[BimmerMan7]

With my previous E46 and now the E90 I have this irritating issue where the parking brake (handbrake) pulls up max. and does not hold the car on downhills. I have informed BMW dealer of this and they says this is a common issue. When dealer adjusts the brake, it takes right down on 1 or 2 clicks and works nicely for about ~3 months, when it slowly clicks up more and more and then eventually does not hold the vehicle even if you really force it up with both hands. Is it because of disc pads wearing down or what ! Come'on - I can't be the only one having this issue ??

[egtlover74]

If you have a stick shift, you should always leave the gear in. Never leave the gear in neutral if you are parked on hills.

[Frank_NJ]

My car is in the shop right now for the e-brake. They adjusted it last week and totally f@#k up my car! Now they have to replace the rear brake pads, rotors and cable assembly since the screwed it up by improperly adjusting it!

[330m]

Originally Posted by egtlover74

If you have a stick shift, you should always leave the gear in. Never leave the gear in neutral if you are parked on hills.

IMO You should never use a manual gearbox to hold a vehicle. It's not designed for it, will overstress the box and other components and it will still roll as the engine compression leaks away.

The handbrake uses separate drum brake assembly inside the rear disc/hub which needs bedding in a bit.

The manual tells you to pull on the handbrake WHILST MOVING from time to time to keep it working well. (not too hard obviously)

[ek9hatch00]

i think the e-brake self-adjusts itself, everytime i pull the ebrake up is different, sometimes 4-5 clicks, sometimes 3..

[330m]

Do you call it an e-brake on an auto and a handbrake / parking brake on a manual??

It varies on clicks depending how hot the rear drum mech is when you apply the brake. As it's a mini drum brake it inherently becomes tighter as the drum cools.

So when it's hot it needs more clicks to bite than when its cooler.

[Dangerous Al]

One thing I have noticed is that when you put the hand brake on, there is obviously some play in the system as the car will roll very slightly (an inch or so). Whilst this causes no problems, it certainly does not provide the quality feel I woudl have expected from a luxury car, it feels sloppy and more like the quality I would expect from a much cheaper mass market car.

[330m]

Originally Posted by Dangerous Al

One thing I have noticed is that when you put the hand brake on, there is obviously some play in the system as the car will roll very slightly (an inch or so). Whilst this causes no problems, it certainly does not provide the quality feel I woudl have expected from a luxury car, it feels sloppy and more like the quality I would expect from a much cheaper mass market car.

Your right, it feels just like when you put an auto in park and take your foot off the brake, it just rolls a little.

I think the drum brake assmembly must be on some sort of flexible mounting

Does anyone have any exploded drawings??

[Hompie]

i previoulsy posted that mine doesn;t really hold. car is 3 weeks old, still the same problem, you have to pull it very high for it to grip, wheras now i just pull it untill i feel resisatnce, assuming it holds. This is a no brainer, ive been using the handbrake daily on my cars for 10 years, never before this problem

[BimmerMan7]

I think my initial comment was mis-understood. My car is a manual and I never leave it in Neutral. It is always in 1st gear when parking, but the car rolls slightly and does not grip as I expected.

The commenst below is spot on - exactly what I also experience and feel.


One thing I have noticed is that when you put the hand brake on, there is obviously some play in the system as the car will roll very slightly (an inch or so). Whilst this causes no problems, it certainly does not provide the quality feel I woudl have expected from a luxury car, it feels sloppy and more like the quality I would expect from a much cheaper mass market car.

[toughluck]

I have a manual transmission and I also noticed that my parking brake lever has to be pulled up to its max before my car stops rolling on a hill. I know you are suppose to keep MT in gear when you are parked, but it is alarming that the parking brake does not work or grab at all unless you pull the lever all the way up. (4-6 clicks) The lever is all the way up that it is hard for other who are not as strong to dis-engage it and push it back down. My parents owned several 5 series in the past, and the parking brake lever never had to be pulled this high. The height of the parking lever after I pulled it is almost silly. I am also concerned if my gearbox is taking some unneeded abuse when I am on hills.

[DigiSage]

Originally Posted by toughluck

I have a manual transmission and I also noticed that my parking brake lever has to be pulled up to its max before my car stops rolling on a hill. I know you are suppose to keep MT in gear when you are parked, but it is alarming that the parking brake does not work or grab at all unless you pull the lever all the way up. (4-6 clicks) The lever is all the way up that it is hard for other who are not as strong to dis-engage it and push it back down. My parents owned several 5 series in the past, and the parking brake lever never had to be pulled this high. The height of the parking lever after I pulled it is almost silly. I am also concerned if my gearbox is taking some unneeded abuse when I am on hills.

Do what I do - put the car in neutral, put the e-brake on, turn off the car, pull your foot off the clutch and brake pedals. Make sure the car ain't moving. Once you're sure that the e-brake is holding the car still, THEN put it into 1st (or reverse, depending). Doing it this way, you're ensuring that the e-brake is taking most, if not all, of the weight of the car, but the gearbox is engaged in case the e-brake should fail and the car needs something else to stop it. Unless the e-brake fails, your transmission will not receive any abuse in this state.

If you want to see if the car slipped on the e-brake a little bit after leaving it out overnight or something, when you get into the car, before starting it or undoing the e-brake or anything else, push the clutch pedal in. If the car lurches forward a bit, then you know the transmission was holding some of the car.

[330m]

Thats BS - you should NEVER put a manual in gear to brake the car. Its a waste of time.

It's not designed for it (will stress the box) and the car will roll anyway after a while as it doesn't lock the transmission like an auto in park.

Show me what manufacturer reccommends this and I will eat my hat.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by 330m

Thats BS - you should NEVER put a manual in gear to brake the car. Its a waste of time.

It's not designed for it (will stress the box) and the car will roll anyway after a while as it doesn't lock the transmission like an auto in park.

Show me what manufacturer reccommends this and I will eat my hat.

This is from the E90 owner's manual, page 53-54....would you like sugar or syrup with your hat?

Switching off the engine
Always take the remote control with you
when you leave the vehicle.
When parking on a downhill incline, apply the
handbrake, otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.<
Manual transmission
1. Apply the handbrake.
2. With the car at a standstill, briefly press the
start/stop button.
3. Shift into first gear or reverse.
Automatic transmission
1. With the car at a standstill, move the selector
lever to position P.
2. Briefly press the start/stop button.
3. Apply the handbrake.
Sequential manual gearbox SMG
1. Apply the handbrake.
2. Engage a drive position.
3. Briefly press the start/stop button.
If the engine is switched off while N is engaged,
this will be signaled visually and acoustically.

[Nikki]

I park on a slight incline and noticed that when I pull up the handbrake and then put it in gear and turn off the car that the car will roll back a fraction of an inch. I didn't really think it was something to worry about-don't all cars do that?

[NoMods]

Originally Posted by 330m

Thats BS - you should NEVER put a manual in gear to brake the car. Its a waste of time.

It's not designed for it (will stress the box) and the car will roll anyway after a while as it doesn't lock the transmission like an auto in park.

Show me what manufacturer reccommends this and I will eat my hat.

What kind of hat do you own? Maybe a straw hat, it has fiber

[BK]

With all of this hat-eating going on, I'm not sure I have seen a definitive response. Is this how all the parking brakes are on the E90? I did not notice this behavior during my test drives, but then again, who would? It seems odd that a parking brake would allow any roll whatsoever after it is applied.

[obLu]

Is this how all the parking brakes are on the E90?

Well, since you're getting a 100% post response that it is, it's probably safe to assume so. I figured I was the only one having a problem and figured I'd have it looked at the next time it's in for service.

I've never had it not ultimately hold, it's just that it rolls a tiny bit before it finally bites ... which isn't particularly confidence inspiring on steep hills.

My guess is, it probably has something to do with the hill hold feature needing a little bit of play.

[Asiann]

The parking brakes should not allow movement while engaged. If your car moves then you need to get it checked out. Test the handbrake while the car is in gear and see if it hold. The manual shifters should do the same and let off the clutch and your car will bog down for a sec until you step on the clutch again. It either holds or it doesn't.

[pokerface]

two clicks is enough to hold my car, even though i can pull it up to 3

[330m]

OK, I've finished eating my hat. It was a bit crunchy. I dug out all my old car manuals, and they all say 'do not leave the car in gear to brake the vehicle' so I am suprised that BMW say to do it. Also in all my driving lessons (years ago) it was stated that you should never do this also. Generaly in the UK, no one does it. And I will continue not doing it.
It must be a US idea. That is also why we have this daft problem of having to press the clutch before starting the engine. If you have a culture of not leaving cars in gear, then you don't need to press the clutch in case you 'forgot' to put it in neutral.

However, back on thread. The handbrake does seem to roll a little, and mine needs 5 or more clicks to really hold (which is a lot). It is annoying as you need to cover the foot brake because you are never sure, until it finishes its little roll, whether it has worked or not.

The manual also says you should pull on the handbrake whilst moving from time to time to ensure continued correct operation! haven't done that yet.

[nhs275]

It is a good idea to always push in the clutch before starting the car.

If the clutch is pushed in, the torque required by the starter to turn over the engine is substantially lower ... no transmission parts and thick gear oil to turn over also. The extra torque to turn these parts is substantial, especiallly on a cold morning ... that's why the engine loads a little bit when the clutch is let out and the transmission is in neutral.

With a lower torque requirement, the current draw from the battery is lower, the current pulled through the starter is lower, and both components will last much longer than they otherwise would.

One of the trucking companies that I drove for when I was a college student would fire drivers if they were caught starting the truck without the clutch pushed in. A starter and batteries for a Peterbilt will set you back a $1,500 or so, what does a starter and battery cost for a new e90?