| Author | Message | ||
     Pwnzor |
So I got home yesterday and parked at the top of my driveway like usual... set the brake and I didn't put the damned thing in gear 30 minutes later, my neighbor is knocking on my front door... because my car was out in the street.   So the moral of the story is, DON'T TRUST A PARKING BRAKE, no matter how steep or not steep the hill is... now I get to find out what it will cost to replace a lot of 10-year old Toyota plastics. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
That is a bummer! Any damage to the yota? | ||
| Pwnzor |
Yep, hard to see in those pictures, but the whole plastic shell around the bumper will need to be replaced, along with all the black inserts. Sheet metal seems straight, the engine lid works perfectly so at least that's something. Taking it in for an estimate today. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
who's truck stopped it and was the any damage to the truck? | ||
| Reepicheep |
This is pretty neat stuff: https://www.amazon.com/SEM-40482-Bumper-Flexible-Glaze/dp/B00BI28ANI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470231515&sr=8-1&keywords=bumper+bite  | ||
| Slaughter |
I should show you the dent in our garage door. The garage floor is VERY SLIGHTLY pitched down toward the door. You can imagine. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Same thing happened to me in '92. Dad brought my new Daytona competition series turbo up to college. Parked and didn't leave in gear. Rolled down into a tree and the building. Got it fixed up...but it's still a one of 26 built, one owner, 76k original mile car...with a redone nose and repainted passenger fender. Grr. | ||
| 86129squids |
Craptastic! But of course, it could have been worse... | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Jeeze. at least it didn't squash anyone! So the cable popped? | ||
| Froggy |
And in the second picture everyone is standing around doing nothing! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Nobody was hurt, the pickup truck was not damaged other than a scratch. It belongs to my neighbor who was very good about it. The spectators at the top of the hill are my wife, daughters, and possible future son-in-law. | ||
| Pwnzor |
To answer the question, no the cable did not snap. In fact, it works fine. I can't explain why the car just started rolling on it's own. I will be fastidious going forward, making sure to set the car in gear before I get out. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Mine (4 wheel disc brakes) was a retaining spring failure in the mini-drum parking brake. Cable worked fine but didn't actuate the shoes like it should have. | ||
| Buellish |
Back in 2000I parked my '93 Dakota pickup in front of a Quicktrip station,went in to get a coffee and a minute later overheard people at the counter talking about a black pickup rolling down the hill.I ran to the door and there was my truck,10 feet from the gas pumps,stopped by a Ford Focus with the driver inside.He told me that he'd had the car repainted the week before.One month later he tried to sue me for damage to his neck. Oh yea,I was in the habit of leaving the truck in 1st gear when I parked it.This time I pulled into the space without gearing down and left it in third.Live and learn. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I just got the estimate for my bumper repair. $1150.00 is the cash price. If I was going through insurance, it would have been north of $2000. *sigh* | ||
| Airbozo |
I had a neighbor who's car slid down a hill and landed in another neighbors yard. Parking brake was set and it was in gear. The moment she opened the door, the movement caused the car to slide since it was an icy and _steep_ road. The door caught in the bumper of her husbands Cherokee ripping it off and deflecting the car enough so it didn't hit anything else on the way down. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Funny- my wife and I were just talking about how neither of our kids EVER apply their parking brake, while we're both religious about it even though we live in a pretty flat area. We do always leave them in gear too. | ||
| Etennuly |
I read somewhere a couple months ago that the guy who played Chekov in the new "Star Trek" movie series was killed by his car from the same thing. He got out to get his mail and the car pinned him to his concrete mail box killing him. Damn vehicles are dangerous! Well Mathew.....if we lived closer to each other I could help you with that!  | ||
| 86129squids |
+1, what Vern said! BTW, Vern, I had yet another moment of stupidity (lifer)- may need a minor touch-up on the Triumph. I'll shoot you a pic sometime.  | ||
| Sifo |
I've seen parking brake failures on buses a couple of times. There was one that happened last year (not our company) during bus evacuation drills. The driver actually got killed saving a kid from being crushed. The buses don't have a "park" gear, so the parking brake is the only thing holding them in place. | ||
| Sparky |
Bummer. You could trade it in for a Corvette.  The late model manual 6-speed Corvettes tell you to put it in reverse unless you already did that when shutting off. Good thing too, my parking brake is practically useless (I know, it needs adjusting) except for the warning light and ding dings if trying to take off in first. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"I read somewhere a couple months ago that the guy who played Chekov in the new "Star Trek" movie series was killed by his car from the same thing. He got out to get his mail and the car pinned him to his concrete mail box killing him. " Not quite, I thnk that had more to do with a faulty tranny, not his Parking Brake. They were/are easy to come out of park (transmission) and thats what pinned him and killed him. In fact, I just heard today that 7 days after his death he/his estate received the recall from Fiat Chrysler... | ||
| Arcticktm |
The Star Trek guy wasn't really a parking brake failure, as it was an automatic. I don't know too many that use a parking brake with an automatic in Park (but I am sure someone here will tell me they do!). The issue there is the FCA automatic shifter, which is self-centering so it is hard to tell what position you have it in if you are not very careful to look at the dash indicator. We had a Grand Cherokee 2015 as a rental and my wife and I had to really pay attention with that style of auto shifter. Of course using the park brake would give some insurance if folks actually used it (no help for Pwnzor though!). I have a hard time trusting the newer electronic switch style parking brakes. I am seeing those in most of the manual trans rental cars I have had over the past 2 years in Germany. I'm guessing that these new controls are easier for the car guys to design around, since you can replace cables/levers with wiring and a fancy switch. I wouldn't want that type of auto shifter though. | ||
| Sifo |
I don't know too many that use a parking brake with an automatic in Park (but I am sure someone here will tell me they do!). Ummm, that would be me... | ||
| Aesquire |
Depends on vehicle & location. Also time of year. I don't usually use parking brake in slushy winter. Cable will freeze on. Always use on slopes I notice. Never in driveway. Use at work all the time. Have witnessed runaway with engine on or off. Work trucks have much abused trans. Sometimes a car with manual trans will start when it rolls. Double the distance to full on Ferris Bueller. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I always use the parking brake. I have to be careful when I am driving somebody else's car, as if they never use it, it is likely to stick when I am the first person to touch it in the last 70,000 miles. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
always use parking brake, even with auto | ||
| Griffmeister |
I use the park brake with an auto when on a hill. If you don't, you have to yank on the shift lever like hell to release the park pawl. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Exactly, set the parking brake while in drive or neutral.. THEN shift to park. If you have a manual, set the brake, kill the engine and stick it in first. You will always find your vehicle where you left it. Z | ||
| Torquehd |
might as well upgrade while you're at it.  edit, i just reread the thread and now i assume you're talking about the car, not the truck. (Message edited by torquehd on August 04, 2016) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Amazing how we can make a long thread about using a parking brake. I do the same for manual or auto... I come to a stop, put the car in park or in first without releasing the normal brake, then set the parking brake, then release the normal brake. | ||
| Pwnzor |
That is my normal procedure. My brain fart is costing me well, lesson learned. | ||
| Sagehawk |
All these creeping car stories remind me of early 70's. Summertime , out of school and afternoon paper route. Took at leaSt 3 trips on old schwinn bike. after 2nd trip, got home and went in to get some water. As opened the front door, I heard a really weak cry, help, help! I just mimicked the words as well and my bud, julian just kinda laughed. Thought it was a kid somewhere around. After getting a drink, I stepped back onto front porch and heard it again. I looked down block and 6 or 7 houses down on other side of street, I saw mrs Moore up at her garage door. I hollered at Julian to come on and we ran down there. Her ford had gone into gear. (No brake set) and crept up behind her , front bumper pinning her against garage door. Bumper was just below the back of her knees. No idea how long she had been there like that. I jumped into car and Julian went by her to catch her. Backed car away and Julian caught her as she collapsed to the ground. Called ambulance and she got checked out. Coupla days later, I went back to check on her and you would not believe the bruising in that woman's legs. Lot of pressure for a long time screwed her legs up. Coupla months later, ford was gone from that driveway. Glad I paid attention that day finally , cuz she was in real trouble. |
