Once you get your problem figured out, go read this thread please. You'll get a lot more help next time because people will know what your thread is about.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...threadid=113399

 

Thank you for your responses so far, I really need to know who has had a problem. I know the handbrake can't be relied on and when you park it best to put it in gear.

So who has had a problem with the handbrake, if there are not very many cases Honda does not regard it as a serious problem. But if everyone has to park it in gear to assist the handbrake then does that mean there is a problem?

I look forward to hearing your replies

cheers
Tim

 

Did you read your owner's manual? I know that whatever happened probably sucked and I feel for you, but you shouldn't be asking Honda to pay for your mistake. If you parked it incorrectly and it rolled, you may be lucky enough to have your insurance cover the damage. If not, good luck with the repairs.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by t1mbo
[B]Hi everyone,

Handbrake problem:

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wicky
[B]

I've had my car roll, I just pulled harder on the handbrake.

 

The S2000 has rear disc brakes, and therefore the hand brake engages the rear brake calipers. What Toosteeley said is correct - as the brakes cool down, the "grab" on the disc is reduced. Disc brakes don't work as well as drum brakes for parking because drum brakes have an entirely different mechanism for the hand brake. Besides, drum brakes have a multiple force effect (twice the force gives you four times the pressure), whereas the disc brakes have a linear effect (twice the force gives you twice the pressure). Many high-end vehicles (and some mid-priced vehicles) have rear disc brakes and a mini-drum brake in the rear specifically for the hand brake. The added weight of such a system would make it very undesirable in the S2000.

So the result is that our cars do not have the best parking brakes on the market. And if they did, most of us would get rid of it due to the added weight penalty. The tradeoff: you must keep the car in gear and when parking on a hill, turn the wheels such that if the car does move, the wheels rest against the curb. If no curb and the hill is very steep, you may want to put something behind the tires.

That being said, make sure your hand brake is adjusted properly. I'm not positive, but I believe the adjustment is in the center console (can anyone confirm this?)

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by payneinthe
[B]Did you read your owner's manual?

 

PUT THE FREAKIN CAR IN GEAR WHEN YOU PARK IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

This is not a challenging problem to solve. Just engage the parking brake and place the shift lever into a gear.

This thread is aggravating the hell out of me... along the lines of "my engine was three quarts low when I vtec'ed the hell out of it... honda has made a defective product"


Quoting from the 2003 Honda S2000 Owner's Manual (US Version), Page 139, Section Titled "Driving":

"Always use the parking brake when you park your car. The indicator on the instrument panel shows that the parking brake is not fully released; it does not indicate that the parking brake is firmly set. Make sure the parking brake is set firmly or your car may roll if is parked on an incline.

If the car is facing uphill, turn the front wheels away from the curb and put the transmission in first gear. If the car is facing downhill, turn the front wheels toward the curb and put the transmission in reverse."

Now for those of you that drive on the wrong side of the road, you must switch the direction you must turn the front wheels, but I think that gravity should work the same way otherwise.

 

Was the car in gear? Were the wheels angled correctly? Don't be too quick to clear yourself of all blame. Again, sorry about your misfortune (whatever it was).

 

When I parked my SAAB, I had to put the car in reverse to remove the key. I guess SAAB thought of this before an owner complained about his or her car rolling away.

On my Jeep, the E-brake did not work, so I just left it in gear when parked, no problems.