Parking Brake issues

[coolmo10]

Hi everyone, I bought a 2006 Passat SEL TDI yesterday and unfortunately I'm already having to use this forum for advice, there seems to be an intermittent issue with the parking brake not releasing or not engaging, it looks like its quite a common problem that has been with this car since production, does anybody know if there has been a permanant fix for this yet?

[rapport25]

Hi everyone, I bought a 2006 Passat SEL TDI yesterday and unfortunately I'm already having to use this forum for advice, there seems to be an intermittent issue with the parking brake not releasing or not engaging, it looks like its quite a common problem that has been with this car since production, does anybody know if there has been a permanant fix for this yet?

Hi Coolmo and welcome to vwaudi forum :beerchug:

The permanant fix is go to the dealer and get a new button. Its a 5 min job to fit. Or you could try the battery disconnect for 10 mins

Hth's Rappy.

[coolmo10]

Hi Rapport25

Thanks for your quick response, I'll go the dealer route and to see if they can resolve it, hopefully they can :-)

[rapport25]

Hi Rapport25

Thanks for your quick response, I'll go the dealer route and to see if they can resolve it, hopefully they can :-)

Did you buy the car from a dealer? If not do what I suggested.

Rappy

[coolmo10]

I bought the car privately but I took your advice and had the dealer replace the EPB button, so far its been working ok, I'm only going to use it when absolutely necessary though to be honest

[TimS996]

It works fine once the button has been replaced.

[martin1810]

I bought the car privately but I took your advice and had the dealer replace the EPB button, so far its been working ok, I'm only going to use it when absolutely necessary though to be honest

The less you use it, the more problems you will have. Use it all the time to keep the electric motor from siezing.

[dunkley201]

The less you use it, the more problems you will have. Use it all the time to keep the electric motor from siezing.

I tend to use mine (+ auto hold) on every journey. I just don't use it overnight incase it decides to sieze on! ( I put the selector in "Park")

[coolmo10]

I use it occasionally but I've read that replacing the button resolves the issue for about 3 or 4 weeks, is this incorrect?

[martin1810]

I use it occasionally but I've read that replacing the button resolves the issue for about 3 or 4 weeks, is this incorrect?
??????

If the switch is faulty, replacing it , fixes it.

If the switch isn't faulty, replacing it doesn't help.:D

[The Fingers]

I tend to use mine (+ auto hold) on every journey. I just don't use it overnight incase it decides to sieze on! ( I put the selector in "Park")

I would be carefull about not using it and just using park on a DSG

I have heard stories of killing gearboxes when rolling too far forward in park with no hand brake on.

I know if i park mine up and forget to press the bottom it only needs to roll a couple of inches and its a bitch to get out of park and into drive.

I could be wrong and what i have heard could be complete b***ocks but you never know, what i do know is VW dont seem to pop these boxes open to have a look they seem to like charging a mint for a new one.

[dunkley201]

I would be carefull about not using it and just using park on a DSG

I have heard stories of killing gearboxes when rolling too far forward in park with no hand brake on.

I know if i park mine up and forget to press the bottom it only needs to roll a couple of inches and its a bitch to get out of park and into drive.

I could be wrong and what i have heard could be complete b***ocks but you never know, what i do know is VW dont seem to pop these boxes open to have a look they seem to like charging a mint for a new one.

I do understand what you are saying, however my home parking is just about level, so no trouble there. This is my 3rd auto (others were slush boxes - one by GM, one by ZF) & the "Park" facility seems to be the same on all. Never yet had a box changed for the park lock - just don't engage whilst still rolling! Also, in USA, the land of the GM box, the maybe over 50 million who use "park" every time can't be wrong! Its just that the idea of relying on two electric motors to release the brake every time seems madness to me. (a built-in problem waiting to happen) What IS wrong with a simple cable and ratchet??

[TimS996]

I do understand what you are saying, however my home parking is just about level, so no trouble there. This is my 3rd auto (others were slush boxes - one by GM, one by ZF) & the "Park" facility seems to be the same on all. Never yet had a box changed for the park lock - just don't engage whilst still rolling! Also, in USA, the land of the GM box, the maybe over 50 million who use "park" every time can't be wrong! Its just that the idea of relying on two electric motors to release the brake every time seems madness to me. (a built-in problem waiting to happen) What IS wrong with a simple cable and ratchet??


I have to say I find the cable and ratchet quite old fashioned and agricultural now :o I really like the push button brake and auto-hold on the Passat. Its all the benfits of driving an automatic with the benfits of a manual box.

I miss it in my Golf GTi, where it would have freed up a nice bit of centre console space had they been brave enough to roll it out across the range.

After all many cars now are drive by wire. think of how ther throttle works on many cars these days.

[dunkley201]

I have to say I find the cable and ratchet quite old fashioned and agricultural now :o I really like the push button brake and auto-hold on the Passat.

I too agree, the Auto hold & Electronic brake combo is great - and perfect for the auto box - it just a worrying "fail" point. Yes, cable control is agricultural (after all, my MGB had one :Blush:) but maintenance is minimal.

[Quatrelle]

I posted the following comment on this forum some time ago, but it's worth repeating (even if I say so myself:Blush:): just imagine we'd always had electronic parking brakes, and someone came up with the idea of a long metal lever sticking up between the front seats, pulling on cables, levers and crank arms to the rear brakes, and you had to operate this with one hand while using the clutch, gear lever and throttle to pull away on a hill.

I wonder if drivers made similar comments when hydraulics replaced cable-operated brakes?

Both our Laguna and the MGB have 'levers', and I often find myself jabbing the dash when I stop, but a lot of modern cars have gone over.

The downside, like so many modern 'improvements', is that it is expensive when it goes wrong:(.