Ever wondered what happens when you push the handbrake button whilst driving ?

Did it this morning by mistake, ( I know...) doing about 30mph round a small country lane, reached for the keys to stop them clunking around, went over a large bump, hand slipped on to the handbrake switch...

And I'm pleased to inform you the car didn't lurch to a halt. It looks like the fact that I had my foot on the accelerator means that the car decided to beep at me and throw up an error rather than apply the handbrake;

"Handbrake fault, please see owners manual"

A yellow brake warning light popped up on the dash. I stopped a bit later down the road in a lay-by. Pressing the handbrake button a couple of times seems to clear the error, and it all starts working again.

The moral of the story? If something rattles/clunks leave it be, it's far less stressfull...:)

I thought VW claimed the handbrake button could be used to stop the car in an emergency. I would imagine that having your foot on the accelerator meant it didn't stop you but if you had been braking at the time you pressed it, then I would have expected it to have come on and brought you to a halt.

Speaking of stopping in an emergency, aren't your hazard lights supposed to come on automatically under severe braking? I say this as I had to brake sharply on the motorway the other day and the lights on my dash didn't flash. Do the hazard lights only flash outside the car in this scenario or is this feature linked to the use of the parking brake when stopping quickly?

Cheers
Iain

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Originally Posted by iaint

Speaking of stopping in an emergency, aren't your hazard lights supposed to come on automatically under severe braking? I say this as I had to brake sharply on the motorway the other day and the lights on my dash didn't flash. Do the hazard lights only flash outside the car in this scenario or is this feature linked to the use of the parking brake when stopping quickly?

Cheers
Iain

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Don't have my B6 yet, but I thought I read somewhere that they only come on if the ABS is activated for more than a couple of seconds - I guess that would have to be pretty extreme braking.

David.

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Originally Posted by orangezorki

Don't have my B6 yet, but I thought I read somewhere that they only come on if the ABS is activated for more than a couple of seconds - I guess that would have to be pretty extreme braking.

David.

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That would explain things, the Antilock Braking System didn't kick in, but the Anti Bowel movement System certainly did, and for at least a couple of seconds !!!!

Cheers
Iain

I wouldn't recommend trying the button whilst driving, as my heart did skip a beat when I realised what I had done...

Hi all

I wondered exactly the same thing!

I thought is was a risk especially when you are in a strange car, hire car, fleet car etc you get bored and start wondering what buttons do. I thought what if you pressed it by mistake!

Well I tried it....but only at 5mph. It STOPPED very suddenly.

I didn't have my foot on the accelerator.

Interesting that this might be overridden if the accelerator is still pressed!

I wonder what insurers think about this "interesting" button and if there have been any accidents aassociated with it.

Funnily enough I stalled the other day on a roundabout and then panicked and kept pressing the handbrake button to start the car - oops.

Cheers

Ian

I seem to remember VW suggesting it can be used in an emergency, much like an ordinary handbrake (is there a legal requirement here somewhere?) - I've also 'practised' mine at walking speed. As to macker's comments re stalling, I felt it best to practise that as well, because on the odd occasion it's happened, it's happened where I didn't want it to happen!

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Originally Posted by Quatrelle

I seem to remember VW suggesting it can be used in an emergency, much like an ordinary handbrake (is there a legal requirement here somewhere?) - I've also 'practised' mine at walking speed. As to macker's comments re stalling, I felt it best to practise that as well, because on the odd occasion it's happened, it's happened where I didn't want it to happen!

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I agree, I particularly don't like the fact that when you stall you have to take the key in & out the slot quickly before it restarts. Why can't we just press it down again when it's in ??

Do you have to hold it in to make the emergency brake work?

I have made the mistake of moving the DSG selector to 'P' before the car has come to a complete stop - the result, stops sharply and the hand brake appears on.

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Originally Posted by carl s

I agree, I particularly don't like the fact that when you stall you have to take the key in & out the slot quickly before it restarts. Why can't we just press it down again when it's in ??

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Carl s, you don't have to take the key all the way out. You just press it down to release it, then press it down again to start it. You can do this quite quickly, especially in a panic!