Newbie with possible electronic handbrake problem

**a6dug** · 03-11-2014,08:31 PM

Hi all, I'm a newbie round here but looking for some advice.
Over the last few weeks, my C7 (manual gearbox) seems to be getting more and more reluctant to engage the handbrake 1st time. When this happens the brake pedal seems to raise up slightly and cannot be depressed. I then have to take my foot completely off the brake and reapply before the handbrake will work. I'm now starting to get really paranoid about this and have to check the dashboard light every time to make sure that the handbrake is actually on (although I always leave the car in gear anyway).
It's an 80 mile round trip to my dealers and can pretty much guarantee if I took it there it would work absolutely perfectly for them

Has anyone come across this before?

**Whippy53** · 03-11-2014,09:10 PM

Hi and welcome, my initial thought would be to get it checked regardless. Faults with this system are rare but possible.

**a6dug** · 03-11-2014,10:22 PM

Thanks for your reply. Will give the dealer a ring and try and get it booked in when I'm off work next week. Hopefully (!?) it will replicate the problem there unlike the last time I took and intermittent problem to them

**daycartes** · 03-11-2014,10:27 PM

Perhaps you could try videoing the problem in order to back up your account when talking to the dealer.

**Crasher** · 03-11-2014,10:28 PM

If it is the switch (which is common) then it may have a "control head" code stored so you could try getting it scanned locally.

**Aero97** · 03-11-2014,10:53 PM

I've had a problem with the electronic handbrake on my manual A6 - see thread here: Electronic handbrake woes

Based on my experience of how difficult faults with the electronic handbrake appear to be to diagnose, if your car is under warranty just take it to the dealer and get them to fix it now. It will save you a lot of cost and hassle in the long run!

**a6dug** · 03-11-2014,11:16 PM

Thanks all. Will give the dealer a ring tomorrow and get it booked in. Just wondered if it was a known problem as google searches hadn't shown the same issues up. Aero97 - fortunately my issues don't seem as bad as yours were - car is under warranty and hopefully can be sorted quickly.

**diecastsink** · 04-11-2014,06:24 AM

For C6/4F there has been a TSB about EPB:

"DTCs may be stored if the vehicle is driven for a long distance (approximately 620 miles or 1,000 km) without
using the EPB, parked with hot brakes, and EPB carries out a self-test (calipers opened and closed once). The
self-test will have different results with hot brakes compared to when the brakes have cooled down. In this event,
DTCs are stored in the EPB control unit although there is no fault with the system."

"1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Restart vehicle.
3. Move the parking brake switch in both directions (pull to apply parking brake, push to release parking brake).
4. The EPB malfunction indicator will turn off and the parking brake can again be used normally.
5. Explain to the customer how to prevent the problem from recurring."

**a6dug** · 22-11-2014,11:38 AM

Update:
Booked the car in and had to wait a week for an appointment where they had a courtesy car available. During that week the EPB worked perfectly every time, took it to dealer and of course no fault could be found. Not a complete waste of time as I got it serviced at the same time. Next morning, got to work, tried to apply the EPB and it wouldn't work again! The law of sod!!

**Crasher** · 23-11-2014,12:34 AM

That is poor as I am 99.9% sure there would have been a fault code in the EPB memory. Off course the dealer included a full vehicle scan and gave you this with the service sheet didn't they? Just as they are supposed to do and as it says so in the service book, of course they always do this don't they......