How to fix parking brake malfunction audi a4

Hello.

I have a 2021 E-tron Sportback, which I have "had" for five weeks. On day 8, I had the same thing happen, though I did not notice any error, parking brake or otherwise. Previously, car was perfect, as far as I could tell. I had previously unplugged the car, opened it, and retrieved my COVID mask, then closed and relocked the car. A few hours later, I went to use the car, and it would not open. Tried and failed with the second fob. Opened the car with the mechanical key, and no lights, sound, anything. Dead in the water. No life signs at all.

Had a tow on flatbed up to dealer (Audi Wilsonville). Problem was in the circuit which charges the low-voltage (12V) system, in lieu of the alternator. They replaced at least two modules, and I think some fuses, and did a lot of programming/adaptations too. All of this took a long time (16 days), due to this being new submodel and AONA unfamiliarity with this new problem.

Audi completely owned the problem, repaired the car, covered my rentals (I live too far for loaner to have worked in this case.), and thus far, the problem seems to be completely solved. I've had it back for a week now. Fingers crossed.

If you need to tow the car, buy a good 12V high capacity Lithium charger, and you can jumpstart the low voltage battery, so you can release the parking brake, and put it in neutral. I am not sure if it is possible to drive the car at this point, however.

This is the electric car analog to alternator failure. It has been reported in Taycans, and even in early Teslas. Hope it is not a common problem, as they told me it was ~$8000 of warranty work. They wrote zeros for all parts and labor, so who knows.

Good luck with your car!

Mike

The electric parking brake, or EPB, has the function of ensuring that the car does not move inadvertently. When this system is activated, it emits a tensile power so that the vehicle does not move unintentionally.

The advantages of the electric parking brake system are many, and they make it very user friendly. However, there may also be certain breakdowns that require the vehicle to be taken to a specialised workshop.

In this post by Frenkit, a brake part distributor company for passenger cars and light vehicles, we tell you what to do if the electric parking brake has a malfunction. If it is lock, also we tell you how to release the electric parking brake. All the keys you need to know about what to do if the EPB has a malfunction are in this post!

Maintenance of the electric parking brake

The Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) system is a push-button operated device which, through an electrical signal, operates a mechanism while locking the vehicle's brakes. When a fault occurs in the EPB, a warning lamp is activated indicating that a fault has occurred in the system. From Frenkit, we recommend that, in the event of any failure in the brake system, qualified professionals and specialised technicians should be called in to analyse the failure and, if it is necessary, proceed with its repair.

At every service or ongoing maintenance of our car, it is essential to check the correct condition of the cables that operate the electric handbrake, as well as the brake pads and, lastly, to check that there are no brake fluid leaks.

At the same time, it is also possible that the electric handbrake may not work properly because it does not receive the necessary voltage to stop the car. This is due to the poor condition of the battery. It is therefore important to check and ensure that all electronic devices in the vehicle are in perfect working order.

3 tips on what to do if the electric parking has a malfunction

Here are some tips that can be very useful when it comes to maintaining your vehicle correctly and what to do if the electronic parking brake has a malfunction:

Clean and check the components

It is very important to ensure that the components of the electric parking brake are in good condition. Brake pads, for example, are essential for stopping our car, as they are the ones that exert the pressure to slow the vehicle to a stop.

Check voltage

The braking system must be supplied with the necessary power to function correctly to stop the vehicle when required. If it receives more or less voltage than necessary, this may be due to a fault in the battery and/or Electronic Control Unit (ECU). For this reason, the voltage must be checked with the aid of the relevant diagnostic tools.

Examine the cables

As mentioned above, it is important to check the condition of the EPB components. Over time and with use, brake system cables tend to deteriorate.

But, when will we know that the cables may be damaged? If we have already checked the battery and the electrical connections, the lack of electrical voltage may be due to cable malfunction. Check them for any exposed or cut parts.

Now that you know some of the key points for proper maintenance of the electric parking brake, it is important to remember to visit a reliable workshop to check the condition of the brake system components, as they guarantee our safety at the wheel.

At Frenkit we have a wide range of electric handbrake products for vehicles. What are you waiting for to discover them? Visit our extensive product catalogue and purchase the kits for your car through our online shop.

Tags: Electric parking brake

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