Electronic Parking Brake Not Working?

[crispin]

In the last month or so I noticed my electronic parking brake doesn't seem to be engaging very well as the car rocks when getting out despite the Parking Brake light being on. Sometimes I even hear the motor whir as it moves, but no matter what, the car rocks as the parking pawl falls into place. The first two years I had it, when the parking brake was on the car was rock solid every time when getting out.

Has anyone else experienced this, and is there an easy way to check it? I plan to go to the dealer in the next week or so, but would like to have a bit more knowledge before I do in case they try to tell me they couldn't find a problem.

 

[JSolo]

I imagine it may need adjustment? Cars with the pull handle need adjustment after some time too.

Coming from decades of MT driving, I always set the parking brake, even on flat surfaces, habit.

 

[crispin]

I imagine it may need adjustment? Cars with the pull handle need adjustment after some time too.

Coming from decades of MT driving, I always set the parking brake, even on flat surfaces, habit.

This is my first automatic car and I always check the brake too after years of MT. I still find it unnerving when people in automatics rely on the parking pawl and the thing rocks when you get out. It took me quite a few weeks to stop grabbing for the shifter, especially when slowing to a stop. Now, I have the opposite problem when I drive my wife's MT and try to take off from lights in third

 

[D.J.]

In the last month or so I noticed my electronic parking brake doesn't seem to be engaging very well as the car rocks when getting out despite the Parking Brake light being on. Sometimes I even hear the motor whir as it moves, but no matter what, the car rocks as the parking pawl falls into place. The first two years I had it, when the parking brake was on the car was rock solid every time when getting out.

Has anyone else experienced this, and is there an easy way to check it? I plan to go to the dealer in the next week or so, but would like to have a bit more knowledge before I do in case they try to tell me they couldn't find a problem.

Does your car roll when in neutral and the parking brake on?

Find a hill, put in neutral, set parking brake, note the result

 

[Buklau]

Any updates on what happened? I’ve experiencing the same thing. I always use my EPB when I park no matter what and my car rolls forward in neutral with it activated. I hear the sound of it engaging and the light turns on but it’s not stopping the car from rolling as much. Car has 190,000km now.

 

[Thomby]

Any updates on what happened? I’ve experiencing the same thing. I always use my EPB when I park no matter what and my car rolls forward in neutral with it activated. I hear the sound of it engaging and the light turns on but it’s not stopping the car from rolling as much. Car has 190,000km now.

Rolls continuously, or just settles a bit? You can use the little recessed button by the Park button to put the car into Neutral with your door open (since it'll automatically shift into Park otherwise), then get out with it in Neutral but parking brake engaged and see if you can push the car.

Or you can do the same with the rear up on jack stands (lift or chock the fronts since they'll be free to rotate), and try to rotate each rear wheel by hand.