Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1985 Subaru GL wagon 4x4 with a five-speed manual transmission. I have managed to keep this car running and looking good through the years, and hope to keep it for many more. I am considering using this car to teach my teen-age son how to drive a stick shift. My question is, how much damage would it do to the transmission if I, while sitting in the passenger seat, pulled abruptly on the emergency brake to prevent an accident? -- Brad

Ray: Brad, if you're teaching your teen-age son to drive a stick shift, the transmission is the last thing you should worry about. I'd put "clutch" and "mental health" much higher up on the list.

Tom: And under the circumstances you describe, nothing will happen to the transmission. If you stop the car suddenly (with any brake), without pushing in the clutch, the engine will stall. That won't do any real damage, and the transmission couldn't care less.

Ray: What's more likely to happen is that you'll smash into the back of that milk truck you were hoping to keep your son from plowing into. You may have noticed that the "emergency brake" is now always referred to by the manufacturers as the "parking brake." There's a message in that!

Tom: The parking brake is basically a flimsy device, designed to keep the car from rolling once it's already stopped. On this car, it's operated by cables that go from the hand lever to the rear drum brakes. And there's always a chance that the cables will stretch or break if you yank on them in an emergency situation.

Ray: You'll also be surprised at how hard it is to stop the car even if it does work. The parking brake is a purely mechanical device. You're not getting any assist from the car's hydraulic system, like you do when you use the brake pedal.

Tom: That doesn't mean you shouldn't try the parking brake in an emergency. Heck, you might as well try everything in an emergency, right? It might work. There's just no guarantee that it WILL work.

Ray: Oh, and as we say to all parents teaching teen-agers to drive, Brad: May God have mercy on your soul!

Auto repairs can be costly! Save money by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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