German Reliability?

[Kernow Buoy]

The handbrake on a D3 auto is well, auto, as you increase power it automatically disengages and away you go. The handbrake on my manual is er, manual, but to be honest I find it's fine, took a bit of getting used when new but no problem even on slips.

[ADS]

Originally Posted by Kernow

The handbrake on a D3 auto is well, auto, as you increase power it automatically disengages and away you go. The handbrake on my manual is er, manual, but to be honest I find it's fine, took a bit of getting used when new but no problem even on slips.

True it takes abit of getting used to but is it any better than a conventional hand operated one. No it isn't classic example of them trying to reinvent the wheel, shame they didn't put the time/effort/money into sorting out their customer services!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by ADS

The electric handbrake in the Disco 3 is shite aswell, probably fine if you've got an auto disco but I tried recovering a RIB on a very steep slipway in a manual version and the handbrake was useless, ended up heel and toeing on the foot brake.

That's what I am having to do with the Passat. On the flat it's great - you just drive off. Sadly we have a lot of very steep hills and the arse of the car squats to the floor like a learner driver before the brake release. The only option is to try to grow an extra leg like Jake the Pake!!!

[ian parkes]

just seen the Tv ad for the new Volvo V70 , its got collision warning Whats that all about .

Is it a cure for the volvo driver syndrome

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ian parkes

new Volvo V70 , its got collision warning Whats that all about

not sure what stage it has got to - but I read about a system Volvo were planning to launch which used a sensors to detect if the car was likely to hit something. It will first alert the driver to an impending collision (sound and light) and if the driver doesn't hit the brakes and the hazard remains then at the "critical point" (when otherwise it would be too late) the car will do it for you. If this is just called collision warning (rather the collision warning and auto braking or whatever they were calling the full system) then perhaps it is a stepping stone - without the scary bit of the car doing the braking?

[ian parkes]

here it is
Not sure what to make of it , but I will be keeping my distance from any volvo infront of me in heavy traffic .

If the car approaches another vehicle from behind and the driver does not react, a red warning light flashes in the head-up display on the windscreen. At the same time, an audible signal can be heard. This helps the driver react and an accident can be avoided in most cases.

"The head-up display gives a clear and very efficient warning. The red light appearing on the windscreen in front of the driver produces the same gut-reaction effect as when you see a brake light in front of you", says Jonas Tisell. If the risk of a collision increases despite the warning, the brake support is activated. To shorten the reaction time the brakes are prepared by the brake pads being placed against the discs. The brake pressure is also reinforced hydraulically, ensuring effective braking even if the driver does not press the brake pedal particularly hard.

[codprawn]

I think Volvo are acronym crazy for a start!!!

All this stuff is shit - my ex girlfriend weighed 7 stone but was quite capable of doing an emergency stop in a Landy or a Transit with a heavy brake pedal.

FBS (Fading Brake Support) – uses hydraulics to gradually build up braking pressure during constant braking to help reduce the risk of wear and retained pedal feeling.
HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist) it updates Volvo's EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) by using hydraulics to increase braking pressure when the driver brakes hard.
RAB (Ready Alert Brakes) can predict if the accelerator is released quickly or if the adaptive cruise control registers an obstacle in front of the car and places the brake pads against the brake discs even before the driver hits the brake pedal.
OHB (Optimised Hydraulic Brakes) reinforces the braking capacity in conjunction with hard braking to compensate for low vacuum pressure in the brake servo.

[Nos4r2]

Whatever happened to not driving like a knob and looking where you're going...?


BTW, the handbrake on my Isuzu is next to useless (even though it's fine for the MOT)-so I find 4x4,low range 1st gear works far better for recovery.

Twas the same in my Fourtrak, Trooper and my old Nissan 4x4 too-even though the handbrakes worked fairly well in them.

[ian parkes]

All handbrakes seem to be a bit iffy on the slipway when you are winching the boat on the traier . Better to have a driver in the car holding the foot brake .
The disc handbrake on the T5 van doesn't seem too clever , its creaking and slipping a tiny bit all the time .

I carry one of those plastic wheel wedges, if iam not sure its holding i chock the wheel and tie the wedge to the towbar or bumper when i drive up the slip they just follow me.