Message about the handbrake comes on as a reminder almost every time. 
 

Auto

1 minute ago, alexp999 said:

Do you leave it in gear when you turn it off?

I've never seen a message about the parking brake. Only ever if I try to move without my seatbelt clipped (like trying to move it on the drive before shutting the gate).

Yes. Another scenario other day I had parked up and a work colleague was reversing into his bay in the old school way by having the drivers door open and looking where his positioning was heading which is another thing you can't do with the MK4 unless you actually start the car up with the drivers door open in the first place and tick the "ok" box when prompted.

It's probably the fact it's not in neutral, I always take mine out of gear before I turn off the ignition or undo my seatbelt.

37 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

It's probably the fact it's not in neutral, I always take mine out of gear before I turn off the ignition or undo my seatbelt.

In neutral when I switch off but leave it in gear before exiting.

I never leave any vehicle in neutral.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

It's just a confusing functionality...  As the handbrake applies automatically while on the road, you'd expect it to do the same when parked as well.

Not true Tom, Auto Hold uses hydraulic pressure on all four wheels for as long as it can, the Electric Parking Brake uses a motor to physically move the rear pads, so once applied the only way release them is to wind the motor back electronically or remove the motor and do it manually.

Some of us use the switch to engage and disengage the handbrake as we would with a manual handbrake because as pointed out it was not designed to engage manually and sooner or later it will not engage when parked up. The fact that it engages sometimes when Auto Hold  is on us a failsafe for when there is not enough hydraulic pressure to keep the car from moving.

3 hours ago, Tizer said:

Auto Hold uses hydraulic pressure on all four wheels for as long as it can

Hi Tizer, I thought 'Auto Hold' only operated on the front discs ? but I admit that I don't know that for sure.

3 hours ago, Tizer said:

Not true Tom, Auto Hold uses hydraulic pressure on all four wheels for as long as it can, the Electric Parking Brake uses a motor to physically move the rear pads, so once applied the only way release them is to wind the motor back electronically or remove the motor and do it manually.

Some of us use the switch to engage and disengage the handbrake as we would with a manual handbrake because as pointed out it was not designed to engage manually and sooner or later it will not engage when parked up. The fact that it engages sometimes when Auto Hold  is on us a failsafe for when there is not enough hydraulic pressure to keep the car from moving.

Yes, but the effect to the driver is that the car is held automatically.  Most people don't know (or probably care) about the functional difference between the two. 

I can't see any reason why the EPB shouldn't automatically apply when you switch the engine off.  Seems weird that it's just meant to be a 'failsafe' rather than a permanent feature.

6 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I can't see any reason why the EPB shouldn't automatically apply when you switch the engine off.  Seems weird that it's just meant to be a 'failsafe' rather than a permanent feature.

It does, you just have to pull the latch on the drivers door 😄

25 minutes ago, unofix said:

Hi Tizer, I thought 'Auto Hold' only operated on the front discs ? but I admit that I don't know that for sure.

I don't know for certain but It would make more sense to apply it to all the wheels for safety reasons and there is no technical reason why not.

I was once on the mother of all steep icy roads (not in this car) and it was so bad that I stopped to weigh up the situation and my handbrake, which obviously only works on the back wheels would not hold me, I had to push the Footbrake to lock all 4 wheels to have enough friction to stop sliding. Two locked wheels are often not enough. 

14 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I can't see any reason why the EPB shouldn't automatically apply when you switch the engine off.  Seems weird that it's just meant to be a 'failsafe' rather than a permanent feature

I suppose if they sold it as an Automatic Parking Brake some people would expect it to come on when they stopped but before they turned the engine off, which might be several minutes later. In that situation you would pull a manual handbrake up, not wait until you switched the engine off and opened the door.

That failsafe will only work if Auto Hold is active, which is not all the time for various reasons and is primarily to stop the car rolling if there is not enough pressure. 

13 hours ago, Tizer said:

I suppose if they sold it as an Automatic Parking Brake some people would expect it to come on when they stopped but before they turned the engine off, which might be several minutes later. In that situation you would pull a manual handbrake up, not wait until you switched the engine off and opened the door.

That failsafe will only work if Auto Hold is active, which is not all the time for various reasons and is primarily to stop the car rolling if there is not enough pressure. 

Fair point, though the auto hold should apply if they've stopped, so that'll hold the car until they switch the engine off when the EPB could apply.  I don't see the point of it working after the door has been opened, who's still holding the footbrake while opening the door?  Also worth noting that you never have to release the EPB as far as I know, it will always release automatically as you pull away (at least I haven't found a scenario where it didn't) so it's reasonable to expect it apply automatically too.  Just feels like it's all been over-complicated really.  I do much prefer auto-hold over the old 3 seconds of hill hold, but the 'semi-auto' EPB just seems inconsistent for no particular safety or functional limit reason that I can work out.

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Fair point, though the auto hold should apply if they've stopped, so that'll hold the car until they switch the engine off when the EPB could apply.  I don't see the point of it working after the door has been opened, who's still holding the footbrake while opening the door?  Also worth noting that you never have to release the EPB as far as I know, it will always release automatically as you pull away (at least I haven't found a scenario where it didn't) so it's reasonable to expect it apply automatically too.  Just feels like it's all been over-complicated really.  I do much prefer auto-hold over the old 3 seconds of hill hold, but the 'semi-auto' EPB just seems inconsistent for no particular safety or functional limit reason that I can work out.

I don't disagree with you, but at the same time I don't understand why some people are making a drama out of something that is quite simple if you take the trouble to read the Handbook.

It does disengage when your clutch has been pressed in and you give the car enough revs, although I use the switch to release mine because It is second nature and I prefer to have some control of my car, there is far too much automated help already for my liking.  It can disengage itself  if you do the right things with your feet even though you are not moving.

I would be interested to know what other manufacturers do if they have Auto Hold and EPB. 

53 minutes ago, Tizer said:

I would be interested to know what other manufacturers do if they have Auto Hold and EPB. 

The same confusion happens over on VAG forums with the EPB 'technically' only being a failsafe, but realistically applies almost every time you park.  I briefly had a DSG Leon and didn't have to touch the EPB even once.

When I bought mine a few months ago the salesman advised thet I keep my hand near the brake button and use it manually, just as I would a normal handbrake. I keep autohold off and don't rely on it. Sadly, I have put the handbrake on a couple of times while attempting to close the car windows - usually after driving my other car where the window buttons are identical to (by feel) and in the same place as, the handbrake switch ... Now what did I say elsewhere about 6 pages of owners manual on how to use the handbrake ...

Speaking as a manual owner, I'm not sure what all the confusion is about. 

Pull up to where you want to stop, stop with auto hold engaged. Take off seat belt and the handbrake comes on. 

and then you drive a conventional car and kill someone...

put the lever back on and people should learn to drive - its more satisfying, more reliable, and less of the planet's resources

1 hour ago, Botus said:

and then you drive a conventional car and kill someone...

put the lever back on and people should learn to drive - its more satisfying, more reliable, and less of the planet's resources

Not always reliable as some cnuts cant be trusted to pull up the handbrake even when the park up on an incline in a carpark adjacent to a very busy A road.

Here's a picture ou what happened to our previous Focus whilst parked on our driveway across the road from the Co op.

Also note that this is a very busy A road that leads upto a major motorway junction and also has a bus stop at the top of the drive.

The consequences could of been a lot worse.........all for not pulling up a handbrake lever or simply not leaving the car in gear.

2 hours ago, Botus said:

and then you drive a conventional car and kill someone...

put the lever back on and people should learn to drive - its more satisfying, more reliable, and less of the planet's resources

That's just idiots who can't drive regardless of what you put in front of them. 

Just today I've seen numerous illegal number plates, illegal because you can't see them because of muck. A guy stopping on a 70mph dual carriageway to do a u turn in the outside lane were there is gaps in the barrier but no u turn signs. A women joining a 70mph dual carriageway at 50mph. Someone crossing 4 lanes of heavy traffic to get in the right lane they needed to be simply because they had to be in front. A red light jumper and a women who at a T junction when on green turned left and then sat at the red light that wasn't for her. 

I love auto hold and electronic handbrake. 

And just to add onto my comment earlier. If you come to a stop and use auto hold and switch the engine off, the parking brake comes on. That's what it's designed to do, not sure why all the confusion. 

I always reverse onto my drive. When I brake, , gears into neutral,  auto hold comes on.  As soon as I stop the engine I get a screen message to say that the parking brake is being applied. That is before unbuckling the seatbelt or opening the door. Next time I drive off, I do not need to manually release the electronic handbrake, it releases automatically.