Like Night & Day.....but the handbrake!!!

[Willie Hecke]

Well I've finally gone and got my first ever (brand new) Audi.

To some on here it's prolly a case of 'hey-ho....whatever..!!'

But to me - a normal working-class-kinda guy, it's a real step up in class....and I love it. From the satisfying 'clunk' when you close the door, to the ultra-smooth driving experience, it's just great! :o

As I've always had a conventional handbrake though, the electro-magnetic 'button' type on the A4, is kinda giving me the ebee-jeebee's a bit though, I must confess! :Blush2:

Our drive is on a steep downwards slope, and on the first morning after parking it up at home (and about a foot away) from the front of the house.... I came to reverse it back the next morning, and I nearly had kittens trying to actually get it to..erm...to go backwards!!!

It's a confidence thing I guess...

I get in the car and I realize, just how close I'd parked the car to the front of the house...<gulp> .......(new-fandangled brake thingy....how does this work??)

I put it into reverse (as I thought...it wasn't though...) Slowly release the clutch...car starts to lurch forward....STAND ON BRAKE!! (phew!) Car is now a few more inches closer to the (rough) brickwork of the house!!

Try again! Frantically, I almost push the gear shift through the car's floor to 'ensure' it's in reverse this time...

But now, as I'm so nervous about shooting forward into the house...I'm EVEN MORE gentle on releasing the clutch! As a result, I once again roll forward a little bit...PANIC STATIONS!!

Time to get the book out!!

Right....so the auto-release only works, when the seat belt is in place...OK!!

Sod it....I'll go back to the 'old way' and leave my belt unplugged...and get the clutch to bite and 'feel' the car lurching ...backwards!

IT WORKS!!

I leave my belt off - put it into reverse....gently release the clutch until I feel the back-end try to go UP the drive....release the button and (phew...once more)...AWAY from the house we go!! ;)

Even now...almost 6 days after getting the car, I'm still not 100% confident in how it works...but I now leave myself a bit more 'breathing space'! :biglaugh:

After reading the manual a bit more, I noticed the section on 'starting on an incline whilst towing a trailer'! Even though I'm not towing anything...the steep gradient of our drive might be relevant in this section. It mentions the fact that the auto-release handbrake might still tend to roll backwards/forwards if towing anything....

It recommends to keep pulling up on the handbrake-release button untill you 'feel' the car heading in the right direction, then once you do - release the button! This I will give a go tomorow....as I said, it's a confidence thing for us lot used to the old way of doing things! :Blush2:

[Brycie]

Lol, you'll get used to it pretty quickly & before long you won't even have to think about it at all, you'll just press down on the button at the same time your clutch reaches biting point & off you'll go.

[Willie Hecke]

As I said Brycie...it's just a confidence thing!! Thought I'd post my experiences for someone else who's thinking of coming over from 'older' tech cars.....not a nice experience for me tbh :P

[Dieseldoos]

My experience was similar to yours when I first got mine. Whilst trying to get it to move of the driveway I was getting closer and closer to actually hitting the house. Bit of bum clenching and it did finally go in the right direction!

As Brycie said though, you do get use to it quickly. For about a week I parked up the top of the drive, but now I park right down near the house and again and never give it a second thought!

Definately leave it in gear though if you are parked on a slope, and the great thing is, you have to put your foot on the clutch to start it so it wont learch!

[theskyfox]

Hi, Congrats on your first new Audi. I did the exact same thing back in 2011, so I know exactly how you feel :).

Don't worry, you will soon get used to the handbrake. Was the same for me when I first got it...I had a few sweaty moments when I rolled back in traffic/on a hill (but noticed very quickly and applied the footbrake). Eventually you will get so comfortable with it you won't even think about it.

For what its worth, I've driven a number of other manufacturers cars with electric handbrakes and found them simply horrid...with nasty features such as fully applying the brakes when you have stalled.

-Andrew

[moptisam2]

I got my first (now on my second) B8 in June 2008 and I love the handbrake.

Living in West Yorkshire with all the hills I had to get used to it quickly, but I managed to. Now, if I ever go for another car it will have to have that handbrake - plus Hill Hold Assist (an add-on I was grateful I went for on this B8 and the previous one).

Good luck with the new car.

[troc]

Hill start? what's that?

PS I live in Holland :)

Congrats on your Audi!

[belly buster]

Congrats on the first Audi experience. My current A4 was my first Audi having come from mostly Vauxhalls and the odd Peugeot before. It is a big step in overall quality and experience as you say.

On the handbrake, providing you have the seatbelt on, just put in reverse and drive off. If the handbrake is releasing before the clutch bites, get it checked out.

[Igloo]

Same as above poster.

With my C6 A6, it won't release unless it's nearly biting and you've put some accelerator on.

Don't touch the button to release it. It will do it on its own when its good and ready :)

[markp306]

OP, I don't think you've got any faults there. Reversing up a steep hill from standstill is trickier, as I also recall now. Just don't hesitate once you start releasing the clutch and keep the revs up a little.

[porty]

I thought to release the handbrake manually that you had to have the brake pedal pressed? If so, how do you hold the car at the clutch biting point and release the handbrake? PS. I haven't got 'hill hold assist' which may be the answer?

[markp306]

I thought to release the handbrake manually that you had to have the brake pedal pressed? If so, how do you hold the car at the clutch biting point and release the handbrake? PS. I haven't got 'hill hold assist' which may be the answer?

You just have to press it once and take your foot off (first) so the car knows that someone is in the drivers seat and has control of the car.

[Igloo]

Or accelerate and bring the clutch up and it will auto release.