The emergency brake of your vehicle goes by several different names, but the purpose of this item is to keep your vehicle in whatever location you choose.

If your driveway has a slope or you park on a hill, you know that you should use this item, but there are other times the E-Brake comes in handy. This item is a pretty simple item to use, but it can be one of the most forgotten features of your car and something you don’t think about when it’s time to park your car.

What is the Parking Brake?

The parking brake is also known as the E-Brake, and it doesn’t use the same braking mechanisms as your normal brakes. This item functions independently and works to keep your vehicle from rolling away when it’s parked on a slope. Sometimes, this item is called the hand brake, and it can be used for special driving such as drifting on a track. Originally, this item was made to function and be useful when the main braking system failed, but it’s also an excellent item to keep your car still when you park on a hill.

This Brake Works Differently on Different Vehicles

Every vehicle has either a set of drum brakes or disc brakes. The emergency brake works differently for these different systems. For cars with drum brakes, the mechanical system uses cables to put pressure on the brake shoes to hold the vehicle in place. If your vehicle has a set of disc brakes, this brake activates a corkscrew mechanism that pushes a piston into the brake pads to hold the vehicle in place. This bypass is what created the emergency part of the name because this brake can be used to stop your vehicle when your regular brakes fail.

When Should You Use the E-Brake

Every Single Day

When your vehicle is in park, a small part of the transmission holds the car in place. If you use the E-brake instead, you’ll take pressure off the transmission and other drive components to ensure your car doesn’t move, and those items are relieved of some pressure. You should engage your parking brake before you shift into park to limit the stress on your transmission while adding an extra layer of security to parking your vehicle.

When You Have a Brake Fluid Leak

If you lose hydraulic power in your brakes, you need to use the emergency brake to slow and stop your car. This is not the perfect solution, but it can work for a short time. Once you know you’ve got a problem, you need to bring your car to the nearest service station and let them fix your car.

When Your Car is Being Serviced

Whether it’s to protect the mechanic while working on your car or when your car is being loaded on a flatbed truck, you need to use the parking brake to keep the car from rolling away. This helps alleviate the stress on your transmission and helps you keep everything safe and sure during service. Of course, if a flatbed is needed for your car to be serviced, you might not have good news once the car is at the shop.

If You Need to Change a Flat Tire

One of the most important steps in changing a flat tire, or if you rotate your own tires, you need to use the emergency brake. Engage this item and lock the vehicle in place while you change a tire or move your wheels around. Doing this will keep you and the car safe while you fix the emergency you’ve got on the side of the road. If you can, you should also use something to bloc the tires and keep the vehicle from rolling away from your location.

When Parked in Tight Quarters

If you park along a curb in the city every day, you’ll want to engage the parking brake every time you stop and park your car. This brake helps to keep your car safe and protects your transmission. If you rely on the park gear of the transmission, this part of your car could be damaged if the car is nudged or bumped while parked. Engaging the parking brake is one way to keep this from happening. Pull that lever and keep your car safe in its spot while you’re at work.

Use This Brake During a Road Test

If you want to get a couple of extra points in your favor when you go for your driving test, use the emergency brake every time you park. Some states require the driving examiner have access to the parking brake to pull this lever if they feel the driver is endangering them. This means vehicles with a foot-operated E-brake aren’t allowed for these tests. When taking this test, engage this brake every time you stop the car to gain a few extra points with the examiner.

When Should You Avoid the Parking Brake

During Snow and Rain

Just because this feature of your car has emergency in the name doesn’t mean you should use this item when you’re in foul weather. Pulling on the parking brake when you’re driving in the snow or in the rain will lock up the rear wheels and could cause you to lose control of the vehicle. It’s better to slow down gradually and keep your car under control when you’re facing this tough weather.

During Freezing Temperatures

If you’re used to using the emergency brake every day, you want to change this habit when the temps dip below freezing. The brake cable can become frozen and fail when the lever is disengaged. If your E-brake freezes up, you need to wait for it to thaw out and function right before you disengage this brake and start driving. One way to make things work a little faster is to use a hairdryer to thaw out the cable running from your rear brakes to the handle.

Under Normal Driving Conditions

Almost all of us have accidentally left the E-brake engaged while driving at one point or another. This is a bad thing to do, and it can damage your vehicle. You don’t want to use your parking brake when you drive down the road under normal conditions. The only time it makes sense to drive with this brake is when your regular brakes fail, and you need to get to the repair shop.