[Saucebox]

Apologies, folks, I know I'm a recurrent blogger on this forum but the reason is that ahead of collecting an ex demo Allure, it will involve a 580 mile round trip and therefore time at the dealership for questions will be necessarily limited. Hence I need to pick your collective brains on a new topic, as follows:

I'm not at all enamoured that this beast has, unlike my present Zoe, a parking brake in addition to the electronic handbrake. Grrrrrrr. Am I right or wrong in assuming that there are only two occasions for employing the >parking< brake, viz (1) to release it immediately after starting the motor and before selectiing what gear you then want (2) when switching off the motor in order to leave the car for either short-term or long term parking purposes?

Another thing. I take it that when you come to a stop at traffic lights, for instance, when at that point you operate the >electronic< brake, you don't have to additionally engage the parking brake - or do you? I'm hoping that when wanting to move off you simply press the accelerator and the car moves, •automatically• releasing the electronic brake just as in the Zoe. Have I got that exactly correct? If so, then, repeat, the ONLY two times the parking brake must be used are moving off after pressing the 'Start' button and again when parking for any length of time. Yes?

The parking brake feature seems to me to be a tiresome impediment to the vehicle's operation... With your kind assistance I need to be crystal clear in my mind precisely what the scenario is surrounding this unwelcome 'cabin guest'.

 

[mad_rich]

I really miss the auto-hold on the Zoe!

I only ever use the electronic handbrake when I'm stopped in traffic. Pull to engage, then auto off when I drive away.

All other times I don't bother with the handbrake or putting the car in P. Just press the off switch and everything takes care of itself: it puts itself in P and engages the brake.

After start-up, I just shift into D or B and drive off. Nothing else.

Edited to add: Not a parking brake, but there's a lock switch on the side of the gear lever. You can't shift into gear without depressing it. A bit like the reverse interlock on a manual gearbox.

 

[Saucebox]

Thanks.

However, my birdbrain is still not clear (my, not your, fault): are you saying that on the Pug you don't need to touch the >parking< brake at all, ever, either to release it or engage it? In other words it performs all its 'duties' entirely by itself via the >electronic< brake? But, then, why is that P brake there if you don't have to physically u s e it?

(I'm so confused on the subject that I almost spelt the operative word in this sentence with a 'k'!)

 

[mad_rich]

I'm not really aware that there is a separate parking brake as you describe. P is just a position on the gear-lever, the same as P in any automatic ICE car, where it locks the transmission (rather then a friction brake).

In an ICE car, I'd shift into P when I park, and then into D when I move off. In the 208, I don't even have to shift into P when I park. I just switch off.

I think it will probably make more sense when you're in it, rather than trying to over think it now!

 

[Saucebox]

In videos of the cabin I see tester's pressing a button on the parking
brake....

 

[b789pilot]

I'm not at all enamoured that this beast has, unlike my present Zoe, a parking brake in addition to the electronic handbrake.

You're definitely confusing the parking brake with the Park mode of the transmission. As mad_rich has stated, you don't have to touch the parking brake if you don't want to. Also, you don't have to engage the Park mode in the transmission. Just switch off and Park mode is engaged and the parking brake is applied automatically.

I don't even see the need to apply the parking brake when at traffic lights. It's automatic transmission so just keep your right foot on the brake pedal for a minute or less and then transfer it to the Go pedal when the lights change to green.

If you are of the mind that you prefer to stop the car. Press the P for the Park mode in the transmission and apply the electronic parking brake before switching off, feel free to do so. As they say, the choice is yours.

 

[Saucebox]

Okey-dokey.Thanks folks.

 

[Kreukel]

I have the e-Expert not the e-208 but it's the same platform so I presume it's similar. I have a switch with R-N-D and then two other buttons for P and B. Where the handbrake would be in an on/off switch for the electronic parking brake.
The complication is that you need your foot on the brake to move between transmission modes, N-D or N-R or to release the P - transmission brake mode.
This is what I do:
Foot on brake, turn key I think you'll press the power button to power on.
Keep you foot on the brake, you only need to touch it, not actually brake, and move selector to D. Now when you touch accelerator, the parking brake auto-releases. If you come to a halt with the footbrake, leave it in D and apply the parking brake then foot off - I don't use P mode on the selector, as when you move off, touching the accelerator will auto-release parking brake again, if you use P, you'll have to counter-intuitively, touch the brake to get to D, then release and you'll go.
When you are going to reverse, stop with footbrake pressed, and keep your foot on the brake whilst you move selector to R, now release the footbrake and you're off in reverse. Keep your foot gently on the brake as the car will move with no accelerator input.
When you switch the car off, selector will go to P and the parking brake will come on automatically.
I find it a little strange but it's ok once you get used to it.

 

[Saucebox]

Thank you for your painstaking response. But... sorry, dorky question I know, why is it I see videos of testers pressing their thumb and forefinger left and right of that 'P' thingy at the front of the console? It suggests that you have to do something with it in addition to the electronic brake further back...

 

[mad_rich]

That's the interlock switch on the side of the gear lever.

Stop overthinking it - you'll work it out!

(Correction to what I wrote above. P isn't a position as such on the gear lever. It's a button that you press.)

 

[208's Plenty]

b789pilot has pretty much cracked it.

I have had 12 autos since my first DSG car back in 2008, only one had a traditional handbrake.

Anyhow just to confirm as I just swapped car over on the drive.

1. You release the Parking Brake level in the centre console when driving off from start up.

2. After that when stopping in traffic, foot brake used, however, if you press the P button on the gear selcetor, it will hold the car after an initial creep.

3. When you turn off the car to leave, P is automatically engaged.

OP. Get the car, get into it and enjoy it.