OK, I’ve searched the forum with no good leads and I thought I was losing my mind when I read this on the e-version of the 2005 MINI manual:

“To avoid corrosion and one-sided braking, apply the parking brake lightly from time to time when coasting to a standstill, for instance at a traffic light, provided it is safe to do so” (53).

WTF?!?!!? I have never heard of this. Can someone please fill me in?

 

Sounds funky to me! it would create more heat, but I don't know if it would do anything in the cabling......

Matt

 

If you've ever had an old car - say 10+ years old - that the e-brake was never (or very rarely) used, you would know what this is about. Things corrode and "lock up" over time from disuse. They are simply suggesting that periodic use will keep it from seizing up and becoming inoperable.

 

I've lived that nightmare... ALWAYS make sure your e-brake works.

I was in college and was using my Mom's '74 Olds to drive to UIC. It was an automatic so they NEVER used the e-brake. One day, I drove home from school (after driving on the xpressway) and picked by brother to go shopping. On the way home, the brakes failed . The brake lines were rusted and the pressure blew a line. (I should've noticed the puddle under the car ) Luckily I wasn't going very fast and there wasn't any traffic. I stomped on the e-brake and it was rusted and wouldn't budge ... HOLY CRAP!?!?!? NO BRAKES!!!!

I put it in neutral and coasted until I could get a grip... I was shaking so much I almost didn't make it home. 30 minutes later (we travelled down side streets to go 1/2 mile) we got home. We laugh about it now.

Children ... please make sure your e-brake works

 

I ALWAYS have to use my e-brake. If you leave it in gear it still rolls! I came outside to find the Cooper in the middle of the dealership's aisle once.

 

and saying to use it to come to a stop.

Older brake adjusters were actuated by stopping the car in reverse. This was for all the drum brakes that were used on most cars. This was the item that would corrode and lock up. Since the pedal just had to travel a bit further, and stopping was done mostly with front brakes, normal braking wasn't an issue....

But on our cars, the parking brake is cable actuated, and the setting for it is done by a threaded shaft that goes into threaded hole in the piston of the caliper. It isn't adjusted by breaking in reverse, it's adjusted by braking.
Using the e-brake to come to a stop makes no sense at all, unless it's there to tell you that they're already screwed, because they don't work!

This makes no sense at all.

Matt

 

my DSC takes care of my cleaning needs.