Tag: parking brakes

28 Posts

Oct 11, 2018

The Strange Case of the Runaway Volvo

Dear Car Talk

Car rolling on steep incline stumps mechanic.

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Sep 25, 2018

Park, Brake or Parking Brake?

Dear Car Talk

Confusion over order of steps for parking on a hill has this reader rattled

parking brakes

Jun 26, 2018

Man's Driving Habits Grind Wife's Gears

Dear Car Talk

Mechanical advise takes a back seat to marital advice for this reader.

transmissions parking brakes marital advice

Mar 06, 2018

Is Parking Brake Use Optional?

Dear Car Talk

Weighing the pros and cons of using the parking brake.

parking brakes

Mar 03, 2015

Did Julia Cause Brake Failure?

Dear Car Talk

Julia's brakes failed, and she had heard that driving with the parking brake on can cause the brakes to give out. Is that what happened to her? See Car Talk's answer and post your own guess, here.

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Jul 18, 2013

Husband Vs. Wife: The Grating Parking Brake

Dear Car Talk

Today, Carolyn writes in to ask Tom and Ray to settle a marital dispute. She hates the sound the parking brake makes when it engages. Carolyn's logic is that since you can avoid the the sound by holding in the release button while you engage the brake, this must be better for the car somehow. Her husband doesn't seem to care. Get Tom and Ray's verdict on this important topic, right here.

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Jul 04, 2013

Should Parking Brake Use Be a Habit?

Dear Car Talk

Kimi and her husband just bought a car with manual transmission for their son. They disagree about when it's necessary to set the parking brake so they've turned to Tom and Ray to settle the question. Tom offers this life advice: Floss your teeth, call your mother once a week and use your parking brake.

parking brakes

Jun 13, 2013

Click and Clack, Marriage Counselors

Dear Car Talk

Cat needs Tom and Ray to settle a dispute that she and her husband are having about the parking brake. She sets the brake when the car is already in park; he applies the brake, then shifts to park. What's the right way to do it? And can this marriage survive? Find out what Tom and Ray think, right here.

parking parking brakes

Apr 16, 2013

An Emergency Brake By Any Other Name . . .

Dear Car Talk

Today: Tom and Ray try to enlighten Todd, an emergency brake over-user, about the error of his ways. Find out why it's not a great idea to use this brake for regular stopping, and why it's really called the "parking brake", right here.

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Sep 12, 2012

Bad News for Lynnay: Her Mother Is Right

Dear Car Talk

Lynnay's mother is adamant that there is a right way to park, and equally adamant that Lynnay is doing it wrong. Tom and Ray explain how the transmission and the parking brake work together and weigh in on whether Lynnay is really destroying her transmission like mommy dearest says.

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