Park or parking brake waiting at lights?
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A car leaving full beam on can be dangerous. Being behind someone with their brake lights on can be irritating if it bothers you. Have to say it's never bothered me. I do use my handbrake when I'm going to be stopped for a period of time but that's more so I don't have to keep my foot on the brake. Didn't even realise folk might be effected by my brake lights.My driving instructor didn't mention it, but the first time I was sat behind someone with their brake lights blinding me, I made sure never to do that myself. It's as bad as leaving full beam headlights on!
Have you tried leaving it in drive and just putting the handbrake on? I've seen another thread from a couple of years ago asking the same question, this time in a Corsa, and the conclusion was the same. Perhaps it's just a Stellantis thing, but it's got to be worth trying.
What do you do at stop lights without auto-hold
Hi all, Sorry if this seems like a bit of an odd questions. I'm just wondering what everyone does when waiting at a stop light. Do you keep your foot on the brake, or engage the park mode, or even the EPB (electronic parking brake)? I'm coming from having a manual transmission with a manual...www.speakev.com
I use the auto hold function in our Zoe. Pretty sure the brake lights stay on. Other folks brake lights have never bothered me, nor seemed dazzling at all. From my experience in queues these days, pretty much everyone ahead has brake lights on. my suggestion is don’t worry about it too much.
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I just use the footbrake for short stops at junctions but in longer queues I press park on the leaf using the handbrake too if it is a steep hill. I never manually select neutral in the Leaf being a bit of a faff. TBH I think this aspect of the Leaf is poorly thought out e.g. an old fashioned manual handbrake coupled with the electric drivetrain.
Maybe everyone's eyes are different, as I, like you, have never been bothered by brake lights staying on.
If you're behind me at some traffic lights and it does, keep a pair of sunglasses handy as that's how the car behaves
As per comments above, you don't get a choice in Teslas. Initially I put mine (Model S) in Park at lights - but then the door handles popped out and the interior lights came on. I didn't find a satisfactory combination of settings to allow use of Park at lights so I gave up and now just use the brake hold. So on behalf of Tesla drivers, apologies for the brake lights, but we're not being lazy!.
There is a safety aspect to this - the brake lights act as a warning, and can also indicate whether a car is really parked or just waiting at lights - there are a few streets near me, especially one-way side streets, where it's difficult to tell if a car is waiting or just inconsiderately parked (and didn't bother putting on the "soz, I'll be back in a bit" hazard lights).
There is a safety aspect to this - the brake lights act as a warning, and can also indicate whether a car is really parked or just waiting at lights - there are a few streets near me, especially one-way side streets, where it's difficult to tell if a car is waiting or just inconsiderately parked (and didn't bother putting on the "soz, I'll be back in a bit" hazard lights).
My eyes are probably more sensitive than most due to vision correction. I used to wear glasses, and glaring lights were worse, especially if the lenses weren't perfectly clean. I work outside, so of course they aren't. After one particularly rainy day, when I seriously considered windscreen wipers for my specs, I decided to get laser surgery. I was warned I'd have trouble driving at night, but it's no problem if people are behaving with consideration, and only using bright lights when necessary.
The safety point is fair, but it could be solved very easily if daytime running lights were logical. What idiot thought it made sense to light the front but not the back?
The safety point is fair, but it could be solved very easily if daytime running lights were logical. What idiot thought it made sense to light the front but not the back?
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Got the Mokka back from the service.
Keep in mind this is an early one and when I asked about autohold the scum dealer told me to keep my foot on the brake and not to worry about blinding people behind. Different words may have been used but it turns out they really are scum.
First time I tried to pull away having used the handbrake it struggled and the back went up and was not a very elegant experience.
Vauxhalls propensity to roll out untested and flawed updates without stating what they are meant to do has seen all sorts of things disappear which we needed and new problems appear. Somewhere during either the various updates I've installed or perhaps one of the updates applied as part of the first service there seems to have been an update that makes the release smoother.
On the way back I had to stop at some lights and engaged the handbrake. Kept my foot close enough to the brake until the traffic moved off.
Pressing the go pedal resulted in a fuss free release of the handbrake and off the car moved without any drama.
Now when in traffic and stopping for more than a couple of seconds I can just apply the handbrake in the knowledge that I can drive off without issue and don't have to be a footbrake twat.
Gaz
Keep in mind this is an early one and when I asked about autohold the scum dealer told me to keep my foot on the brake and not to worry about blinding people behind. Different words may have been used but it turns out they really are scum.
First time I tried to pull away having used the handbrake it struggled and the back went up and was not a very elegant experience.
Vauxhalls propensity to roll out untested and flawed updates without stating what they are meant to do has seen all sorts of things disappear which we needed and new problems appear. Somewhere during either the various updates I've installed or perhaps one of the updates applied as part of the first service there seems to have been an update that makes the release smoother.
On the way back I had to stop at some lights and engaged the handbrake. Kept my foot close enough to the brake until the traffic moved off.
Pressing the go pedal resulted in a fuss free release of the handbrake and off the car moved without any drama.
Now when in traffic and stopping for more than a couple of seconds I can just apply the handbrake in the knowledge that I can drive off without issue and don't have to be a footbrake twat.
Gaz
There's no way I'd put it in Park. You only need some clown to run into the back of you, or into the back of the car behind you to cause them to lurch into your rear and the resultant shock load on the locked Park system can destroy your transmission.
I can't see any issues leaving it in Drive and using the parking brake. Just make sure the PB is holding - you may not notice a gradual creep especially if distracted while stopped, and the resulting contact could be embarrassing.
I also don't see any issues with leaving it drive and holding it with the foot brake. The brake lights in front of me have never been a concern, but perhaps that's just a personal perspective.
Does it have Auto-hold? That would solve your issue.
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