How to Use the Electronic Parking Brake in a Manual Transmission Car?
4 Answers
How to use the electronic parking brake: 1. Activating the electronic parking brake: (1) Press the brake pedal and pull the electronic parking brake switch upward until the indicator light on the dashboard lights up, and the indicator light on the switch will also illuminate. (2) If the vehicle is turned off without activating the electronic parking brake, the electronic parking brake will automatically engage. (3) Emergency braking with the electronic parking brake: When the vehicle cannot be stopped using the foot brake, pull and hold the electronic parking brake switch for more than 2 seconds to perform emergency braking, and a warning signal will sound. Releasing the switch or pressing the accelerator pedal will cancel the emergency braking. (Note: The emergency braking function may not be available on all models; please refer to the user manual for details.) 2. Deactivating the electronic parking brake: (1) While pressing the brake pedal, press the electronic parking brake switch, and the indicator lights on both the dashboard and the switch will turn off. (2) Pressing the accelerator while the engine is running will automatically release the electronic parking brake.
Driving a manual transmission with an electronic parking brake does take some getting used to. When I changed cars, I researched this extensively: when starting off, press the clutch, shift into first gear, lightly tap the accelerator while simultaneously pressing the electronic parking brake button, and the system automatically releases the brake. Parking is even simpler - press the brake, shift into neutral, pull up the electronic parking brake button until the red light comes on, and you're done. Pay special attention to hill starts - many cars come with hill start assist. After engaging the electronic parking brake, press the brake pedal firmly to activate the assist function, which prevents rolling back for two to three seconds. Remember to develop the habit of shifting into neutral before applying the electronic brake - never pull the handbrake while in gear, as it's bad for the transmission.
Electronic parking brakes are much more convenient than traditional handbrakes for manual transmissions. When parking, just bring the car to a complete stop, press the clutch pedal all the way down with your left foot, and effortlessly lift the electronic brake button with your right hand. When starting off, listen to the engine sound—the moment you engage the clutch and apply throttle, just press the button with your thumb to release it. I noticed a detail when driving a friend's new car: if you pull the electronic brake while in gear, the car will beep to remind you to shift back to neutral. Beginners are advised to practice on flat ground first to get familiar with the release pressure, as pressing too hard might cause the car to lurch. On rainy days when the road is slippery, the electronic brake responds faster and more steadily than a mechanical one.
Just started driving a manual with an electronic parking brake and it feels really unfamiliar. The instructor taught me a three-step method for stopping: press the brake to slow down, depress the clutch fully, and pull up the silver button. For starting, two actions: slowly lift the clutch with the left foot until you feel the car shake, then lightly press the electronic brake button with the right hand to release it automatically. Once, I forgot to release the parking brake and drove off directly, but the system automatically disengaged it, which was quite smart. For short stops at red lights, you can just press the brake, but for stops longer than thirty seconds, it's better to engage the electronic brake to protect the transmission. However, I always worry about the battery dying and the brake getting locked. The mechanic said there's a mechanical release loop near the steering wheel for emergencies.
