How does the parking brake work?

I test drove a Leaf the other day and was surprised that there was no "mechanical" parking brake lever, only what appeared to be a "switch" in place of the lever.

So my question is this - is the parking brake system on a Leaf "totally electric", or is it an electrically-actuated traditional mechanical system? I forgot to ask while was at the dealership.

This is important to me because my driveway is on a hill.

Thanks,
Lou

It is electro mechanical. A cable is pulled to hold the brakes in a traditional manor.
You pull up twice for maximum holding force. The system seems to work quite well as far as I can tell.

There is a thread buried somewhere with a better description and pictures.

I use the single-pull pretty much every time I park the car. I did park on a steep hill in San Francisco on Halloween and I employed the double-pull method. I pulled once, waited until I heard it engage. Then pulled it again and heard it engage more... I think. So I can verify that it works.

To my personal disappointment a lot of cars are going to a button system that the Leaf uses. I'd prefer to have something I can grab onto and yank in case of an emergency but it is what it is.I just hope I don't yank off the e-brake switch in the Leaf in a panic

Just a little tidbit. Really do not need a hill holder in a clutch-less car, but if you apply the parking brake, are in P or ECO or R, and have the driver's seat belt fastened, the brake will auto release when depressing the accelerator.

ebill3 said:

Just a little tidbit. Really do not need a hill holder in a clutch-less car, but if you apply the parking brake, are in P or ECO or R, and have the driver's seat belt fastened, the brake will auto release when depressing the accelerator.

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Sounds smart.........can prevent driving down the road with the brake engaged. Especially good since there is no "handle" sticking up in air to tip you off that your parking brake is still on!

Lou

Along the same lines, how does "P" (ark) itself work? Is there something akin to e locking pawl? If you park on a level surface, is there any need to set the parking brake, or is that just creating more wear and tear?

Yes Park has a pawl in the gearbox. If it is level enough to push the vehicle either direction I just put it in park and leave the parking brake off.

There's a diagram of the "P" lock in this thread and a lot of great pictures of the LEAF's undercarriage in this thread
=Smidge=

EricBayArea said:

.. To my personal disappointment a lot of cars are going to a button system that the Leaf uses. I'd prefer to have something I can grab onto and yank in case of an emergency but it is what it is.I just hope I don't yank off the e-brake switch in the Leaf in a panic

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It actually makes a lot of sense to me. My wife just can't seem to engage a manual parking brake with enough force. An electric system neatly sidesteps that problem.

davewill said:

It actually makes a lot of sense to me. My wife just can't seem to engage a manual parking brake with enough force. An electric system neatly sidesteps that problem.

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Thanks, I always wondered why they went to such an extreme..

Herm said:

davewill said:

It actually makes a lot of sense to me. My wife just can't seem to engage a manual parking brake with enough force. An electric system neatly sidesteps that problem.

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Thanks, I always wondered why they went to such an extreme..

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I don't know that's why they did it, but I did wonder if the torque from the electric motor might have caused problems with people applying sufficient braking force to stop or stay stopped.

I'm willing to live with the electromechanical design, though I don't particularly like it, but I very much wish they had put the switch somewhere else. Three times, already, I've been tooling down the freeway when my absent-minded wife pulled the parking brake lever thinking she was unlatching the console storage box.

Fortunately the result is not total disaster. The dash lights up like a Christmas tree and the car goes into neutral. The brake doesn't actually engage, and I think the car seems to restore itself after a few seconds, though I'm not sure. I may, in my moment of panic, be hitting the gear selector.

Ray

If you continue to hold it up, it will engage at speed.

planet4ever said:

Fortunately the result is not total disaster. The dash lights up like a Christmas tree and the car goes into neutral. The brake doesn't actually engage, and I think the car seems to restore itself after a few seconds, though I'm not sure. I may, in my moment of panic, be hitting the gear selector.

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Parking/emergency brake:
http://mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Brakes,_ABS#Parking.2F_Emergency_Brake" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

While stationary:
"To apply the parking brake while stationery, step firmly on the brake pedal and pull up on the parking brake switch to engage the parking brake. Pull up twice to apply maximum parking brake force."

While in motion:
"The parking/emergency brake can be applied while driving: pull up and hold the electric parking brake switch (page 5-16 of the 2011 Owner's Manual). A chime will sound. When you release the parking brake switch, the parking brake will be released. While moving, the parking brake is applied at a lower force than when stationery."

How the parking/emergency brake works:
http://mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Brakes,_ABS#How_The_Parking.2F_Emergency_Brake_Works" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How the parking lock mechanism works:
http://mynissanleaf.com/wiki/index.php?title=Drivetrain#Information" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TomT said:

If you continue to hold it up, it will engage at speed.

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Yes, but will it be enough for drifting?