Handbrake Query - New GLA owner

Dan Mellor

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Had my GLA delivered today and was given a thorough demo of how everything works.

One thing I forgot to ask him was about the handbrake.

I have yet to figure out how to automatically release it, or whether there is any way of doing it or does it always have to be manually done?!

As a side note, the handle for this is quite low down don't you think and is a bit of a reach to put on.
 

Naraic

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Doesn't "automatically" mean you don't have to do anything manual?

It'll probably be explained in the hand book.
 
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Dan Mellor

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Doesn't "automatically" mean you don't have to do anything manual?

True, what I mean is, in my old Renault Scenic, as soon as you touched the throttle, the parking brake would release, I can't figure out whether there is such a feature in the GLA or whether I always have to manually release it?
 

alexanderfoti

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The auto handbrake on my s class automatically releases when in Drive and you accelerate.
 

John Laidlaw

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In the GLA you just have to put in D or R and press the accelerator pedal and it will release. They are very reliable these days
 

A.J.

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By the way Dan, welcome to the forum :)
 
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Dan Mellor

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In the GLA you just have to put in D or R and press the accelerator pedal and it will release. They are very reliable these days

Mine is not an Automatic, it's manual - have read the manual and it seems this is only possible in automatics :-(
 

John Laidlaw

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Mine is not an Automatic, it's manual - have read the manual and it seems this is only possible in automatics :-(
Ah I see - I’ve never had a manual Mercedes but I did have previously a Volvo manual with the automatic handbrake.
If it’s the same it engaged in neutral but disengaged automatically when the clutch reached ‘biting point’
 

Lizzyw

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I know this is an old thread, but I just bought a manual gearbox GLA 180 and the parking brake is puzzling me. My Qashqui had an electronic handbrake that disengaged when you put the car into gear and pressed the accelerator. Do you need to keep pushing and pulling the lever to operate? My drive is really sloped and I’m worried when trying to get it up the drive that I won’t be operating the brake properly. Stupid question, but do you inly use it when parking up? I’ve always put the handbrake on at trafffic light etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

Botus

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on a Ford there's a whole load of confusion with owners thinking its automatic when its not....

They build in some functionality for idiots and in doing so have made it remarkably close to ones where it is automatic, but that was never the intention.... so we have multiple owners trusting its fully automatic on and off. Then one irregular parking habit falls outside the idiot safety modes Ford had thought of and it fails to apply. In this circumstance these owners have a big moment and go ranting back with a complaint its broken and the dealers (who were never taught anything) often don't realise there is more than one mess within the ford range and everyone gets confused. It's made really silly, as the owners manual spends more time discussing how the safety systems might operate, rather than ever explaining how to apply the park brake.

So owners write reams of complaints about dealers failure to fix, dangerous software and ranting back at "fools" on the forum telling them they are mistaken when they tell them to put in on manually.... Pages and pages of it

Then you get a totally different feature "hill hold assist" (which might be part of how a Merc manual box car copes with life)… on the Ford's it applies the brakes at rest and automatically releases it as you pull away.... But ONLY if you are facing up on a hill. Which is absolutely perfect for rentals or infrequent users that notice the feature but so far have only come to a rest on a small upward inclines. You then get to a downhill slope stop at the lights.... believing its auto hold, and whilst bored waiting, fiddle with radio or admire the view only to find the car has rolled into the junction which is MARVELOUS !!!!!
 
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EmilysDad

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on a Ford there's a whole load of confusion with owners thinking its automatic when its not....

They build in some functionality for idiots and in doing so have made it remarkably close to ones where it is automatic, but that was never the intention.... so we have multiple owners trusting its fully automatic on and off. Then one irregular parking habit falls outside the idiot safety modes Ford had thought of and it fails to apply. In this circumstance these owners have a big moment and go ranting back with a complaint its broken and the dealers (who were never taught anything) often don't realise there is more than one mess within the ford range and everyone gets confused. It's made really silly, as the owners manual spends more time discussing how the safety systems might operate, rather than ever explaining how to apply the park brake.

So owners write reams of complaints about dealers failure to fix, dangerous software and ranting back at "fools" on the forum telling them they are mistaken when they tell them to put in on manually.... Pages and pages of it

Then you get a totally different feature "hill hold assist" (which might be part of how a Merc manual box car copes with life)… on the Ford's it applies the brakes at rest and automatically releases it as you pull away.... But ONLY if you are facing up on a hill. Which is absolutely perfect for rentals or infrequent users that notice the feature but so far have only come to a rest on a small upward inclines. You then get to a downhill slope stop at the lights.... believing its auto hold, and whilst bored waiting, fiddle with radio or admire the view only to find the car has rolled into the junction which is MARVELOUS !!!!!
So Botus ..... rant over :rolleyes: ;)

Is Lizzy's handbrake automatic or not? ;)
 

EmilysDad

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.... Stupid question, but do you inly use it when parking up? I’ve always put the handbrake on at trafffic light etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Depends how long I think I'll be stuck at the lights :)
 

Botus

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I suspect you need to work out (and sadly often not easy.....) for a specific engine / transmission / trim / option level, if the vehicle in question is fitted with

1) electronic park brake with auto on and off (I suspect most are auto off and ALWAYS manual on)
2) getting muddled with hill hold assist (which can give the impression it has the ability to put the park brake on - but its actually a different feature)

as my ramble about Ford's above infers - various driver misbehaviours can trigger an emergency threshold where the car thinks it best to apply the electronic park brake just incase. But that doesn't mean its designed to be used as if it has automatic on of the park brake.

Since 2016, all new cars must have ABS at std , so its very easy for automatic off to be a feature.... Engine running, footbrake applied, vehicle put in gear, foot brake released, throttle applied, vehicle starting to move = MUST be trying to drive away = release park brake
 
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Botus

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keep reading

"various driver misbehaviours can trigger an emergency threshold where the car thinks it best to apply the electronic park brake"
 

Botus

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back to the recent question....

"I’ve always put the handbrake on at traffic lights etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks."

Not sure on manual box Mercedes, give it a try....many have a "Hold" feature, its enabled when more than normal foot pressure on the brake pedal is applied when stationary - it basically engages hill hold assist.

Whilst its good practice to apply the hand/park brake when stationary... in the real world of cut and thrust driving its only really sensible if stopped downhill / up hill or its a very long wait...

using the hand/park brake has a different bunch of safety issues to "hold"….

if in a dangerous location with little traffic, using the hand/park brake means you end up in bad weather or at night with only two dim rear side lights showing (that could even be dirty) rather than 3 bright brake lights. But it is more courteous to drivers behind when in queues of traffic... Conversely the Hold feature is thus safer in quiet / dangerous locations, but leaves the brake lights on dazzling other road users in queues
 

EmilysDad

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keep reading

"various driver misbehaviours can trigger an emergency threshold where the car thinks it best to apply the electronic park brake"
I did ... but didn't think it was applicable to the general manual on/auto off of my 'handbrake' :rolleyes:
 

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