Oxford-boy
Member Since: 07 Sep 2015
Location: Oxford
Posts: 1063
  
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| Parking brake freezing on |
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Hello all,
I recently left my D4 at a long stay airport carpark for a week which coincided with very low freezing fog and associated weather. When I returned to the car which had been standing for a week it was heavily frosted/frozen and the parking brake (hand brake) was frozen to the front nearside wheel.
Eventually I took a chance and just accelerated until the freeze lock gave.
Next time it might not do so before a part elsewhere breaks as I have had friends with BMW X5s suffer.
Is there a way to leave the vehicle without the parking brake applied?
HNY all...
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 5th Jan 2017 7:57 pm |
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adam
Member Since: 20 Sep 2005
Location: Home and Happy
Posts: 6917
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If its an auto and on a flat surface, just leave in park?
Do later D4's have auto EPB? - maybe just pull the relevant fuse?
Edit - Sorry - didn't notice the FRONT wheel comment - never heard of that one before
Last edited by adam on 5th Jan 2017 8:21 pm. Edited 2 times in total
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| 5th Jan 2017 8:12 pm |
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M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8104
 
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Parking brake only operates on the rear wheels  It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
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| 5th Jan 2017 8:16 pm |
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Washwipe
Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
Location: Bucks Oxon Herts Border
Posts: 3169
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| Re: Parking brake freezing on |
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Oxford-boy wrote:Hello all,
I recently left my D4 at a long stay airport carpark for a week which coincided with very low freezing fog and associated weather. When I returned to the car which had been standing for a week it was heavily frosted/frozen and the parking brake (hand brake) was frozen to the front nearside wheel.
Eventually I took a chance and just accelerated until the freeze lock gave.
Don't think leaving the hand brake off will stop the front near side wheel freezing on 
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| 5th Jan 2017 8:17 pm |
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ratrunner
Member Since: 20 Nov 2015
Location: cotswolds
Posts: 194
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I left my D4 for a week or so without use and left the auto brake off.Recently in the cold weather I noticed that the brake seemed stuck on quite hard.I rocked back and forth, reverse then forward and "bonk" it released so I was suprised by that as I thought with auto brake off nothing would be permantly holding the vehicle.
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| 6th Jan 2017 11:09 am |
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Gianni330
Member Since: 08 Jan 2014
Location: Latina
Posts: 102
  
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The hydraulic oil of the brakes is hygroscopic, I mean that it can absorb water with time and when left at low temperatures water droplets do expand while frozen pushing the calipers out, so the wheel doesn't run as expected.
Another issue is about water on the braking system like discs an pads that will freeze when left in cold environment.
When the car is driven on whet floor on a rainy day and there is not much need for braking, when you leave it at the parking stand, some water will be present on your braking system leading to a frozen-up system when temperatures drop below zero, so you will need a certain efford to get it unstuck.
On airplanes with carbon brakes, when taxi out on whet taxiways, it is suggested to heat them up more than 100 degrees celsius before take off thus to dry them and to avoid a stuck wheel on landing after several hours at freezing temperatures.
Cheers 
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| 6th Jan 2017 11:33 am |
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Oxford-boy
Member Since: 07 Sep 2015
Location: Oxford
Posts: 1063
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Thank you all for some great information and advice..
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| 6th Jan 2017 12:54 pm |
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