I wish they had similar standards for the Parking BRAKE! As near as I can tell the one on the FEH is pretty near useless, the vehicle will still move under its own weight with the parking brake applied. Mine will always rock back onto the parking pawl when I use it.

FMVSS 135 for the parking brake (there is no standard for the mythical EMERGENCY brake) states "The parking brake system shall hold the vehicle stationary for 5 minutes in both a forward and reverse direction on a 20% grade."

Hmmm...As near as I can tell the FEH won't pass that particular test. I've had my parking brake adjusted 3 or 4 times.

I have to crank mine up as hard as I can to get it to hold on even a 10% grade in a parking lot. I like to leave it ON in neutral to prevent ICE startup (when I am just running in quickly) with the parking brake on but I don't trust it on even the slightest grade.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 22,909
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


457 Gallons of gas saved
That's 9,150 lbs less CO2

That's what I was getting at - if they know there was a problem with a certain batch of shafts, they should be able to very closely narrow it down to which vehicles this applies to. Since the VIN includes a date code and the recall only applies to certain dates of vehicles, sounds like they do have a pretty good handle on when these parts were used. Either way, I got my 2006 in June of 2005 so I'm in the clear on this one.

I hope you are right about the part having a distinguishing mark on it. I deal with steel rail all the time - some heat treated and some not. It looks identical except for the markings identifying it as heat treated. Only other way is to do a Brinnel test on it.

They chose a lousy example then. I think I'd be more worried about it breaking under acceleration than having it break unattended in a static condition. There's bound to be one hell of a lot more torque on it accelerating than parked - with or without the parking brake being set.

Never had a problem with my '05 holding on any grade. No problem with the '06 anymore now that I adjusted it.

I'm fine as long as I'm in park. However, when I perform the following: Apply brake pedal, shift into park, pull up parking brake, release brake pedal... I always feel the vehicle slide back onto the parking pawl (the pin in the transmission--it might not be a pin on ours but its what puts the trasmission in park). If the vehicle can rock a bit onto the pawl with the parking brake on... I don't think it will hold with the brake alone. This is on no grade at all... my parking lot is pretty flat.

If you do the same thing what happens in yours?

I never allow a car to be held by the parking pawl - got that concept "beaten" into me by a grouchy old guy who I should have listened to all the time...not just when I wanted to. Also got in this habit from driving a stick for so many years.

Whether I stop on flat ground or a slope, I stop the car, set the parking brake, release the service brakes (still in gear) and only after I am sure the car isn't going to move do I put it in park. Seriously, both of mine hold no problem. I have even left them in gear and exited the vehicle and had the parking brake hold.

I did have problems with the '06 until I adjusted the brake - I just tightened the cable until it was tight after about 4 or 5 clicks. Prior to that it would go all the way up and wouldn't hold as well as the '05.

Try this..

Vehicle in D, foot brake on, park brake on, foot brake off, shift into Park.

or

Vehicle in D, foot brake on, park brake on, shift into N, foot brake off, shift into Park.

Ive never had any problems with my park brake on my 07 and I use it all the time - you need to use it like a stick shift park brake here on the hills of San Francisco which are sometimes so steep that the sidewalk is stairs. The FEH tranny doesnt hold the car on a hill in D like a normal automatic. I wonder how they are handling this in the 2008s with the floor brake.

Lots of vehicles have working park brakes but still can lean on that parking pawl which can cause problems. My last vehicle, a 3/4 Suburban was so heavy that if you parked it leaning on the Park pawl as you describe, you couldnt get it out of P at all, You had to get another vehicle to push you from behind to take the weight off the pawl so that the shifter could be moved. After getting stuck once I learned to never shift into P until I was sure that the vehicle was leaning on the brake first.

Tim

2007 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD
Premium Package
Safety Package
Moonroof

Is the '08 going with a foot parking brake? I am very used to a hand brake (always drove stick in foreign cars) and get the impression that a foot parking brake is somewhat of an afterthought and the reason so many people don't use the parking brake. I would not like a car with one of those as it would not feel right (personal preference).

My parking brake needed adjustment at the first oil change because it would not hold. It does creep an inch or so when I use it on a slope, but seems to hold now as long as I pull it fairly hard. I've complained about its bad feel in other posts (it often makes a clunk when I use it and the travel is not smooth).

Another question: I think that the Mazda Tribute is also made at the same factory. Any of these share the same drive shafts?

Cheers,

rcomeau

From even the Mercury sources, yes.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean the Escape or the Tribute will too. They could have a different console design and therefore be able to keep the hand brake. I think all we can do, is wait and hope.

Best single LD trip: 35.3mpg