My neighbour popped out of her car, 2 x kids safely strapped in the back, electronic handbrake thought to be applied - it wasn't! Pouring rain, lawn, suffered badly, BUT, no one hurt, the middle kid slept right through the ordeal! 20 minutes to extract car as it was so slippy, wooden planks, mats did nothing, had to get towed back out! Yep, electronic handbrakes - hate them!!

This is no different to not applying the manual one yourself though.

I always check the handbrake light has come on before getting out, the same way I always used to check I'd manually pulled the old handbrake up.

If you don't want to rely on the auto application, turn it off and treat the switch like the old handle.

Or you could say "why I never leave an unattended car without switching the engine off and putting it in gear (or P if an auto)"😃

At least with the electric handbrake it's either on or off. No chance of not quite pulling the handbrake up far enough so it looks on, but isn't holding the car properly. Not that anything like that ever happened to me. Ahem.

I definitely don't trust the "auto on" option for the electric handbrake though.

LOL, OK guys, I'm an analogue guy in a digital world -I'm sorry for bothering you 🤣

8 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I'm an analogue guy in a digital world

Yeah, me too!😃

In other words, you prefer proven solutions 🙂

Tbf I used to hate the idea. It’s only living with a car with an electronic handbrake I’ve got used to it. 

It doesn't say anywhere in the handbook that it is supposed to be applied automatically when you stop, at least not for a manual car although it does so sometimes when you open the door. It does say that it releases automatically but even that is not fool proof because if you rev the car immediately after releasing the clutch then it will release even if the car is in neutral, not the best design.

It took me a long time to get used to it so I always pull the switch up when I want to apply it and release it with the switch when moving off and it has become second nature to me now, but given the choice I would rather have a real Handbrake.  

We've just traded in our Qashqai (automatic handbrake) for an EcoSport (manual handbrake)

Guess who doesn't apply the handbrake sometimes and at other times forgets to release it? 🤔🙄😀

In another 20 years time you will have to explain to the kids what a handbrake was 🤣

Remember "chokes" and how when black magic came along "automatic chokes" and people went round buying kits to make the choke manual 🤣🤣😂

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

In another 20 years time you will have to explain to the kids what a handbrake was 🤣

Remember "chokes" and how when black magic came along "automatic chokes" and people went round buying kits to make the choke manual 🤣🤣😂

Now, my Makita petrol strimmer still has a manual choke, does that count? LOL

I've often wondered if the automatically releasing Handbrakes and Footbrakes on these cars will put extra strain on the Clutch and lead to premature wear. Maybe I'm just overthinking.

On 10/7/2021 at 9:51 PM, unofix said:

In another 20 years time you will have to explain to the kids what a handbrake was 🤣

Remember "chokes" and how when black magic came along "automatic chokes" and people went round buying kits to make the choke manual 🤣🤣😂

Automatic chokes were good when they worked but often after playing up badly we fitted manual choke kits out of desperation.