motdave
Nominated Tester
Posts: 242
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Post by motdave on Sept 30, 2007 18:47:31 GMT
Just found a new warning notice on the sunvisor of a Vectra C with regard to the handbrake operation:
The owner said it came in a letter from Vauxhall Motors Customer Care. Apparently VOSA are looking into the operation of the parking brake system on these vehicles.
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wally
Nominated Tester
Posts: 139
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Post by wally on Sept 30, 2007 22:45:55 GMT
Should the handbrake fail, the notice appears to contradict all advice in timing belt data regarding not to turn the engine over back-wards.
Wally
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spanner
Nominated Tester
Posts: 191
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Post by spanner on Oct 1, 2007 23:21:42 GMT
What is there to look into I wonder?
To me thats standard procedure in any car.
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Post by motorwise on Oct 2, 2007 0:50:55 GMT
I've found that these seem to have a problem, whereby if the vehicle is parked with hot brakes which then, subsquently cool, this allows the vehicle to move (as the pads contract on cooling they release the pressure they have on the discs)
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Post by hamvideo on Oct 3, 2007 22:24:03 GMT
Hi Lads, This problem was featured on tonights Watchdog, Vauxhall wont/dont admit there is a problem, personally I think the warning lable is bit offensive and patronising, cant Vauxhall design a decent secondary brake that works properly, having seen some of the design c*ckups in modern cars I am firmly of the opinion that the better part of a modern car designer's brains ran down his mothers leg!!. This problem with disc brake handbrake mechanisms is not isolated to Vauxhall, several other makes also have the problem. I recently had to do a park brake performance test on an upmarket Japanese sports model which had a handbrake lever that was impossible to apply with the drivers seat in the fully forward position, drivers seat right back 24% eficiency, drivers seat forward 10% was the best I could get because the human arm does not have any streangth at a very oblique rearward angle. This followed a nasty accident where the drivers mother was killed by the car as it ran forward after the driver thought she had applied the park brake firmly. Car designers, ugh, they are a bunch of pathetic morons.
regards Henry.
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spanner
Nominated Tester
Posts: 191
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Post by spanner on Oct 4, 2007 6:11:33 GMT
Well said Henry. We too have come accross the seat position problem several times My mates focus estate ran down his driveway hitting his thankfully closed gates. I believe he was given some excuse by Ford but cant remember what. Like I said common sense to me to leave car in gear PART OF HIGHWAY CODE when you pass your test!
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Post by Admin on Oct 4, 2007 19:58:48 GMT
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