I have a TSX V6 and I've recently tested the e-brake. It doesn't seem to stop the vehicle unless I am rolling 10mph, and even then it takes about 5-10 seconds to bring it to a complete stop. Is this normal? I tried to tell the dealer about it and they said it isn't an issue (didn't seem like they were really listening to me though). Thanks.

 

What are you trying to use the emergency brake for?
does it hold on an incline?

 

You'll have to adjust it by taking the rear wheels off and accessing the parking brake drum. I don't have the instructions, but someone will be able to post up the page out of the manual that shows you how to do it.

You can also adjust your parking brake handle, but I wouldn't touch that, and go straight to the source.

 

I am simply trying to test it. I have been in cars where the eBrake actually stops the car. In this car it just seems to rub slightly and slow it down, but seriously nothing noticeable unless you are rolling at 5mph. It is almost like I don't have a parking brake. It holds the car if I am not moving, but I haven't tried it on an incline yet.

Are you saying it could be messed up?

 

Our car's e-brake doesn't use drums. It uses the existing rear pads. When you pull the lever, each caliper piston is rotated slightly to force the pads against the brake disc. So this system inherently makes it weaker than drum-based systems.
But it's lighter and less complicated (except when you replace the rear pads... You can't just push the piston back inside the caliper, you need to rotate it while pushing it!).

So to summarize, it's normal...

 

Man be careful pulling that e-brake, on any Japanese car for that matter. You'll wear your pads and rotors in a heartbeat, trust me...

 

I haven't heard about that before. Try it at N, and then hold e-brake up.

 

Ebrakes aren't ebrakes anymore. They did away with that name and now it is just a Parking Brake. Know why? It isn't intended to be used to stop your vehicle....ever. As a matter of fact, when you pull on that thing you should have noticed the indicator panel light up and a chime that says to release the damn parking brake. It is now used only for parking purposes and those will be mostly for the MT guys and gals. It will provide very little assitance in the event of an emegency stop. Even then you shouldn't use it as you could cause your rear end to swing out and that shit can be scary and it won't help you stop any better. Could even cause an accident itself. My advice since you drive a V6 and it is obviously an auto... never touch the parking brake.

 

I use the parking brake on a manual all the time, and on an auto equipped vehicle (our 05 Odyssey) if parking on an incline.

Auto = hold brake pedal down, shift to N, apply parking brake, release brake pedal, wait for vehicle to move slightly, then move the selector to P. That takes the strain off the transmission when parked on an incline.

 

Yeah now that you have used your "E Brake" to try to test it from a moving car, you have probably messed it up and now it will need to be adjusted and or pads replaced.

Why would you even try this?

 

Yeah I agree the e-brake isnt very strong. Within the 1st week of ownership I learned to keep my car in gear with the e-brake on. I came out of my house one day to see it had rolled down my driveway into the street.

It still does its job when I want to rotate the back end in rain or snow though.

 

yea i use mine mainly for drifting... i have auto so i dont need it for parking, though i do use it periodically. it gives great control of the car in the snow. if you take a turn, usually the front end understeers, when you pull the ebrake, the tail spins out, and if you let go at the right time, it stops so you can go straight. really tight cornering and alot of control on snow since the power is in the front wheels

 

me too, except i do it on dry ground in the track. i beat all the s13's,14's,15's out there. they call me DK for drift king

 

I am surprised at some of the rather rude responses! I "tested" it at 10 miles per hour. I somehow doubt that this would have messed up the braking system. The lever has very little resistance and the car hardly stops, rolling at even 5mph. This was my cause of concern. I tested it because it had no resistance and felt weak as-is. Additionally, Acura/Honda has made it easier for me to need to replace my rear brakes as they seem to have forgotten how to make them without having a lawsuit/TSB. Finally, I would never test this moving very fast and did notice the chime to release it. Despite that fact, this was no way (in my opinion) to come to a determination that my parking brake is designed to NOT stop my car. Two auto shops have already stated that it feels loose and needs to be adjusted.

 

You should pretty much always use the parking brake when you park, regardless of the transmission type. It is called a parking brake for a reason.
The parking gear isn't very sturdy on the autos. Using the parking brake is especially important when parked on hills.
Essentially, after you've found a position to park, apply the parking brake and then shift into park. And when you release your brake, the car should not jerk. Every jerk is a wear and tear on the parking gear. And the parking gear is still technically part of the transmission. Any problem there, its still basically transmission work.

Also, this is a safe practice for public parking. If another car accidentally rears your car, your parking gear may fail. THe parking brake will help your car from moving too far if that does happen.

And while on the topic, auto drivers, please stop the car fully from reverse before changing gears into drive. ...

 

The responses are probably reading more rude than they're meant to be. You're fine on pulling the ebrake from a slight roll. Hell, even from faster than 10-20 mph wouldn't hurt anything. If you regularly used it to stop the car it would prematurely wear the pads and not stop very well.


There's way more serious things to ruin your car. Even when driving a 94 Lincoln Town Car at 112mph and putting the shift lever in Park...all it does is...every light on the dash comes on at once and the engine shuts down.