Benefits of electronic handbrake

The brake position is also easily seen through the P symbol located near the gear lever area or the vehicle's dashboard location.

Electronic handbrake is researched and designed by car manufacturers to ensure safety for drivers when stopping or parking in cases where the driver forgets to lower or pull the handbrake, supporting the braking process to be more stable and safe.

The electronic handbrake is a system equipped to assist the driver to avoid falling into dangerous situations thanks to the perfect automatic control function. This system is also becoming more and more popular and gradually replacing the conventional mechanical handbrake.

Electronic handbrake structure

Thanks to the ECB electronically controlled braking system, the electronic parking brake actuator performs very well, including stopping the car on the road, assisting with hill starts and activating Start - Stop mode. The electronic parking brake system includes the following components:

Electronic parking brake system controller

Brake actuator

Handbrake switch

Dashboard display lights

In addition, for this system to operate, there are other control support components such as: ABS brake controller, brake pedal sensor, clutch pedal position sensor, AUTO HOLD switch.

How the electronic handbrake works

The electronic parking brake is automatically controlled by the ECU or directly controlled by the driver through the switch (P) in the form of a lever or push button located on the vehicle's dashboard. The electronic parking brake system controls the electric motor for the purpose of braking and releasing the brake through the control signal from the ECU or the signal from the driver through the parking brake switch (P).

That is, when parking the car in AUTO HOLD mode, the driver only needs to shift the gear lever to P, or press the brake pedal fully, the electronic brake system will automatically activate the parking brake to ensure safety.

This will minimize the risk of the car rolling downhill when the driver carelessly forgets to pull the handbrake when stopping or parking. In addition, in the case the driver forgets to release the handbrake and still steps on the gas, the electronic handbrake system will automatically unlock to avoid the brake locking or burning.

How to use the electronic handbrake on a car

Not everyone knows how to use the electronic handbrake, especially new drivers. To avoid confusion and fumbling while driving, you can refer to the steps to use the electronic handbrake properly below:

If the gear lever is in a position other than (P), apply the foot brake, then press (P) to activate the brake system and apply it.

When you want to release the brake, you need to step on the foot brake, then press the control lever on the button (P). At this time, the brake will be released and the handbrake warning light will turn off. This helps the driver ensure safety when forgetting to step on the foot brake.

When you want to stop the car, just shift to (P), the handbrake will automatically activate into brake mode.

When using the electronic parking brake system, you must not let the vehicle move while the brake warning light is still on. Although the system will automatically unlock, if this is repeated too many times, it can damage the braking system as well as the transmission brake.

Have the electric parking brake system checked if it makes excessive noise or vibrates violently.

Advantages of electronic handbrake

It is undeniable that electronic handbrake brings many outstanding benefits to users such as:

Modern automation features: The electronic handbrake system can detect and automatically lock the car when it is parked. When using this system, you do not have to pull the brake lever but can move the gear lever to the position marked P.

In addition, if the driver forgets to release the brake while pressing the accelerator, the handbrake system will also automatically turn on the Unlock feature and release the brake to ensure vehicle safety, preventing the vehicle from getting stuck or the brakes from burning.

Hill Start Assist: The electronic handbrake has an automatic stop feature when the vehicle is moving and the ability to automatically hold the brake (Brake Hold) when the vehicle stops on a slope.

Simple operation: You can activate the automatic parking brake system by simply moving the gear lever, instead of having to exert a lot of effort to pull and release the traditional mechanical handbrake.

High safety when driving: The safety protection ability of electronic brakes is most clearly demonstrated through sudden stopping situations. Instead of only acting on the rear axle of the wheel causing loss of steering control, the electronic handbrake uses the body balance system to hydraulically brake all 4 wheels to help the car stop in the safest way.

Make the car's interior space more luxurious and modern: Unlike conventional handbrakes, the electronic handbrake is very compact and has a modern design, making the car's interior space more luxurious and minimalist.

Disadvantages of electronic handbrake

Although it has many outstanding advantages, the electronic handbrake still has some disadvantages such as:

The service life is not long. In addition, when the car battery runs out of power, the electronic handbrake cannot be used.

If the system fails, the cost to repair the system is quite high.

When in use, if the driver steps on the brake, some cases show that the vehicle will have a slight vibration phenomenon.