Been thinking about these. Not sure, but I think I read there is an electric motor in each rear caliper.

 

So, the car is parked in my garage and.....what happens if....

 

Car is unable to start due to some engine fault. Can the brake be released when the ignition is on but engine not running?

 

If one of the caliper motors or wiring goes kaput and its in the park position, how do they release the caliper? Obviously it would be difficult to pull the car onto a recovery truck if parking brake is on.

 

Why is life becoming so complicated?

I thought it uses an actuator (centre mounted) which pulls via a Bowden type cable on a small drum brake in each rear wheel rather than on the calliper.  It needs electrical power only to release it.

 

If the actuator fails then you can’t move according to the manual!  I am surprised there is no emergency release as I have a loop in the boot of my BMW that disconnects the system by releasing the cables from the motor drive in the actuator unit.

Edited 8 January, 20188 yr by FelisBengalensis

16 minutes ago, FelisBengalensis said:

If the actuator fails then you can’t move according to the manual!  I am surprised there is no emergency release as I have a loop in the boot of my BMW that disconnects the system by releasing the cables from the motor drive in the actuator unit.

 

Now you are scaring me! So what would Skoda do in that situation?

Stop worrying about stuff that hasn't happened. 

With mine being a DSG I just leave it in Park with the brake off.  If garaged (on the rare chance HRHs car isn’t in there) then I can chock it too, but I’m not overly concerned with the car being under warranty making it Škoda’s problem.

 

If all else fails then you cut the cables from underneath and Škoda fit a new one.  The scary bit is the price of the units.  BMW ones are over £800 a pop!

1 hour ago, vfrvrs said:

Stop worrying about stuff that hasn't happened. 

 

I didnt worry about the camchain rattle when Skoda told me they all did it.

 

Since that saga (and many others both before and after) I have chosen the route of trying to understand in great detail how things work and how to fix them when they inevitably go wrong. (I AM an engineer). Plus I am at that age where I worry about EVERYTHING. 

Edited 8 January, 20188 yr by xman

53 minutes ago, FelisBengalensis said:

With mine being a DSG I just leave it in Park with the brake off.  If garaged (on the rare chance HRHs car isn’t in there) then I can chock it too, but I’m not overly concerned with the car being under warranty making it Škoda’s problem.

 

If all else fails then you cut the cables from underneath and Škoda fit a new one.  The scary bit is the price of the units.  BMW ones are over £800 a pop!

 

But I thought the car insists on automatically applying parking brake when stopped.....

8 minutes ago, xman said:

 

But I thought the car insists on automatically applying parking brake when stopped.....

 

Only if you have auto hold switched on. It's been a couple of years since I got mine - time flies - but off the top of my head, auto hold is disabled from factory meaning the car acts like a conventional torque converter auto. However, if you switch it on every time you start the engine for three (?) consecutive starts the car stores 'on' as the new default setting. Conversely, you can do the same to switch it off permanently (until you decide to go through the whole procedure to re-enable it, anyway). 

2 hours ago, FelisBengalensis said:

I thought it uses an actuator (centre mounted) which pulls via a Bowden type cable on a small drum brake in each rear wheel rather than on the calliper.  It needs electrical power only to release it.

 

If the actuator fails then you can’t move according to the manual!  I am surprised there is no emergency release as I have a loop in the boot of my BMW that disconnects the system by releasing the cables from the motor drive in the actuator unit.

Im happy to be corrected but im sure it doesnt have this,it has a motor on each caliper,the same as all skoda,audi,vw cars do. 

I can remember seeing one of the police programmes on TV where a new Range Rover was stuck in lane 3 of the motorway after making an emergency stop and the electronic handbrake wouldn't release.  The police eventually had to tow it to the hard shoulder with the rear wheels locked!

9 hours ago, Penpusher said:

I can remember seeing one of the police programmes on TV where a new Range Rover was stuck in lane 3 of the motorway after making an emergency stop and the electronic handbrake wouldn't release.  The police eventually had to tow it to the hard shoulder with the rear wheels locked!

 

I remember that programme.

I suspect this is what would happen with a superb with the parking brake on.  The recovery vehicle would just drag it on with the winch.  Getting towed is no fun anyway   Just make sure you tell them they'll need something they can load the car onto.

On 09/01/2018 at 09:39, dg360 said:

I suspect this is what would happen with a superb with the parking brake on.  The recovery vehicle would just drag it on with the winch.  Getting towed is no fun anyway   Just make sure you tell them they'll need something they can load the car onto.

A useful reminder to us all.  This post has covered a point I’ve never thought about.

Penpusher & Danny 57,

I watched that Motorway Cops again last week, and thought, i hope they now know to try closing the drivers door and see if they can get the Electric Handbrake off,

because clearly they never knew when that was filmed.

Edited 18 January, 20188 yr by AwaoffSki

On 08/01/2018 at 19:29, FelisBengalensis said:

With mine being a DSG I just leave it in Park with the brake off.  If garaged (on the rare chance HRHs car isn’t in there) then I can chock it too, but I’m not overly concerned with the car being under warranty making it Škoda’s problem.

 

If all else fails then you cut the cables from underneath and Škoda fit a new one.  The scary bit is the price of the units.  BMW ones are over £800 a pop!

When I turn my engine off, it automatically applies it? Or is there a trick around it. 

16 minutes ago, aldouk said:

When I turn my engine off, it automatically applies it? Or is there a trick around it. 

You have got the auto handbrake on. I think it's the bottom button left centre, that's from memory!

4 hours ago, facet edge said:

You have got the auto handbrake on. I think it's the bottom button left centre, that's from memory!

Ahh yes it is on. Handy to remember thanks. 

If you always assume it will apply the EPB with auto-hold on, don't forget it won't if you take the seat belt off before turning off ignition or have the driver's door slightly open. 

 

At least that's how it worked on my Passat CC.... except that wasn't a DSG and had no 'park' mode for the gearbox.... and I got out outside the house and it started moving! Doh.