BOB.T

Vivaro vans do this too, I found out whilst trying to clear my brakes after having driven through a flood, not whilst left foot braking...honest!

Beef

Your brakes are always more powerful than your engine - you simply need to not be a big girls blouse and stand on the smeggers - this will slow you down no matter what you're doing.

Where it goes wrong is when you don't get on them hard enough by trying to merely slow down a bit and not using them as hard as you can, and you end up doing little but heating the brake system up until it overheats and fails.

Do agree that hire companies and dealers should explain the 3-second cut off on the start button though - I had to read the manual to find out in my case. I can also confirm that taking the key away from the car doesn't stop the engine, although that was only short-range (circa 20 yards) - it does detect the key has left the car instantly though, to an accuracy of a few inches!

Leslie

You just are not thinking are you, or scraping the barrel in order to criticise.

In the first place most people would not remove the key after switching the ignition off, you cant remove the key in the first off position anyway.

All you have to do is to leave the car in gear as you slow down until you are nearly stopped. The engine driven hydraulic pump is still being driven for the power steering and either for the brakes if they use hydraulic power, or the vacuum from the intake if the brakes have a vacuum servo.

Its really not that difficult after all!

Les

SunnySideUp

I think, if we are honest about it - we would ALL be up **** street if it happened to us, strange car, brakes lost, no known way of turning off, self protecting gearbox ..... there, but for the love of god, go I!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Quite correct: Unless its electric steering where it will die upon turning off the ignition. But even then, steering is quite useable with no PAS. Just NEVER remove the ignition key (it will engage the steering lock).

Brakes also remain fully effective for the first and second presses of the pedal, Just press it once and hold it when you need to stop, don't pump it. It'll deplete the vacuum reservoir which will leave you without assistance...they will still work, just need much more effort. Unless its a 70s/80s/90s Rolls-Royce/Bentley/Citroen in which case after the third press you'll totally lose the brakes.

This experience is from a Jaguar XJ-S owner with an engine that frequently cuts out whilst driving - steering becomes very heavy (as you would expect from a car of its era and weight), but never impossible to manouver.

When it once cut out near my uncles house, I took a last second decision to dump it on his drive. I coasted off the main road, sharp left turn into a cul de sac, and a immediate sharp right turn onto my uncle's drive. All without power steering and a steering wheel thats thinner than a twiglet. Ok, a limp wristed girly wouldn't be able to do that, but the effort needed to pull to the side of the road is much much less than making slow speed turns.

Leslie

Yes you are right Ali, my BMW Mini Cooper has got an electric power steering rack, but even with the ignition off it is perfectly controllable even with heavy steering. I somethimes freewheel down the hill when in the ferry queue. Also there is always a bit of residual braking pressure left.

Les

CrisPDuk

The same is true of later Mk4 golfs too

I found this out whilst trying to find a braking fault on a mates TDi, nearly went through fecking windscreen


So if it's all the same to the manufacturers I'll stick with my older cars, with proper mechanical connections between me and the oily bits

Leslie

Funny you should say that CPD.

Les