Winter fuel-saving driving technique! Handbrake u-turn / parking on snow

[Fat Charlie]

I can only imagine what it would be like to do it in a banged up econobox with 100,000 miles on it...

[MetroMPG]

Slightly off topic, but this is one of several reasons why I don't like the new electronic parking brakes.



(Maybe the main reason?)

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

I can only imagine what it would be like to do it in a banged up econobox with 100,000 miles on it...

Me? I did it in the F-150 when it was new.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Slightly off topic, but this is one of several reasons why I don't like the new electronic parking brakes.

That's a valid point, even though I don't like them mostly because a conventional handbrake seems more reliable. Foot-activated parking brakes OTOH are not so bad in vehicles with automatic transmission, but becomes a PITA with a manual transmission.

[MetroMPG]

My 2004 Prius had a foot-activated parking brake: Push to set, push again to release.

You could do e-brake turns with it, but it felt weird and slightly dangerous compared to a hand brake.

Could just be because I wasn't as used to it.

[puddleglum]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

My 2004 Prius had a foot-activated parking brake: Push to set, push again to release.

I think the foot park brake with hand release is even worse. I rarely do handbrake turns for fun or parking but it is very valuable emergency avoidance tool. When a fwd car starts to understeer on a turn, it's nice to know you have a way to kick the back end out. I always feel more confident driving on bad roads with a handbrake.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by puddleglum

I think the foot park brake with hand release is even worse.

Me too, even though it doesn't bother me so much when the vehicle has an automatic transmission. Most of my experience with this parking brake setup has been on manuals, and it was a PITA whenever I had to stop at traffic lights on hills.

[KnifeKnut]

2002 CRV here. I played with it on some dirt, but could not get any result. Go faster? Also, since it is AWD how does that affect things?

[Fat Charlie]

I only tried it once in my Subaru. Spun an undetermined number of times and had to be pulled back onto the road. It wasn't a fair test, though: A nice turbo, the day after I bought it, after a year of riding in the passenger seat of a dying humvee with bolted on armor.

Had I been driving regularly that year, or at least had more than 70 miles, it probably would have gone better.

[Grahamexl]

Hi,

So here we go - applying the parking brake - then cranking the steering wheel full right or left and giving the engine power while in gear (not in the aircooled VWs, of course).
Fun in the snow. I happened to do it in the snow-covered parking lots.