Team,

When I start my car I am finding it increasingly has a weird problem. The automatic parking brake occasionally wont release when coming out of Park. The car will be in gear and wanting to proceed, but the brake holds it back. If I go in and out of park over the period of a couple minutes the brake will eventually release. Since this is happening with increasing frequency, I must address it... otherwise find myself stuck somewhere! In addition, when this is happening, I have no power to my windows or sunroof (when starting the car here in Calif I open the windows to let some air in). After a minute or two of the problem, the windows/sunroof also work.

HAs anyone encountered this before?

Tom

 

The EPC has a mechanical part with an actuator and cables on the rear axle subframe, but that sounds more like an electrical problem. Is the battery ok? (min 12.5V) Have you ever tried to release the handbrake with the lever in the center console when the problem occured? Checking the DTC's with SDD is not wrong either.

Fritz

 

Marginally low battery will do this. I get it if my car sits more than 3 or 4 days, sometimes only 2 or 3. The fix, if you can't get it released, is to pull the battery terminals and touch them together. After reconnecting, the brake works normally. the handle soes nothing when it's in this mode.

You might also occasionally see "Cruise not available" as well as the "Unable to release parkbrake" in the dash message window.

I've gotten in the habit of preventing the parkbrake from setting when I garage the car by pressing the parkbrake button/handle thingie as I remove the key. You'll hear a single ding, and the BRAKE light won't illuminate.

 

Push the brake release, while removing the key, & the brake doesn't set.

 

It does sound like low voltage/current problem. If the battery checks out with good voltage, WHILE UNDER LOAD, then it could be a ground/B+ or connector issue. When the car starts the alternator kicks in and supplies a higher voltage. That is why some problems go away. The fact that the park brake still does not function may lead you to which ground/connector/B+ supply is causing the problem.