As funny as it may sound, some people actually rely on their emergency brake as a regular braking system when their regular brakes need serious repair. Not only is this dangerous, but also quite unreliable. Here are a few other reasons why your emergency brake should not be your go-to brake on a daily basis.
Rear Wheel Skids and Vehicle Rolling
When you use your emergency brake as a regular brake, your car gets confused. Its computerized system does not process why you are using a one-time braking mechanism as a regular brake, so it begins to react negatively. If you are currently using your emergency brake this way, STOP. You will quickly notice how your car begins to skid from behind, where most emergency brakes apply pressure to the rear wheels. If you continue to use your emergency brake inappropriately, you may even roll your car over when you really need to stop suddenly.
Wearing out the Emergency Brake
This should be the most obvious reason not to use your emergency brake as a regular brake. If you wear out your emergency brake using it to replace your already worn out brakes, what happens when you actually need to stop suddenly? You will have absolutely no braking force at all and will skid right into whatever it was you were trying to avoid. In addition to the increased risk of dangerous accidents for which you can be sued, it will be even more expensive to repair your emergency brake than it would have been had you only repaired your regular brakes sooner.
Damaging the Transmission
In some vehicles, the ratcheting motion you feel when you push down or pull up suddenly on the emergency brake means that you are actually braking the engine, and not your wheels. Consider what that could do to your transmission if you are relying on your emergency brake to stop you at every traffic light. If you think you cannot afford to repair your brakes now, you will lose your vehicle entirely to bad brakes, a shot transmission, and a dysfunctional emergency brake.
The Best Advice for Your Situation
If you cannot afford to repair your vehicle's brakes right now, let your car sit in the garage or your driveway until you can. Meanwhile, carpool with a coworker near you, or take a cab or a bus, and you will not have to worry about all the damage you could be doing to your vehicle by misusing your emergency brake. You will be much safer too.
Share11 February 2015
Understanding more about the type of car that you have can help you understand the best ways to maintain it, and how to tell if there’s trouble brewing under the hood before you end up stranded. That’s why, when I found a car make that I liked, I kept going back to it every time I bought a new car. It’s also why I use a mechanic that specializes in repairing and maintaining cars made by my specific manufacturer type. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about what makes this particular car work, and what kind of quirks come with this type of vehicle. I started this blog to share some of that information and help other car owners learn to effectively maintain their automobiles and recognize the potential signs of trouble.
