy one with an electronic handbrake. It's such an effective/necessary aid when emergency stopping.


Maybe I'm just old fashioned though. I only drove two cars with electronic brakes and both caused me a bit of discomfort (especially as I often pull the handbrake on hills for hill starts and such, to eliminate any potential for rolling at all).

I would have thought that "emergency brake" was for an unlikely event where your footbrake had failed.

I honestly have no idea why you would use a handbrake regardless of whether is was electronic or manual, in the situation you describe. In fact, had you managed to engage it before the footbrake was doing its job, then you could very easily have spun the car and lost control completely.

colm_mcm

Yep. Handbrake would usually only utilise the back brakes and apply far less pressure than you could with servo assisted footbrake, and would hinder the ABS and brake-assist if anything.

The Sidewards Man

The electronic handbrake is ruining the boy racer experience.

ba_barabus

colm_mcm wrote: »

doesn't it beep first?

Yep pretty loudly too. You'd be aware of what was about to happen.

I've used the handbrake to stop a car when a brave pipe burst before but I was lucky I had a lot of road and could raise it gently. I don't know if I'd like to use an electronic one if it just went on fully.

Toyotafanboi

The electronic handbrake button in the Astra is in the exact same place as the electric window button in the Celica.

When i'm coming up to the N25 toll I hold the window switch in the Celica for 2 seconds to use the auto down function so I can comb the cupholder for change.

Every - single - time in the Astra coming up to the toll I hold the handbrake switch for two seconds from force of habbit in the other car. You hear three dings for a warning and you know what's coming :pac: it doesn't jam on and put you out the window but it does come to a very quick stop. If you dip the clutch and let it out again it undoes it.

Casati

I dont anybody can say if the handbrake failed or not, but it appears that the dealer have confirmed that there is an error with the car they can't fix - i.e. the stop start system. Asking the owner to keep the car for 6 weeks till they can fix it doesn't reflect well on them or Nissan. It sounds like an error that they find too hard to fix and just want the owner to get used to it not working etc. Its possible it could be a hardware issue or indeed a software issue that might have an impact elsewhere.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

why would you pull the handbrake to help you slow down?

Maybe my mentality is wrong, but my approach to a handbrake is to use it as an emergency/last resort in certain situations (like the one I was in above).

I was already dancing on the brake pedal, and was closing in a bit (albeit, of course, slowing down an enormous amount), so as a last-second move I pulled the handbrake, too.

As far as I am aware the handbrake will lock all wheels (whereas the pedal wont) and this can help as the car is a dead weight entirely with no rolling wheels? (car had no ABS).

jca

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Maybe my mentality is wrong, but my approach to a handbrake is to use it as an emergency/last resort in certain situations (like the one I was in above).

I was already dancing on the brake pedal, and was closing in a bit (albeit, of course, slowing down an enormous amount), so as a last-second move I pulled the handbrake, too.

As far as I am aware the handbrake will lock all wheels (whereas the pedal wont) and this can help as the car is a dead weight entirely with no rolling wheels? (car had no ABS).

You're right your mentality is completely wrong. The handbrake only operates on two wheels. On a car without abs the idea is to brake as hard as you can without locking up the wheels. A locked wheel is useless and a danger.

The_Wanderer

I'm waiting on delivery of a 161 QQ next month. I already have a 2012 QQ and it has never given any trouble.

My father has a 151 QQ which he got several weeks ago. As mentioned earlier in this thread, leaving your foot "riding the clutch" can upset the start / stop system and he was told to make sure he never did that.

As for the PB, this will be my first electronic one so I say it will take some getting used to. After driving the father's car I've learnt to listen out for the sound of the motor applying. It sounds like the OP was in a rush into the house. Expensive mistake but not the fault of Nissan in my book. Must try and replicate it (while sitting in the car of course).

Plus I always leave a car in gear. Not to do that is a schoolboy error.

dr.fuzzenstein

gctest50 wrote: »

nope, its just a throwback to when diesel things had a pull-to-stop instead of electric fuel cutoff

if it was in first facing downhill and started to roll away, it might start up and hasten the disaster

Only if the ignition is on.

OP did a hit and run thread? No sign of him anymore. Maybe didn't like where this was going.
Personally, I think it's silly to blame a service outlet for the software/manufacturing faults of Nissan themselves. What the feck can they do about it? You might as well blame Harvey Norman for Windows 10 and if they can't fix it write long, moany posts about how sh*te they are. They're only selling the damn thing!
If the problem is an inherent design/software/hardware fault, the dealer is not going to invent a new gubbins or write new software that will fix the car. ESPECIALLY if this is a known problem with Nissan cars in general. And they will certainly NOT come out and say "Yeah, Nissan built a lemon".

If there was a fault specific to the OP's car and the dealer couldn't fix it, I would be different. But if the product itself is the problem, the dealer can't do a thing about it. Or maybe try another dealer or Indy? That would eliminate one factor.

Wossack

I thought there was rules against clickbait titles and just links to blogs