Handbrake failure ???

[Stu B]

Guys & Girls,

Has anybody had an issue with there Leon's handbrake failing??? ie reverse up drive, apply handbrake place in neutral, & leave car. - only to find it further down drive or even off drive & out into the main road, a tad later (1/2hr??) Wierd that eh!!!! Gee what happens if a child had been in front of the car?? Doesn't bare thinking about .... - Problem currently being investigated by my local dealership ??? Will post their findings later...

 

[Stubill]

Had a similar thing on my previous car (Audi).

What happens is your brakes get hot whilst driving. You park with handbrake moderately applied. Brakes cool and 'shrink' slightly and hey presto off rolls your car.

After finding my car about 50 yards away from where I left it one day, I now always make sure the handbrake is 'well' on and car is in gear when parking on an incline.

 

[Stu B]

surly this heat shirnkage is factions of millimeters, or is there actually a design failure in the rear disks?? thus enabling this possible heat issue to go unresolved. Either way its not very safe?

 

[Stubill]

I think it's not a design fault, just the way metal behaves under heat / cooling cycles. A guy I work with ownes a Civic Type R and had exactly the same thing happen. Except his car rolled and hit the back of his wifes - so 2 lots of damage !

My humble advice. Leave it in gear.

 

[Stu B]

Cheers, - does that mean that I can't drive it for more than twenty minutes?? before the rear disks get to hot to allow the pads to hold the car in place properly?!?! NOT GOOD!!!!

 

[mik]

I've always left my cars in gear when parked.

Hardly use my handbrake.

No use after the event, but good practice

 

[SJFISHER67]

I have had this happen to me, my car rolled down off someones drive. Into the road, thankfully it was late at night, now i always take the precaution of parking in gear.

One thing you may want to know, on the Current Golf 25 Anniversary, the rear disc has been modified, and there is what appears to be a small drum there with it. Dont know this is the case for sure, but it may be due to the fact that the handbrake on a Leon works on the discs.

Regards

SJFisher67

 

[Stu B]

SJFisher - Did you ever get your rear discs check out?

 

[mine_is_faster]

I've just had this problem, parked my beeza outside the house and it rolled into my neighbours car.

Not a mark on my beeza but £500 worth of damages to my nieghbours carina e.

Nightmare, taking mine to the dealers on Saturday

 

[Stu B]

Be interested in what your dealer says???

 

[Stu B]

Update - Dealership (Great team) hasnt found anything? Awaiting on assistance from Seat UK!! - Cant express my thanks to the dealership for digging deep here!!! But I'm still left with a major concern, just hope that SEAT can help put my mind at ease..

 

[ecklad]

Its happened on mine also... I usually leave it in gear but had forgotten... 20 minutes later it was causing a traffic jam as it was sitting in the middle of the road!!!

My old 1985 Audi 90 quattro had rear disks... never had a problem like this with them... They weren't the best anyway ( same as Mk2 Golf
's -- keep seizing up ! )

It is dangerous!! and why is it any problem is 'they all do that sir!'

CRAP!!



Dazz

 

[LEO LION R]

It happened to me in my R the 2nd weekend i had it, i can't have pulled the hand brake on hard enough (thought i had, well actually didn't think at all, just on auto pilot) anyway when i looked out the house window it had rolled about 5 meters down the street and stopped less han a foot away from the kerb. If it hadn't it would have scraped the alloy

It hasn't happened again because i now make point of applying the handbrake and leaving in gear. Iused to always do this, but had read somewhere that this can put unecesary strain on the timing belt if left in gear for a long period of time

I guess i was luckier than mine_is_faster

 

[mik]

Originally posted by LEO LION R

had read somewhere that this can put unecesary strain on the timing belt if left in gear for a long period of time

pure pish

I guess to add to my comments above, I've never felt the Leon handbrake to be fantastically effective.

Only car with a truly superb h-b is the wife's Ka. It's excellent!

 

[SJFISHER67]

Originally posted by Stu B
SJFisher - Did you ever get your rear discs check out?

Not had them checked out, i think it may be purely the discs retracting after they cool down, the hand brake has always needed 2-3 clicks to be fully on, and if it is a self adjusting then all should be ok. It has only covered 17,000 miles. But it is a thought to get it checked out, perhaps when i get the major service done at 20,000 (about may i think)

Regards

SJFisher67

 

[redcupratdi]

Happened to me this morning!! my drive slopes towards garage girlfriend woke me up ran down to see damage dent near number plate and cackled paint! not noticeable really but when you know its there