Emergency Stop

[MG4cherry]

Hypothetical question!
Driving along at say 70mph the front seat passenger sees the driver has fainted, can he slow the car or bring the car to a halt by switching the gear selector to "N" ? (Even if damage was to occur)

 

[siteguru]

Switching the car to N merely makes the car freewheel. If necessary the passenger can pull up and hold the P button next to the gear selector dial. (Don't press in the P on the gear selector dial until the car is stopped).

 

[MG4cherry]

Thanks for the clear answer.

 

[Kithmo]

Your foot has to be on the brake pedal to select "N", very difficult for the passenger to achieve.
ISTR reading somewhere that pressing the gear selector "P" at speed either has no effect or puts it in "N".

 

[siteguru]

Your foot has to be on the brake pedal to select "N"

Actually it doesn't ... I've done this several times in preparation for a good, hard, brake-cleaning stop. I've lifted off the accelerator though when I've done this. In the same vein, if the car is still moving you can turn the dial back to D right away, but if you've come to a stop then you need to press the brake pedal before you can select D.

(This is all in my own experience in my car - this does not constitute a guarantee that your car will respond the same).

 

[Tig170]

I think you’re supposed to pull up (and keep pulling) the electronic parking brake, which will stop the car in controlled manner (never tried it on the MG4, but it did do this on my previous car (VW Tiguan)

 

[PeteC]

Actually it doesn't ... I've done this several times in preparation for a good, hard, brake-cleaning stop. I've lifted off the accelerator though when I've done this. In the same vein, if the car is still moving you can turn the dial back to D right away, but if you've come to a stop then you need to press the brake pedal before you can select D.

(This is all in my own experience in my car - this does not constitute a guarantee that your car will respond the same).

Mine does the same.

 

[Rolfe]

I think you’re supposed to pull up (and keep pulling) the electronic parking brake, which will stop the car in controlled manner (never tried it on the MG4, but it did do this on my previous car (VW Tiguan)

There was another thread where this was discussed, and it was agreed to be the answer. It's even worth explaining this to a regular passenger, or someone who's going to be a passenger for a long journey. The other thread contained a frightening story about a driver who passed out in a car where the parking brake lever was on the other side of the driver from the passenger, not accessible to the passenger. The car crashed. At least in the MG4 the lever is easy to access.

I think the other thread was the one about supposed runaway cars. That even if the driver was inadvertently flooring the accelerator thinking it was the brake, doing this should stop the car.

 

[Panther]

I think you’re supposed to pull up (and keep pulling) the electronic parking brake, which will stop the car in controlled manner (never tried it on the MG4, but it did do this on my previous car (VW Tiguan)

Interesting about stopping the car in a controlled manner.

Many years ago I had a VW Passat, the first car I had driven with an electronic parking brake, pressing and holding the 'P' button whilst driving would result in the handbrake being applied full on, locking the rear wheels.

I guess times have changed.

 

[Chrisdriving]

Yes, select N , grab the steering wheel to control and apply parking brake as and when required and hit hazard light switch.

 

[MG Clive]

I think you’re supposed to pull up (and keep pulling) the electronic parking brake, which will stop the car in controlled manner (never tried it on the MG4, but it did do this on my previous car (VW Tiguan)

This is exactly correct, pull and hold the parking brake switch on, the car will start to slow down as the brake motors activate the calipers, and then stop quite quickly as the parking brake becomes fully activated. Bear in mind that just pulling the brake switch/lever up and letting it go again won't do anything.

 

[Tig170]

This is exactly correct, pull and hold the parking brake switch on, the car will start to slow down as the brake motors activate the calipers, and then stop quite quickly as the parking brake becomes fully activated. Bear in mind that just pulling the brake switch/lever up and letting it go again won't do anything.

Must admit did attempt this at 25mph (in the dry) in our MG4 .... was a little bit more emergency than one anticipated (very sharp/rear wheels locked momentarily/ & then I gave up), so am not quite sure how this all unfolds.

 

[MG Clive]

Must admit did attempt this at 25mph (in the dry) in our MG4 .... was a little bit more emergency than one anticipated (very sharp/rear wheels locked momentarily/ & then I gave up), so am not quite sure how this all unfolds.

Yes it definitely feels like an emergency stop, and the rear brakes will lock (assuming they're ok), it just doesn't happen as quickly as a footbrake emergency stop because you have to wait about a second for the motors to fully activate the brake calipers.

 

[Kithmo]

Does holding the "P" switch override the cancelling out of the parking brake when the driver has the accelerator pressed ?