Parking Break Replacement/Adjustment

[ryan-in-oregon]

Ok so after this past weekend and getting stuck on the trail I removed and inspected the park brake assemblies. The passenger side is completely gone with one large nasty looking crack in the brake disk. I have ordered the parts from my local dealer and will pick them up tomorrow. I have the service guides for doing this and they say to enter the EPB into the Service mode. Has anyone else done this? If so did the dash read-out indicate you succesfully entered this mode? It does for the bedding in procedure but not the service mode. Thanks for the Help.
Ryan
05 SEv8

 

[Bluebird]

I just paid the dealer to do mine. One hour labor.
Its a long story but the end result was they adjust/calibrate the EPB with their computer.
No other way.

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

I just paid the dealer to do mine. One hour labor.
Its a long story but the end result was they adjust/calibrate the EPB with their computer.
No other way.

The parking brake has a mechanical adjustment. If they didn't do that IMO they didn't do it right. In fact if you look at the shoe assembly it isn't any different then the rear drum setups they put on older vehicles. The only difference is the cable that actuates them rather then the hydraulic wheel cylinder...There is a step done with the computer but it is the computer in the car (Part of the bedding in procedure).
Ryan

 

[Bluebird]

Well then the dealer lied to me.

 

[toddjb122]

Well then the dealer lied to me.

Put that on a bumper sticker! LOL


Oregon, got any pictures of the cracked assembly?
I just had mine fail (it would make a horrific sound when engaged and then I'd get a FAILURE message) but had it repaired under extended warranty. The parts cost (which was coverred) showed $350 or so for the cable assembly. They don't give me that copy to take home so I'm not sure the exact parts...

Before it failed I was noticing that it was harder to disengaged. The truck would actually surge forward against it before it would release.

How does that work, anyway? The parking break is supposed to stop the car from sliding downhill, for example. Yet, if I apply a gradual acceleration in forward or reverse it releases. Does the computer actuate the cable or does it just free up from the engine torque? I always had the impression that if I didn't free in by pushing down the lever, it was a mechanical only release that freed it up.

 

[nashvegas]

It has a throttle / gas pedal sensor

Yep -- I wondered this also (ie when you step on the gas it releases). I saw somewhere in the book that for auto transmission cars (ie the US of A), it has an auto release... I think if I recall correctly it was something like if you depress the throttle more than 10% of its travel, the EPB computer is then given a signal to automatically disengage / release the parking brake. Audi A4's and A6's and probably the rest of the model line with electronic brakes have this also.

 

[Houm_WA]

I had this happen as well....actuator and cable replaced under extended warranty. I wonder what the hell is causing that **** to happen...I don't want to be replacing it every 60k miles. I'm using it less now and I almost never use the auto-takeoff feature; I manually depress it now.

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

Well I just finished installing the new rear disks and park brake shoes.....After cleaning everything and adjusting the parkbrakes to factory specs all seems to work very well and quietly. I noticed the audible sound of the actuator engaging them also seems to be shorter then it used to, I am going to guess that they were way out of adjustment.
Ryan
05 V8SE - Ready again for the Trail

 

[Bluebird]

Just remembered the Service Writer at the dealer said something about having to adjust the EPB so it won't engage by itself at 70 MPH.
I read that somewhere else in the forum so I took him at his word.
I'm sure yours will be fine though.

 

[ryan-in-oregon]

Just remembered the Service Writer at the dealer said something about having to adjust the EPB so it won't engage by itself at 70 MPH.
I read that somewhere else in the forum so I took him at his word.
I'm sure yours will be fine though.

There is a calibration procedure for the actuator. But it appears that only adjusts the cable itself and the distance in which it travels.
Ryan