I feel silly, new discovery on my Clarity after 30K.

I discovered this fairly early (I've had my Clarity for almost exactly a year), but I'd point out that you must have your foot on the regular brake for the auto disengage to work - if you don't and try to drive off, the parking brake stays on and you don't move.

 

Wow all this time and I didn't even realize the Clarity had a parking brake

With that said I have gotten lazy and sometimes don't bother putting it in park because the car will automatically do it when you turn it off. I drove my wife's Highlander the other day and suffice it to say it does not do that - which caused a little bit of a stir as my wife was getting out of the car as I let my foot off the brake (and it proceeded to roll backwards slightly)...

 

I meant that you have to have your foot on the brake while you push the "D" drive or "R' reverse button - then, with the transmission in drive or reverse, the parking brake will release when you move your foot to the accelerator and push it.

 

I knew the parking brake could set automatically, but I didn't know it also could release automatically. (Owned the car since Dec 2018). That could be a life-saver if a quick getaway is needed during a zombie apocalypse!

 

Another trick related to the parking brake, if the parking brake is set when you turn on the car the daytime running lights won't come on. This comes in handy if you want to sit in the car with AC running for example, saves on battery and is also a bit less conspicuous at night in a parking lot. This also works if Brake Hold was active when the car was turned off. If you later put the car in gear the DRL's immediately turn on and stay on. If you are about to turn on the car and you aren't sure if the parking brake is set, just pull up on the P lever and if the parking brake is already set then "Brake" will appear on the dash in red letters. If it wasn't set you will hear it engage and "Brake" will appear.

 

Didn’t know it will do that when I turn off the car. Thanks.


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I had my Bolt EV 3-1/2 years before discovering the rear armrests had buttons for the rear seat heaters

 

Considering the obscurity of a lot of the user interface, “Clarity” is kind of an ironic name.

My Clarity and my Acura RDX have identical parking brake controls, but they work in opposite ways. In one of them a push disengages and the G-spot gesture* engages; in the other it’s the opposite. Industry-wide standards may be too much to hope for, but you would think there would be some consistency within the Honda family.

* Guys, if this reference is unclear do some research. Your significant other will thank you.

 

So how do you use this feature? I also want a quick escape in a zombie apocalypse and have been annoyed at how many times i have to press the e-brake disengage before it actually registers. I have occasionally dragged my rear wheels becuase the ebrake is still engaged. so it hasn't automatically disengaged for me.

Also, fun fact, the ebrake still actually works like a hand brake if you wan to do a handbrake turn. (It will engage when you pull up and automatically disengage when you let go.. you don't need to press it down) I have done it already a few times on snow and once on rural road for precise 90 degree turns at speed.

 

BATTERIES: So that your 12v battery doesn't die, be sure to run the Clarity at least every two weeks, or at the very least start it so that the LiIon batteries will charge the 12v. Otherwise the 12v dies and it's a mess to jump/install a new battery and reset all computer systems.

 

Did this just turn into the Penthouse forum?

There isn’t likely to be a standard, even within the same brand. I prefer the the gear selector in our 2019. If a manufacturer is going to use something other than a selector that has a position for each gear, the Clarity gets my vote.

There’s a button or lever/switch for each gear. Press down for Park, Drive or Neutral. Pull back, rearward, for Reverse, just like you would in a car with a center console gear selector. Pull up to engage the Parking brake and press down to release the parking brake, same as for a car with a center console, hand operated brake lever. It’s all very intuitive, tactile and logical.

Then, Honda, and other manufacturers, have warm fuzzy customer feedback and input forums, and they come out with stupid. Our Jeep, for example, has a center console gear selector that toggles through the gears. It starts out in Park, pull it back and it could go to R, N, D or S, there just no telling. It almost always goes into an undesirable gear on the first attempt and the next attempt at getting it in the desired gear has about a 50/50 chance of success. I’m confident that it will be the first “switch” type device to fail in the entire vehicle. It can only take so much.

The Jeep has a foot lever parking brake. Push down to engage, push down harder to release. Works great, pretty common. The truck has a foot lever parking brake. Push down to engage, pull a t-handle to release. The motorhome has a spring activated, air release, drum brake located on the drive shaft. Pull the yellow knob up to engage, push the yellow knob down to release.

It really boils down to knowing how to handle your brake levers.

 

When mine was 2 years old, I left it for a month. There was no problem. Was I lucky? It is now approaching 4 years old.

 

Mine has been left for 2-3 weeks several times and been fine. I'm sure someone has done the calc on parasitic draw to narrow down when the real risk is but my guess is 5-6 weeks.

 

I’m curious: Why is there a 12 volt battery? It seems like you could run everything, including the ICE starter, from the main battery and save a lot of complexity and cost.

 

I've thought about that too. My guess is that most of the accessories and AC are 12 V based. They would either have to redesign them for the main pac voltage, or add a large inverter. They probably took the cheapest path.

 

One of the issues is the battery they use is a smaller battery than a normal car battery, so it can much easier die from non use. I've had 12v under voltages from the battery twice already during the winter times.

 

I had it happen to my Fit EV (when it kept trying but failing to make charger connection) - it was quite embarrassing needing a "jump" for my BEV lmao.

 

I was about to say that 12 volt accessories are commoditized and very cheap especially for automotive use. This is particularly for automotive as for electronics most devices work off of 5volt systems (so there is a 12 to 5 volt converter now).

Also 12 volt lead acid batteries are very cheap. lead acid cells are such that it's easier to make either 6volt or 12 volt cells.

Perhaps most importantly is that you can't safely operate an electrical system above around 50 volts without having some serious safety issues for operators, maintainers and emergency personnel. so having a much lower voltage system running everything all the time with the high voltage only being turned on for when it is needed is far safer and easier. and 12 volt is, again just because it's cheapest and easiest.