News of a vehicle that plunged into Titanic Dam in Juja early this week sent shockwaves on social media after speculations emerged that the incident was caused by a faulty handbrake.
Handbrakes are an important component of a vehicle as they prevent a car from rolling forward or backwards when parked.
While the brakes are common in most manufacturers, a number of automatic vehicles have a footbrake instead. Nonetheless, they both perform the same function.
Here are 4 ways to identify a faulty handbrake;
Resistance in acceleration
The physics of a handbrake is that once released, the vehicle should be able to accelerate freely. In instances where you find that there is resistance after releasing the handbrake, one is advised to take the vehicle to a mechanic.
In some cases, you may hear a screeching sound indicating that the brake was not released.
Driving with the handbrake on is not advised as it makes it lose its grip and one may also be forced to replace it.
Check for tightness
Unlike footbrake, handbrakes have a press button that is pressed before one releases the handbrake or lowers the handbrake.
If the button is too tight, it shows that there is faultiness within its mechanics hence one needs to visit a garage for it to be checked out.
Usually, there is always a spring behind the button, which allows for the button to be pressed and pop out again. Tightness may indicate defaults with the spring.
Check for stability
While a handbrake should not be tight, it also ought not to be loose. In these cases, the handbrakes feel too wobbly, especially when the vehicle is in motion.
The handbrake also becomes difficult to maintain its position when pulled up. In such instances, it indicates that the wire is out of alignment or stretched and needs to be replaced.
The Hill Test
To check whether a handbrake properly functions, one is advised to drive to a location that is sloppy, park the vehicle and observe whether the car will move forward or backwards depending on how it is parked.
If the vehicle remains still, it shows that the handbrakes are good. On the contrary, one should have then checked.
This is also a test that can be done when purchasing a second-hand vehicle.
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