I have a problem that I couldn't find an exact copy of while using the search feature...

I have a 2003 S-Type, with the MANUAL transmission/3.0 V6 engine. For about the last year, the car has sat untouched at our home, not running. In that time, the battery would run down but would readily accept a charge.

I'm getting the car roadworthy again and recharged the battery this week and cranked the car. Car fired right up. But the EPB is stuck and will not release.

This has happened before (via a security system/key fault) and the car had to be towed about 100 miles to the nearest Jag dealer to get reset. I'd rather avoid a repeat if I can.

Here's what's different this time:

1) I get a yellow light and the message "APPLY PARKING BRAKE" on the message center, even though the brake is already applied.

2) The red BRAKE light is not illuminated after startup, even though the brake is on.

3) Every time I move the parking brake hand-switch to apply the brake, the message center re-flashes the "APPLY PARKING BRAKE" message.

Personally, I'd love to "fix" the EPB module with the business end of a 10-gauge shotgun, and I would if this were an automatic transmission car. But given it's a stick, I'd rather not. I really have two issues: How can I get it to just simply roll, so I can take it to our local mechanic (meaning, can I temporarily disable the system), and what do you guys think is wrong with it?

Thanks.

 

Have you tried the reset procedure?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...pb-reset-8750/

 

I'd try the reset/calibration procedure first. I had one park brake cable break on the 03 and had to replace it. It's been some years; I don't remember the price nor whether if having the one loose relieved tension on the opposite side or not (I believe it did) Doubt it would work if you have to pay the labor, but if you are a DIY'er....put down the shotgun, and take up your bolt-cutters and cut the cheapest one (after a diligent parts-search and taking delivery of the replacement part, of course!) may be cheaper than a tow...maybe not...of course, then the dealer will say, "We found your problem, you have a broken cable....."

 

Remove the rear wheels and look/listen while a helper applies and releases the brake. Tell us what you observe.

 

You should be able to hear it as it tries to apply/release. If you can't for sure try others' ideas. If it's the motor that's stuck, replacing it is not easy.

You should be able to unhook the EPB (non-electrical) cables from the brake calipers in case you cannot get it all working and then not need a tow.

 

Just one addition ...

The motor is not cycling. It is making no noise whatsoever nor is it even attempting to make a noise. The only evidence there is that the car even recognizes what I'm trying to do is the message "APPLY PARKING BRAKE" that appears on the message center each time I depress the parking brake lever.

We're going to replace the battery with a brand-new one as well as attempting the hard reset, just to see if that works. But I wanted to add that note about the motor since people were mentioning it.

 

Try the reset procedure anyway, you should need to do it after the battery change / reset in any case.

 

You can overide the EPB, in such event that it sticks on.
Instructions and Pictures to release the Parking Brake when stuck on.
No 1:- Pull back the boot floor.

No 2:- First on the right hand panel in the boot you will find two black plugs one on the right one on the back panel near the light cluster,undo these by unscrewing them.

No 3:-Carefully pull out the trim from the black plastic back panel trim and pull back the side trim to expose the Parking brake module and the wiring loom etc.

No 4:-Take out the wiring plug from the left of the module and you will see that there is two wires that are thicker than the rest one wire is red/white and the other is green/white these wires are the ones that control the parking brake motor.

No 5:- Now you need to energise these two wires to get the motor to work.Put one end of a piece of wire into the block where the red/white wire is and the other end of the wire onto the negative side of the battery.

No 6:- Put another end of a piece of wire into the block where the green /white wire is and the other end of the wire onto the positive side of the battery.

You should now hear the motor activate the handbrake and you will be able to drive again. ( IF IT DOESN'T WORK SWITCH SIMPLE SWITCH THE WIRES AROUND ON THE BATTERY

 

Hopefully this will serve as the final postmortem on this issue ... (g)

We switched the battery out for a completely new one today. No change to the brake. We then performed the hard reset to the charging system. Still no change. The message center was still instructing us to "APPLY PARKING BRAKE," the red BRAKE light was not illuminated yet the brake was stuck in the "on" position.

Then we tried the parking brake calibration procedure. We depressed the parking brake switch and held it in the "apply" position, pushed the foot brake 5 times, and the car responded with a beep and the red BRAKE light illuminated. We started the car, were able to release the brake and the car moved.

Thanks to those who made suggestions; if you find yourself in a similar situation, try the recalibration procedure.

 

Hi Jess, and greetings;

So posts 2 and 3 and 7 were all correct? There is a well documented process to reset/recalibrate the EPB which you must undertake EVERY time there is a battery supply interruption - whether by disconnection or letting it go flat.

Would a solar charger help retain charge in your battery?
Cheers.

 

I'm sure that you have checked, but does it keep working after the first application? Mine always worked after a reset, but stopped working on the second application.

 

Not sure it's required after every power interruption, but is certainly the first thing to do if any sort of warning shows up.

Those who store the cars typically use a battery tender (not trickle charger) to avoid the EPB and other frustrating issues when letting a battery go dead.

 

Post #3 was the winner, I guess you'd say. I didn't get an results from working on the charging side of the issue, although I've cleared up multiple issues over the years on several of my Jags by keeping an eye on the charging system. This one needed the EPB recalibration procedure.

This car has developed a slow drain on the battery from somewhere, yes. It started about a year and a half ago but wasn't present the two years prior (I'm not the first owner of the car). Unfortunately with the way our property is laid out, this car can't go in a garage at the moment, so it makes it hard to get a constant charge to it. Hopefully my wife and I will be moving soon and can rectify that particular problem.

In response to the person asking about the second application, it did work the second time. After that? Not sure yet -- it went straight to my mechanic for a shakedown and to replace the coil packs (a separate issue). Hopefully I get word today or tomorrow on whether it's still behaving itself.

Jess

 

I liked post #2

 

It was quality. I just couldn't immediately tell if you were talking about the charging system reset or the EPB reset procedure. Either is good advice.

My wife's old XJ8 (rest in peace, thanks to an inattentive lane-changer on I-65) would always find a way to tell us when it needed a new battery or a charge. It never failed to start, but it would burp up some random problem -- like the trunk wouldn't open via the button above the license plate, or the A/C fan would turn itself off randomly, or the automatic day/night headlights wouldn't activate by themselves. Quite a personality it had.

Jess

 

Hello again Jess ...

Shattered to be an "also ran" but up there in good company with Mikey, Norri, aholbro, et al.

Rather than derail this thread, especially with Jess' reference to his wife's old XJ, I believe we are overdue to aggregate a new thread to pull together all known issues resulting from interruption of battery power in the electronically sophisticated S-Type.

Cheers

Ken