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Handbrake warning light
Browser - 17/9/03 at 01:58 AM

I undersatnd that I will need a handbrake warning light and that it must have a picture of a hand brake on it? Does this mean the normal circle with a dot at it's centre and two arcs outside it to represent a brake drum or does it need to be a picture of a handbrake lever?
Also, the test switch this light needs, can it be the test button on the brake fluid reservoir or does it need to be totally independant?

David Jenkins - 17/9/03 at 07:42 AM

They mean the international brake symbol, which is the "2 brackets around an exclamation mark" that you describe.

You don't need a handbrake warning light - it's a brake warning light you need. This is to tell you if your brake fluid has run out, or that you have no pressure in your brake lines. The 'handbrake' bit comes in because that's an easy place to put a switch to test the light bulb. Handbrake on - light on (and thus tested). Handbrake off - light off, unless you have a problem and the light stays on!

Hope this helps...

David

Spyderman - 17/9/03 at 11:37 AM

I would have thought (pure speculation) that you would need a handbrake warning light, althought the light circuits can be combined.
The handbrake is a secondary braking circuitand would be under the same rules.

David Jenkins - 17/9/03 at 11:57 AM

Don't make life more difficult than it already is!

Using a switch on the handbrake to test the light is the best of all worlds - you get told if you've left your handbrake on, and also if your fluid goes down.

David

Stu16v - 17/9/03 at 11:04 PM

quote:

The handbrake is a secondary braking circuitand would be under the same rules


The other half of the dual circuit (the bit that hasnt failed!) is the 'secondary' brake on a modern system.

David Jenkins - 18/9/03 at 07:26 AM

The whole mechanism under the foot pedal is "the primary braking system". The handbrake is the secondary braking system. The fact that the primary system has 2 circuits is irrelevant.

The primary system is the one you would use to stop in normal circumstances - the secondary one is for parking and 'oh shit, no brakes' moments!

cheers,

David

stephen_gusterson - 18/9/03 at 12:38 PM

in fact, in america its called the emergency brake.

Id like somethign better in an emergency!


Most americans dont use the handbrake for parking anyway. just put the car in park....


atb

steve

[Edited on 18/9/03 by stephen_gusterson]