Ford handbrake strikes again !

richardxr8 · 08-11-2007, 01:15 PM

An incident like this should make Ford and its Servicing dealers sit up and take notice...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...329352372.html

alecrain · 08-11-2007, 01:20 PM

would the car roll back if he left it in P- gear?

xr8 utey · 08-11-2007, 01:39 PM

if as quoted he arrived home alone how do they know he applied the handbrake? or did the gentleman even put it in park?

condolenses to the gentleman's family

vztrt · 08-11-2007, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

would the car roll back if he left it in P- gear?

No the car wouldn't, it should hold the car.

Aeron · 08-11-2007, 02:07 PM

What model Falcon was it??

Werd. · 08-11-2007, 02:11 PM

Same thing nearly happened to my dad..
stopped the territory, put it in park , got out to open the gate, and the car was rolling towards him. Luckily he yelled and the passenger put the handbrake on.

Park apparently doesn't hold the car. I've noticed if you put it into park at 40ks or so it doesn't engage and just makes a whirring sound, so maybe these sensors or whatever it is are innacurate and causing the gearbox not to hold the car?

Dazza TT · 08-11-2007, 02:18 PM

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11197549

No mention of what model AT ALL. It could have been any model with any number of problems (Broken Cable, Worn shoes etc) Nobody knows the state of repair of the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninemsn

Police established a crime scene and took the car away for forensic examination, but said there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances and described the incident as "tragic".

A brief will be prepared for the coroner.

Would a dodgy handbrake be classed as suspicious?? Or was it simply a case of he forgot to put the handbrake on?
Who knows, either way it's a bloody tragedy.

Cheers

Darran

Lightning Strike GT · 08-11-2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werd.

Park apparently doesn't hold the car. I've noticed if you put it into park at 40ks or so it doesn't engage and just makes a whirring sound, so maybe these sensors or whatever it is are innacurate and causing the gearbox not to hold the car?

Why have you tried were you trying to completely foobar the car :togo: or attempting to take out another road user by stupidity

Werd. · 08-11-2007, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BF XR8

Why have you tried were you trying to completely foobar the car :togo: or attempting to take out another road user by stupidity

Have a cry...

Private property, dirt.

3vXT · 08-11-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werd.

Park apparently doesn't hold the car. I've noticed if you put it into park at 40ks or so it doesn't engage and just makes a whirring sound, so maybe these sensors or whatever it is are innacurate and causing the gearbox not to hold the car?

I'd assume that there is some kind of safety feature that stops it from engaging when the car is moving at 40k's to stop retards from killing their gearboxes.

muppet · 08-11-2007, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werd.

Same thing nearly happened to my dad..
stopped the territory, put it in park , got out to open the gate, and the car was rolling towards him. Luckily he yelled and the passenger put the handbrake on.

Park apparently doesn't hold the car. I've noticed if you put it into park at 40ks or so it doesn't engage and just makes a whirring sound, so maybe these sensors or whatever it is are innacurate and causing the gearbox not to hold the car?

That whirring sound is the pin that that stops the car from rolling wearing away and more than likely snapping off . Did you're dad have his little incident after you stuffed his gearbox by putting it in park while doing 40 k's or did you do that to you're own car ?
Putting a car in park will stop it from rolling away, but I wouldn't trust it on steep hills. I have not had a properly working hand brake on my car for the last 15 years and it has never even looked like rolling away (I don't park it on hills though).

The Monty · 08-11-2007, 02:51 PM

Its quite easy to forget to put the handbrake on. I know someone who simply got out of the car one day, having driven for 20 odd years, and forget to put the handbrake on. Ended up with an AU with two doors that were decimated, lol. Rolled into the front of a hilux.

Werd. · 08-11-2007, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muppet

That whirring sound is the pin that that stops the car from rolling wearing away and more than likely snapping off . Did you're dad have his little incident after you stuffed his gearbox by putting it in park while doing 40 k's or did you do that to you're own car ?
Putting a car in park will stop it from rolling away, but I wouldn't trust it on steep hills. I have not had a properly working hand brake on my car for the last 15 years and it has never even looked like rolling away (I don't park it on hills though).

I never said I did it, nor did i say it was the same car.

muppet · 08-11-2007, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Werd.

I never said I did it, nor did i say it was the same car.

That's why there is a question mark at the end of the sentence , it's a question.
I never said you did do it I was just asking if you did and what car was it done in.

banarcus · 08-11-2007, 04:26 PM

My BA Falcon has the worst handbrake on any car that I've owned in the last 16 years which includes cars such as ancient Ford Escorts. It is still under warranty and tried to have the handbrake fixed but apparently it is something that incurs normal wear and tear so it cannot be adjusted/fixed under warranty without incurring costs. Bodgy Dana setup. Bodgy differentials, bodgy handbrakes and bodgy centre bearings.

Pinch · 08-11-2007, 05:49 PM

The handbrake on my BA only ever really works for about 2 days after the car is serviced. After that, you simply pull it all the way up for a slight resistance to rolling - not much else. For that crap effort you get a constant mechanical dragging noise coming from the handbrake drum as well. Driving past bystanders you just get weird looks, or knowing glances from other Falcon, and Commodore drivers (same component supplier???).

Same with my old EF and EL. Have the Ford 'pull up' handbrakes ever worked. Work has Falcons, and from EF on they have all had the same issue. I am getting sick of arguing about it at Ford service though.

No issue with the NC 'pull out' though - apart from feeling I am still in the 70's when using it!

82falcon · 08-11-2007, 07:23 PM

My neighbour across the road had the handbrake on his territory fail. It rolled down his driveway, across the street and into my falcon

Werd. · 08-11-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 82falcon

My neighbour across the road had the handbrake on his territory fail. It rolled down his driveway, across the street and into my falcon

Something has to be stuffed with the park engaging sensor.

rodderz · 08-11-2007, 07:41 PM

Always pays to leave an auto in Park, or a manual in reverse facing downhill, or in 1st facing uphill

EF GHIA · 08-11-2007, 07:49 PM

Not only does the article not mention the model it doesn't mention what the transmission was either, could well have been manual with a faulty handbrake or maybe the park brake was not properly set.

Werd. · 08-11-2007, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodderz

Always pays to leave an auto in Park, or a manual in reverse facing downhill, or in 1st facing uphill

I think that may be the problem here though.. Park not holding the cars.

DanielXR8 · 08-11-2007, 08:35 PM

All BA/BF Falcons should come with wheel chocks. In the case of FPV's these should be individually numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity.

Dan

Bent8 · 08-11-2007, 08:49 PM

Manual, guy parks car, into neutral, forget's to apply handbrake with foot on the brake, switches off car and gets out of car only to realise it has started to roll back!!...

Auto, guy parks car, forget's to put it in P and forgets the handbrake aswell with foot on the brake. Go's to get out and you know the rest.

I'd say it was a manual but someone must have seen it happen...it does sound suspicious to me though, if you park a car uphill and go to get out, you'd notice it starting to move straight away wouldn't you??...

mik · 08-11-2007, 09:25 PM

have you seen some people pull the handbrake on..........they barely pull it up till its firm......... no chance of any real brake retardation even if it is adjusted properly, and its very rare to have park fail these days (they are close to fail safe if adjusted properly) unless you were to try and push it in at 40`ks per hour

, perhaps the guy left it in neutral , that is something my 70 year old uncle would do because he does`nt like having to give the tbar a good yank when the weight of the car on a hill is binding the park detent gear.

Bucknaked · 08-11-2007, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardxr8

An incident like this should make Ford and its Servicing dealers sit up and take notice...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...329352372.html

Ok, I'm missing the point. I have read the article several times. What does it have to do with Ford and it's servicing department?

The G6ET Spot · 08-11-2007, 09:54 PM

After reading this I might go into the handbrake adjuster industry.

I do my own handbrake adjusting, pull the lever up 4 clicks on the ratchet and the handbrake is fully applied.

Only need to adjust twice a year. So I don't know what the Ford dealers ar doing,but obviously not the same as me.

fmc351 · 08-11-2007, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

would the car roll back if he left it in P- gear?

Ford have had issues with this, or similar forever. Ask Auslandau about Fords jumping into gear and taking off while running cams in.

It must be a well known thing amongst mechanics. When my 351 was built, the mechanic lifted the rear on a jack before running the cam in. I asked him why, he pointed to a large, long, dent in the fence where another Ford linkage let the trans engage reverse while revving at around 2,000 rpm, and launched itself out of the shed, halfway down the drive before it hit the fence. He never does that with Holdens, only Fords.

Ive had two Fords myself that once put in P (yes they were put in P), began hopping back down the driveway before I could pull the handbrake on. Clunk clunk hopping down the driveway, its not linkages as it doesnt just roll it clunks, even though they can cause it too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xr8 utey

if as quoted he arrived home alone how do they know he applied the handbrake? or did the gentleman even put it in park?

condolenses to the gentleman's family

Well, being dead, he couldnt release the handbrake or take it out of gear either. So you could assume the police found the handbrake activated, and the selector in P.

richardxr8 · 08-11-2007, 10:02 PM

Point is I had mentioned (and had it noted on the form) at a warranty call that the 'handbrake doesnt hold car on mild hills' , but the 'service department' just made it make swooshy noises and within 1 week, the handbrake was as useless as ever again. Lucky i didnt pay for it eh ? (warranty)
If there was a poll about how many people had PAID to ' get the handbrake fixed/working' and how many actually were, I think you'd be surprised...
The post about the numbered wheel chocks is gold, specially as my issue was with a GT-P !
And the 'parking pawl' that holds auto cars is plastic and not designed to hold close to 2 tonnes......

SirHenry · 08-11-2007, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardxr8

Point is I had mentioned (and had it noted on the form) at a warranty call that the 'handbrake doesnt hold car on mild hills' , but the 'service department' just made it make swooshy noises and within 1 week, the handbrake was as useless as ever again. Lucky i didnt pay for it eh ? (warranty)
If there was a poll about how many people had PAID to ' get the handbrake fixed/working' and how many actually were, I think you'd be surprised...
The post about the numbered wheel chocks is gold, specially as my issue was with a GT-P !
And the 'parking pawl' that holds auto cars is plastic and not designed to hold close to 2 tonnes......

I think we're on to something here we should take this suggestion to Ford with the numbered chocks only I think we should either remove the handbrake completely or put a "Display Purposes Only" sticker on it.

The other suggestion we could take to them is a big rock with a rope tied around it and attached to the falcon we could call it a "Johnson Brake" .

Every damn time I get my car serviced they always have to adjust the damn thing works good for a week and then back to normal.

DirtyHarry · 09-11-2007, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

All BA/BF Falcons should come with wheel chocks. In the case of FPV's these should be individually numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity.

Dan

LOL!!!

I think I have found a signature!!

I have just bought a pair of new handbrake shoes this morning. I am hoping that when these are fitted to a new pair of RDA rotors the sh-sh-sh noise problem, at least, will go away.

To actually call them "shoes" is a misnomer. Each rotor actually gets a single 270 degree shoe that simply presses against the drum on the rear side of the rotor insteadof expanding into it. How the engineers ever expected this stupid system to work is completely beyond me.