Parking Brake

[init6]

I just washed my car parked on this driveway.

View attachment 784407

It didn't budge an inch.
IIRC when I first got the car I did the long press on the stalk, but either I read somewhere that it's unnecessary or I simply forgot about it and for the past year it's been parked there without the long press. Not sure what additional braking is needed if normal park stops it from rolling down that drive

Edit found this:

Using the parking brake

I accidentally applied the parking brake doing about 50. A noticeable slowing down and a warning on screen. Meanwhile I'm still not sure if I need to apply the parking brake on the level when I park :). I'll see what appears on screen if I don't and just let the car apply it. When I use it...

teslamotorsclub.com

No definitive answer for what the long press does (other than in an emergency). No reports of the car rolling away with just the short press.

 

[Roy B]

For the model 3 at least, the orientation videos make it clear that the parking brake is engaged automatically when the transmission is in park, and that there is nothing for the driver to do. I agree the situation in the owners manual is confusing.

If I had to guess, I'd say that it's because the type approval regulations require a control to engage the parking break, and a corresponding indicator. But I think there is actually no difference between the automatically engaged parking brake and the manually engaged parking brake (apart from the indicator coming on).

EDIT: Although, holding down the park button while in motion does serve a purpose - namely an emergency application of the parking brake to slow the vehicle, for use in the event of a total hydraulic failure.

 

[Overworked]

Another thread with lots of speculation and discussion around the subject. This seems to be a regular theme in this forum.

As usual the simple accurate and straightforward answer is in the Owner’s Manual.

I am speculating that lots of folks have never bothered reading it? Relying only on a few “how to” videos issued by Tesla and probably a few YouTube reviews!!

 

[PR-UK]

My only addition to this is that last year I parked in a car park that had a slope on it. I had my foot on the brake and pressed P as usual when I released my foot from the brake the car rolled slightly forward before stopping (like an ICE automatic) but as parked on a loose dusty/dirt surface the car ‘skidded’ a few cm before coming to a halt. I put the car back in reverse and reversed further back up the slope and this time pressed and held P and you could feel the brake pedal move down slightly and when I took my foot off it the car didn’t move at all.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Another thread with lots of speculation and discussion around the subject. This seems to be a regular theme in this forum.

As usual the simple accurate and straightforward answer is in the Owner’s Manual.

I am speculating that lots of folks have never bothered reading it? Relying only on a few “how to” videos issued by Tesla and probably a few YouTube reviews!!

While true, it’s understanding why many have never followed the instructions in the manual to apply a parking brake and never had an issue. The whole debate about hill hold seems off topic though.

I've assumed it's analogous to a conventional car...

1) Hitting the stalk button is like putting a conventional car in PARK without applying the parking brake

2) Holding the stalk button is like applying the parking brake in a conventional car, and you can feel the brakes engage.

This is my take. We’re used to applying the handbrake/parking brake because we grew on manuals. Automatics generally have park (I think gearbox/motor locked) and a physical brake on the rear wheels which you can also engage. Most do both out of habit. Our petrol car is automatic and I stopped using the parking brake unless in a hill sometime ago on the advice of my nephew who’s a BMW mechanic, so same as the Tesla.

 

[Overworked]

Me too.

On my ICE car (automatic) I applied the electronic parking brake every time after shifting to N.

On my M3 I tend to just shift to N, but I have read the manual and tested the long push, then seen the "P" light up rather than just "H", and know the difference as I read the manual before buying the car - because it was so different from "a conventional car" that it just seemed a sensible thing to do!

 

[Maka344]

Another thread with lots of speculation and discussion around the subject. This seems to be a regular theme in this forum.

As usual the simple accurate and straightforward answer is in the Owner’s Manual.

I am speculating that lots of folks have never bothered reading it? Relying only on a few “how to” videos issued by Tesla and probably a few YouTube reviews!!

I have read the manual and it states to “Press and hold to engage the parking brake”.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Pressing the end of the gear select once puts the car in "Park". This is the same as automatic gearbox which usually have a Park option. This has nothing to do with Neutral on either car which is a freewheel option which is quite different. If you just get out of your Tesla when in drive, the car will automatically put it in "Park".

Holding in the button applies a mechanical friction brake to the rear wheels, this is on top of the general park where the drivetrain effectively does it. This is the same as applying a mechanical handbrake on an automatic car. This is the parking brake.

On levelish surfaces just "Park" is absolutely fine. There is no need to apply the mechanical "Parking brake" which is why most of us have gone years without realising. My old Model S did automatically apply the parking brake and it was a PIA as it would stick on and you'd get a right thump as you pulled away and it released.

On steeper slopes, the extra security of the mechanical brake might be needed, so use then.

One final note, if your brakes otherwise fail, when moving you can hold in the Park button and it will apply the mechanical brake for you to slow you down.

 

[init6]

I have read the manual and it states to “Press and hold to engage the parking brake”.

But that doesn't mean that the parking brake isn't engaged when you put the car into park. The manual does not say if the long press applies a brake in addition to the braking applied when put in park. A lot of speculation on what it does, but the manual doesn't clarify it either.

 

[init6]

Pressing the end of the gear select once puts the car in "Park". This is the same as automatic gearbox which usually have a Park option. This has nothing to do with Neutral on either car which is a freewheel option which is quite different. If you just get out of your Tesla when in drive, the car will automatically put it in "Park".

Holding in the button applies a mechanical friction brake to the rear wheels, this is on top of the general park where the drivetrain effectively does it. This is the same as applying a mechanical handbrake on an automatic car. This is the parking brake.

On levelish surfaces just "Park" is absolutely fine. There is no need to apply the mechanical "Parking brake" which is why most of us have gone years without realising. My old Model S did automatically apply the parking brake and it was a PIA as it would stick on and you'd get a right thump as you pulled away and it released.

On steeper slopes, the extra security of the mechanical brake might be needed, so use then.

One final note, if your brakes otherwise fail, when moving you can hold in the Park button and it will apply the mechanical brake for you to slow you down.

What's your source for this additional braking? Other threads have suggested this but no-one has been able to show that there is an additional braking mechanism.

 

[Irata]

What's your source for this additional braking? Other threads have suggested this but no-one has been able to show that there is an additional braking mechanism.

No source unfortunately.

But I can hear something different happens by going through these steps.

Short press once, hear parking brake engaging.
Short press once again, no change, no sound.
Long press, hear the parking brake energise again, slight clonk/knock sound.

Something different happened between the second short press and a long press.

Obviously this is just my test and my car, so not conclusive evidence at all.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

What's your source for this additional braking? Other threads have suggested this but no-one has been able to show that there is an additional braking mechanism.

You can hear it wind on after the long hold

 

[Maka344]

No source unfortunately.

But I can hear something different happens by going through these steps.

Short press once, hear parking brake engaging.
Short press once again, no change, no sound.
Long press, hear the parking brake energise again, slight clonk/knock sound.

Something different happened between the second short press and a long press.

Obviously this is just my test and my car, so not conclusive evidence at all.

This is my experience too. The brake pedal also moves slightly upon a long press.

 

[init6]

There was another thread that discounted/queried the noise made by the long press as being an additional brake. I'll see if I can find it. (not saying you're not correct

The official Tesla video on selecting drive modes says that the parking brake is automatically applied whenever you put your car in park.

Selecting Drive Modes | Model 3 and Model Y | Tesla

How to shift to Drive, Reverse, Neutral and Park

www.tesla.com

I might try to get a camera near the brakes to see if anything is visible.

 

[MrBadger]

Another thread with lots of speculation and discussion around the subject. This seems to be a regular theme in this forum.

Speculation is part of the Terms of Service that users sign up for... and entertainment purposes too...

The TMC Forums are designed for members to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

 

[init6]

Speculation is part of the Terms of Service that users sign up for... and entertainment purposes too...

Isn't speculation what you get when you ask a Tesla rep?

 

[Tevo Solutions]

Funny how this question keeps popping up with no definitive answer.

We'll have the answer for you all in a couple of weeks time.

 

[Irata]

Funny how this question keeps popping up with no definitive answer.

If definitive answer means everyone in agreement, is that even achievable.

 

[init6]

Funny how this question keeps popping up with no definitive answer.

We'll have the answer for you all in a couple of weeks time.

Your helpful guide to the Tesla Model 3 parking brake

These three things are true: 1. Whenever the car is put into Park (P), the parking brake is applied. You can call this "automatic parking brake" 2. If you press and hold the right stalk end-button for 3-4 seconds it will apply the parking brake if it is not already applied. If already applied...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[init6]

If definitive answer means everyone in agreement, is that even achievable.

It is if Tesla tells us what the long press actually does.