Parking Brake

[jfritz]

I've had my 06 Seaside Pearl #8 for a week now and have nearly gotten all the way through the manuals! One thing I noticed is that they recommend that you use the park brake whenever you shut down. Living in the "salt belt" here in the Midwest I avoided using my park brake on my 15 year old Passat wagon because it would seize up sometimes and not release.

I don't have enough of a good understanding about the transmission. When placed in Park, is the vehicle "locked down" like a regular automatic tranny or does the Prius transmission need the brake to hold the vehicle? Do all of you religiously use your parking brake too, as per the manual?

Its going to take some getting used to if I have to use the parking brake everytime I shut down.
Please advise.

Jim in Iowa

P.S. Otherwise, I'm loving it!

[aaf709]

I normally don't use the Parking Brake (applied with the foot) unless I'm on a hill. Others use it all the time.

[iluvmacs]

Some good discussion here:

http://priuschat.com/P-function-t14785.html

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

Originally posted by iluvmacs@Jan 13 2006, 10:22 PM
Some good discussion here:
http://priuschat.com/P-function-t14785.html

And here
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=12017&hl=

and here
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=7998&st=0

and here
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=9484&hl=

and here
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1708&hl=

and . . . . . . whew!

[mouztrpd]

I use mine every time I park.......I also use an automatic carwash with a under carriage rinse.

[green01]

I almost never use my parking brake in my current car, even though
it automatically releases when the car is driven.

I certainly won't use it on my yet to be delivered Prius, unless a hill
requires it. It will just be something to forget to release.

I figure the owner's manual requires it because they don't trust people
to apply it when it is really needed.

[richard schumacher]

Originally posted by green01@Jan 14 2006, 10:16 AM
I certainly won't use [the parking brake] on my yet to be delivered Prius, unless a hill
requires it.  It will just be something to forget to release.

I figure the owner's manual requires it because they don't trust people
to apply it when it is really needed.

[snapback]189778[/snapback]

If you use it every time you will never forget to release it, and you will never mis-judge when it needs to be used.

If the brake is not used and the car rolls enough to rest against the parking pawl, you may hear a very alarming CLUNK when you next shift into Drive.

[Betelgeuse]

Originally posted by richard schumacher@Jan 17 2006, 02:34 PM
If you use it every time you will never forget to release it, and you will never mis-judge when it needs to be used.

If the brake is not used and the car rolls enough to rest against the parking pawl, you may hear a very alarming CLUNK when you next shift into Drive.

[snapback]191911[/snapback]

Interesting point. Does a parking pawl exist on a car like the Prius? Or, more generally, on a car with a CVT?

[tochatihu]

Originally posted by Betelgeuse@Jan 17 2006, 10:40 AM
Interesting point. Does a parking pawl exist on a car like the Prius? Or, more generally, on a car with a CVT?

[snapback]191915[/snapback]

Yes. In the classic Prius it was mechanically set via the gearshift lever, and in the new model it is electrically set.

Besides holding on slopes and keeping the mechanicals unfrozen, I suggest another reason to routinely set the P brake. If somebody gives your parked car a bump, the parking pawl might break within the transmission. Don't know how expensive to repair pawl in a conventional automatic transmission, but I strongly doubt it would be cheaper in Prius.

[Salsawonder]

You must engage the car in park when you shut it down (although the car does put you into park when you hit the power button first) You do not have to use the "parking break" every time. This is also the easiest to release parking break I have ever had on any car.