Parking brake

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oldsoldier

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I have an E220Cdi Avantgarde auto saloon.

I jumped off a wall a long time ago and injured my left foot. There is arthritis in the foot and my specialist recommends an operation.

If I have an operation I will not be able to apply pressure, while the foot is mending, to my car's parking brake pedal. Can the parking brake be altered without a radical transformation?

oldsoldier
 

turbopete

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its a pain to do (no pun intended) but you could always put the box into park, then either try to cross your right leg over to press the parking brake, or use a crutch/walking stick etc to press the parking brake on.
 

roadhog

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There'll be a couple of experts along soon to tell you different but, unless you live on a steep hill, forget about the park brake. At least until your foot is mended. I hardly ever use mine (or the park brake). :D
 

television

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I hardly ever use mine either,,there is no way that mine will hold it on my driveway
 

meanie

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I think that the only time that the parking brake on any auto car is used is on the MOT test!
Not much of an answer, but I'm sure that there are companies out there who specialise in hand controls for the disabled who will be able to help in this matter.
 

jibcl500

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Sorry about your foot but why not use your right foot to apply the parking brake?

jib
 

wireman

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Not using the parking brake is to me abhorent, its also the most common cause of poor parking brake performance, the bits all sieze due to lack of motion.

Using park will certainly prevent runaway and as some say suffices, in fact it will probably hold on a very steep incline better than the parking brakes which if its right should hold on an incline of 25%.

If the brake is correctly set up it does not require high pressure to engage it, I have seen several cars with the cables not set correctly which places the operating mechanism inside the drum in a disadavtageous position which makes the pedal pressure unnecessarily high.

To set up my car I have lifted the rear off the ground, released the brake and adjusted the parking brake drums untill the brakes are binding and tight, the cable can now be adjusted (at the lever where the one cable splits in two) to give a little slack in the off position - say about one click of the PB ratchet,
Then slack off the drum adjustment at both sides equaly untill the brake starts to rub/bind at about the aproach of two clicks on the ratchet. This is about 6-8 notches of the star wheels used to adjust the shoes.

Asuming that the arms inside the drum and all the cables are free this should result in the geometry of the shoe expander (the bit in the drum where the cable attaches) being in its best position for leverage, i.e. the expanders arms will be at near 90deg.

Adjusted as above my car requires little effort to engage the parking brake.

Not using the parking brake is probably excusable for a person in your position/condition but bear in mind that on any UK driving test you will fail if the PB is not used, so there realy is a good reason to make using it a habbit
 

television

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In my case I have to reverse down my very steep drive, and they will not hold at all, though due to the way that they are set up they may hold it better if I went down forwards, but I cannot do that
 
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oldsoldier

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Thank you, everyone. I'm six feet five inches tall and my shoes are size 12. I have tried to swing my right foot over my left foot to apply the parking brake and I cannot. There is not enough room between my knees and the bottom of the steering wheel when it is at in highest position, my shoes are too big, and the cockpit is narrow.

I have thought about not using the parking brake and relying instead upon 'P for park', but I am a law abiding soul. I think that Reg.105 of the Construction and Use Regs tells us not to do it. Yes, I know that if a roving pollis looks into the car he will not be able to tell if the parking brake pedal has been depressed, but I would still feel very uncomfortable about doing it. It seems however, that a good many Mercedes owners will and would do it.

And the thought of leaving my heavy car on an incline with the parking brake off and the gear selector in P, is unnerving. Wouldn't that put an unnecessary strain on the gearbox's innards? Even if the car were on the level and there was a mild shunt by another vehicle, I would imagine that the gear train would receive a nasty jolt and shock.

No, I think that I'll have to find a short stout stick and ask a blacksmith to fit onto the bottom of it something that will grasp or fit over the parking brake pedal. It must not slip off when pressure is applied.

I wonder why Mercedes have not redesigned the archaic parking brake? If it can be released with a pull on a lever, surely it could be applied by a pull on another lever. If the same lever were used for applying and releasing, the mechanism would never freeze and be inoperative through non-use and neglect. I think it is the only thing that lets a Mercedes down. oldsoldier
 

television

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Your foot has much more power than your arms,,I cannot see that working
 

cleverdicky

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I did it with a walking stick well enough a few weeks ago. Have a prolapsed disc that goes every now and again. So painful that just lowering in to the car is agony. (OK again now though).

Though at the time I didnt think it necessary to use the parking brake, but one of those things I wanted to make sure of in case I had occasion to fill in an insurance report form. You never know ??? :rolleyes:

What speed were you doing ? . . .Car was stationary
Was the parking brake applied? . . . er no
 

turbopete

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i had that with my first MB. told them i had only stopped moving a few moments before and had not had time to apply parking brake before collision and that my foot WAS still on the footbrake at the time. had no problems with that. besides the only time this should be an issue is if your car is hit and consequently hits another vehicle (like mine did!)
 
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oldsoldier

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Thank you, everyone. Applying the parking brake with a short length of 3" diameter pipe is surprisingly easy. A smooth wooden bung, to protect the palm of the hand, has been driven into the top of the pipe and a notch has been cut out of the bottom of the pipe so it fits over the pedal. It does not slip off and it lies between the centre console and the left hand side of the driving seat when it is not being used. Pressure is applied with both arms. Primitive but effective. oldsoldier
 


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