[Petrol Head]

I needed to refill the gas in my snowblower this morning. My gas can is on a shelf in front of where the Camaro is parked and my snowblower is on the other side of the garage. So I just thought I’d throw it in neural, release the parking brake, and just lean back on the B-pillar to push the car back about the foot I needed to to get to my gas can - like you can do with every single manual transmission since the car was invented.

Alas, it was not to be. I had to go back in the house, get my fob, and put it into acc mode to release the parking brake.

I really wanted to shoot the engineer who said “yeah, electronic parking brakes are a great idea on a MANUAL transmission”

How the hell do you release it if the battery dies while it’s set?????

I wasn’t keen on it to begin with but now that I know first hand what a limitation it is it’s really irritating!

[tripowergto]

I DESPISE the electronic parking brake!!

[UnknownJinX]

To play devil's advocate, it does save interior space(which this car desperately needs), and if you are low on battery, I would think any competent professional towing services would have a way to boost your battery.

And while I know you can use the buttons on the remote to unlock your car, I would think that most of the time, people would have the fob on them with the door button, which also makes this a non-issue for the most part.

My complaint with the electronic brake on the Camaro is rather how slow it is. The Mazda6 I drive now has a pretty quick one, maybe twice as fast as the one on the Camaro.



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[sengli]

I agree they are way over engineered. I hate to say, the last 4 cars that were manuals, I never used the parking brake the entire time owned them. Just left it in gear when parked.

[LT4Greg]

Idk Petrol Head, but I like the electronic brake and have finally gotten used to it being in the 6gen. It makes for a cleaner appearance in the interior and definitely takes up less room around or on the center console. I guess if the battery dies then it can’t be operational. Maybe we can get one of our members to test it out and report back so everyone will know if the brake will release without battery power!��

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

To play devil's advocate, it does save interior space(which this car desperately needs), and if you are low on battery, I would think any competent professional towing services would have a way to boost your battery.

And while I know you can use the buttons on the remote to unlock your car, I would think that most of the time, people would have the fob on them with the door button, which also makes this a non-issue for the most part



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I don’t -can’t- drive it (thanks to summer only tires) when it’s snowblower season so it stands to reason I wouldn’t have the fob on me.

Also, if your battery is dead with a manual you can push it (so long as you’re not facing up hill) in neutral up to a few miles an hour, hop in, push in the clutch and put it into first, then pop the clutch and the car will start. No battery or competent professional towing service needed!

[Petrol Head]

There should be a manual override release handle somewhere like in the trunk or something

As far as space is concerned, there are manual parking brake handles in cars that are very tiny and take up little space. They could have fit one on the console

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

There should be a manual override release handle somewhere like in the trunk or something

As far as space is concerned, there are manual parking brake handles in cars that are very tiny and take up little space. They could have fit one on the console

Nope... there is only one non-electric emergency override mechanism and that requires going under the car and manually loosening a bolt behind a protective cover, which is definitely not what you want

Reading through this section of the service manual, I did learn two interesting and potentially useful things, however:

- first, the parking brake can be used while in motion, just like an old school mechanical lever, by pulling up the button and holding it in that position (the EPB will be applied as long as the switch is kept active and is released when the button is released, unless the car stops completely, in which case it remains applied); and

- second, the tensioner cable can be released completely by holding the brake pedal down AND pressing and holding the parking brake button for 10 seconds with the ignition on and the engine off (pressing the start button first without the clutch/brake pedal pressed), in case the cable needs to be replaced

[Pupilbone]

So refreshing to get into my wife’s Nissan 370Z (Nismo), with the old school ebrake. The design just wasn’t broken...

[Cookie_Monster]

Originally Posted by arpad_m

Nope... there is only one non-electric emergency override mechanism and that requires going under the car and manually loosening a bolt behind a protective cover, which is definitely not what you want

Reading through this section of the service manual, I did learn two interesting and potentially useful things, however:

- first, the parking brake can be used while in motion, just like an old school mechanical lever, by pulling up the button and holding it in that position (the EPB will be applied as long as the switch is kept active and is released when the button is released, unless the car stops completely, in which case it remains applied); and

- second, the tensioner cable can be released completely by holding the brake pedal down AND pressing and holding the parking brake button for 10 seconds with the ignition on and the engine off (pressing the start button first without the clutch/brake pedal pressed), in case the cable needs to be replaced

Thanks for sharing that, I was I always curious if they'd work in motion like a manual e-brake can.

[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by Pupilbone

So refreshing to get into my wife’s Nissan 370Z (Nismo), with the old school ebrake. The design just wasn’t broken...

My daily driver is a 2009 Honda Accord EX-L V6 6 speed coupe. I’ve been driving nothing by manual transmissions since 1997, when I bought my second car: a 1990 Beretta GT 3.1 V6 5 speed.

Not only was the design never broken, a manual transmission requires a completely mechanical parking brake for the reasons I stated earlier.

[Pupilbone]

Agreed, which is why it’s refreshing to drive hers from time to time. Love the old school.

#SaveTheManuals

[UnknownJinX]

Originally Posted by Petrol Head

I don’t -can’t- drive it (thanks to summer only tires) when it’s snowblower season so it stands to reason I wouldn’t have the fob on me.

Also, if your battery is dead with a manual you can push it (so long as you’re not facing up hill) in neutral up to a few miles an hour, hop in, push in the clutch and put it into first, then pop the clutch and the car will start. No battery or competent professional towing service needed!

But you would have to grab the fob to unlock the car either way. Just carry the key fob with you next time. Problem solved.

And yes, I know the old pull start trick, but most remotely modern cars warn you about not doing it as it can damage the emission systems in the Owner's Manual, and I don't think I will bring my Camaro to areas where I can't even call for any emergency service. Now if this is in something like a Wrangler or Bronco, then I get the complaint more as these are very much capable of traveling to middle of nowhere.

Personally I am just indifferent about the design. Just takes getting used to.

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[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

But you would have to grab the fob to unlock the car either way. Just carry the key fob with you next time. Problem solved.

And yes, I know the old pull start trick, but most remotely modern cars warn you about not doing it as it can damage the emission systems in the Owner's Manual, and I don't think I will bring my Camaro to areas where I can't even call for any emergency service. Now if this is in something like a Wrangler or Bronco, then I get the complaint more as these are very much capable of traveling to middle of nowhere.

Personally I am just indifferent about the design. Just takes getting used to.

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Uh, not sure if you understood a few things here..... I didn’t need my fob because the car is in my garage and I’m not driving it right now since it’s winter. Ergo, it’s unlocked. Why would I need my key fob to move it then????

I’ve pushed manual cars around lots of times without starting them when you just need to move them a few feet. No need to start them just for a few feet. Or even back them out into the driveway to wash them.

Clutch popping a car does not affect the emission system any differently that the starter motor. It’s just like starting it with the starter motor, only in this case the transmission is turning the flywheel, not the starter motor. But they are both doing the exact same thing. And even if I am in the best neighborhood in the world, why should I wait for a tow truck or a battery jump when I can just start the car myself anyways? That’s one of the reasons to own a manual.