[Number 3]

Originally Posted by MovieGuy

What I don't like about it is you can't use it as a backup if your brakes ever go out like you could with the manual style.

From the 2016 owners manual.

If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is moving, the vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
held up. If the switch is held up until
the vehicle comes to a stop, the
EPB will remain applied.

So as long as you have electrical power, you can stop the vehicle with the EPB,

[WVaSS]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Actually costs more.

And not sure why you think an old school hand lever makes you feel better about parking your car down hill and really not clear how snow impacts it any more. Do you just pull even harder on your hand brake if there is snow?

The e-park brake simply locks the rear brakes. No cable to stretch or worry about. Just done. I think you guys just need to build your confidence with it.

But you bring up the only real point. If you aren't used to it, it can seem strange. An awful lot of new cars now come with an e-park brake. It enables a better package for the occupant. Also consider many cars had the old foot park brake and it saves that space as well.

There are so few people that actually need a hand brake for turns that OEMs are simply making use of the space in the console.

Also enables e-shift transmissions which the Camaro may get someday.

And that Hill Hold feature? I think that is the e-brake as well.

But no, OP, GM did not make a huge mistake. They just did something you don't like or more specifically, aren't used to yet. I suspect you will in time if this is your first car with the feature.

I do like the hill hold feature. And I'll concede most of your points. However if you don't know why you'd need a handbrake in the snow, I'll just smile and pat you on the head. There are probably you tube videos to school you on this skill.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by WVaSS

I do like the hill hold feature. And I'll concede most of your points. However if you don't know why you'd need a handbrake in the snow, I'll just smile and pat you on the head. There are probably you tube videos to school you on this skill.

Well instead of being condescending, explain what you mean. There is no sound technical reason a manual hand/foot brake will hold a car on a snowy hill any better an EPB.

Your statement: can't imagine facing a long, steep, snow covered, downhill road without a proper handbrake

So unless you are talking about driving like Ken Block on a snowy day and doing handbrake turns, I have no clue how a hand brake helps you parking on a snowy down hill road.

If you are talking about simply driving down a slick road, you have ABS that will do far better than you ever will using your hand brake.

So really not sure what you mean, and I've driven on a lot of snowy roads, never needing a handbrake..................unless I wanted to drive like Ken Block.

[MovieGuy]

Originally Posted by Number 3

From the 2016 owners manual.

If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is moving, the vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
held up. If the switch is held up until
the vehicle comes to a stop, the
EPB will remain applied.

So as long as you have electrical power, you can stop the vehicle with the EPB,

Thankyou for that. I missed it.

[JFM-jr]

Originally Posted by SuperSound

You're setting it wrong. Set e-brake first, let off brake (car may roll an inch before brake catches) then shift into park. That will avoid damage to the parking pawl in the tranny.


Also the sound is the servo from the brake activating. It's normal.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Could you just put it in neutral then set the brake and proceed as you described? That would eliminate the car lurching forward at all. Not sure if this is possible or even any better of an option than you suggest.

[SuperSound]

Originally Posted by JFM-jr

Could you just put it in neutral then set the brake and proceed as you described? That would eliminate the car lurching forward at all. Not sure if this is possible or even any better of an option than you suggest.

My guess is the car will still roll an inch or so before the e-brake grabs. Leaving in neutral should be fine but car won't start in neutral either I believe.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[clrkmr]

One thing I wish they did was have it engage automatically when you put the car in park. My Lexus had that feature. You could put the ebrake in auto mode or manual mode. In auto mode it would engage when you put the car in park and disengage when you took the car out of park with your foot on the brake. In manual mode it works just like the ours.

[fighting irish]

The main thing I don't like about the electronic parking brake is the lack of tactile and auditory feedback that you get with a mechanical parking brake. With a mechanical parking brake, you pull up on the lever, and it stays there. You hear the clicking/latching of the parking brake, and you know it is set.

With the electronic brake, the only sense you can use to tell whether it is set is your eyes by looking at the dash. You really have to flick the electonic switch up hard to make sure it sets. I have had several times where I didn't lift the button high enough and it didn't engage. I might be alone in this, but I would like an audible ratcheting sound with the electronic brake coming through the speakers.

[MovieGuy]

Originally Posted by fighting irish

The main thing I don't like about the electronic parking brake is the lack of tactile and auditory feedback that you get with a mechanical parking brake. With a mechanical parking brake, you pull up on the lever, and it stays there. You hear the clicking/latching of the parking brake, and you know it is set.

With the electronic brake, the only sense you can use to tell whether it is set is your eyes by looking at the dash. You really have to flick the electonic switch up hard to make sure it sets. I have had several times where I didn't lift the button high enough and it didn't engage. I might be alone in this, but I would like an audible ratcheting sound with the electronic brake coming through the speakers.

If you shut your car off before you set it you can hear the motor engaging it.

[WVaSS]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Well instead of being condescending, explain what you mean. There is no sound technical reason a manual hand/foot brake will hold a car on a snowy hill any better an EPB.

Your statement: can't imagine facing a long, steep, snow covered, downhill road without a proper handbrake

So unless you are talking about driving like Ken Block on a snowy day and doing handbrake turns, I have no clue how a hand brake helps you parking on a snowy down hill road.

If you are talking about simply driving down a slick road, you have ABS that will do far better than you ever will using your hand brake.

So really not sure what you mean, and I've driven on a lot of snowy roads, never needing a handbrake..................unless I wanted to drive like Ken Block.

Apologies. But that is exactly what I'm referring to. Descending a snow covered slick slope and depending on ABS to provide any useful assistance is, IMHO completely optimistic. Using a mechanical hand brake is a far safer and superior method of controlling your rate of descent and vehicle attitude. Again apologies for condescension. Also there are situations where a driver may need the handbrake for either stopping, or again adjusting the attitude or direction of the car. I don't like the electronic parking brake as it takes those tools out of my hands. It may well function to slow the car in a emergency but no way will it offer any useful control. Hey I bought the car knowing it and accepting that limitation. I still wouldn't want to drive it down a snowy hill relying on engine braking and ABS. Not knocking ABS, it's excellent and mostly does a far superior job at braking than I'm capable of. This is not true under snow and ice conditions.

[Waiting46]

Originally Posted by WVaSS

Apologies. But that is exactly what I'm referring to. Descending a snow covered slick slope and depending on ABS to provide any useful assistance is, IMHO completely optimistic. Using a mechanical hand brake is a far safer and superior method of controlling your rate of descent and vehicle attitude. Again apologies for condescension. Also there are situations where a driver may need the handbrake for either stopping, or again adjusting the attitude or direction of the car. I don't like the electronic parking brake as it takes those tools out of my hands. It may well function to slow the car in a emergency but no way will it offer any useful control. Hey I bought the car knowing it and accepting that limitation. I still wouldn't want to drive it down a snowy hill relying on engine braking and ABS. Not knocking ABS, it's excellent and mostly does a far superior job at braking than I'm capable of. This is not true under snow and ice conditions.

I would argue that GM would not have provided a sub-standard safety device, and that ABS is likely better than 95%+ of drivers at managing low traction environments. Especially with a dedicated low-traction mode.

[Obzen]

Everything beats the 3 foot long hockey stick that was in the 5th gen.

[mekirk2]

Im pretty sure the hill assist uses the entire brake system and not just the ebrake. I noticed the other day that the hill assist actually keeps the brake lights on until it releases. Had a car behind me on a hill and noticed that the brake lights remained on when I let my foot off the brake and didnt go off until the hill assist released.

[bigd1276]

Originally Posted by Obzen

Everything beats the 3 foot long hockey stick that was in the 5th gen.