Electronic Parking Brake Malfunction

[glanga]

Alright so I always put on the parking brake, its habit now so I always put it on on my LS. When you put the car into gear its supposed to go off right? That how its always been for me. So i put the car in gear the parking brake light goes off (i always make sure it does before i go) and start driving to the store and the car feels funny like it wont shift out of a lower gear, i try powering through it for about 2 miles (stupid me) then i decide to pull over. i get out and check the passenger side first and the rear disc is neon red its so hot and smoking, and the driver side rear brake pad is literally on fire, smoking and on fire. i sit and let them cool down for a little and they seem fine now, a little squeak which i will have the dealer check it all out, but is this a common problem, safety recall, etc?

 

[SoonerLS]

No, it's not a common problem at all. The electronic parking brake automatically releases when you shift through reverse, but it should also automatically release when you start driving even if you don't shift through reverse (eg, if you shift to N, set the brake, then shift back to D5).

The fact that the light was off indicates that the car thought it had released the brakes; if everything had been functioning correctly and you had tried to drive with the brakes on, it would have beeped at you, and the Message Center would have shown a message about the parking brake being engaged. (AFAIK, the praking brake message cannot be cleared as long as the e-brake is engaged.)

What, exactly, it is, I don't know, but something didn't work correctly.

 

[ToddG]

I've not heard about any problems with the electronic parking brake. That system has been used on the LS since 2003 and on several Jaguars without any problems that I'm aware of. In my 2003 and 2006 LSes, the electronic parking brake has worked fine.

For your issue, it may not be the parking brake, but instead a stuck caliper. Stuck calipers have been reported here and elsewhere, and are more common than electronic parking brake problems. I would have the dealer check both the e-brake system and the calipers.

 

[Fla02LS]

Alright so I always put on the parking brake, its habit now so I always put it on on my LS. When you put the car into gear its supposed to go off right? That how its always been for me. So i put the car in gear the parking brake light goes off (i always make sure it does before i go) and start driving to the store and the car feels funny like it wont shift out of a lower gear, i try powering through it for about 2 miles (stupid me) then i decide to pull over. i get out and check the passenger side first and the rear disc is neon red its so hot and smoking, and the driver side rear brake pad is literally on fire, smoking and on fire. i sit and let them cool down for a little and they seem fine now, a little squeak which i will have the dealer check it all out, but is this a common problem, safety recall, etc?

I know that its "supposed" to turn off when you shift into gear, but why not just do it the right way and put your foot on the brake and push the lever?

 

[SoonerLS]

I know that its "supposed" to turn off when you shift into gear, but why not just do it the right way and put your foot on the brake and push the lever?

Because shifting through reverse is also "the right way."

All the indicators showed that the brake was released, so how, exactly, would pushing another another button have helped?

 

[Boomhower]

I have an '02 and have not looked at an '03 ^. How does this electronic parking brake work? Is it a button you push or do you still push or pull the brake manually?

 

[SoonerLS]

I posted a picture of it in another thread (about a center console, IIRC) not too long ago if you want to see what the switch looks like. To engage the brake, you lift up on the e-brake switch. To disengage, you either shift out of Park or step on the brake and push down on on the switch.

If you're going over ~5mph when you pull up on the switch, a warning sounds. If you hold it up, it will engage the brake; if you don't hold it up, it won't.

 

[ToddG]

I have an '02 and have not looked at an '03 ^. How does this electronic parking brake work? Is it a button you push or do you still push or pull the brake manually?

The 00-02 mechanical handbrake that takes up a good portion of the center console is replaced with an electronic toggle switch that actuates the brake for you. The cheesey plastic handbrake of the 00-02 cars is a feature I really despised, so I'm glad my car has the electronic brake.

The switch is connected to software that runs the parking brake. Pull up about 1/4 inch and the brake engages; push down about 1/4 inch and the brake releases. The software is intelligent so it prevents morons (like the under 25 crowd here) from engaging the brake under certain conditions.

 

[Boomhower]

I posted a picture of it in another thread (about a center console, IIRC) not too long ago if you want to see what the switch looks like.

Found it. That's kinda what I had pictured in my mind. Put's me in the mind of how Jeep engages there 4 wheel drive system on the '06 Grand Cherokee's.

http://www.jeep.com/en/grand_cherokee/photos.html

The software is intelligent so it prevents morons (like the under 25 crowd here) from engaging the brake under certain conditions.

No need for profiling. I'm one of those who are under 25 here, but am certainly not a moron that would pull the e-brake while driving (IMHO) one of the most gorgeous cars on the road today. Not to mention the hard earned money that I am putting into my car.

 

[beaups]

The 00-02 mechanical handbrake that takes up a good portion of the center console is replaced with an electronic toggle switch that actuates the brake for you. The cheesey plastic handbrake of the 00-02 cars is a feature I really despised, so I'm glad my car has the electronic brake.

The switch is connected to software that runs the parking brake. Pull up about 1/4 inch and the brake engages; push down about 1/4 inch and the brake releases. The software is intelligent so it prevents morons (like the under 25 crowd here) from engaging the brake under certain conditions.

remember, we have real wheel drive here. really don't need the handbrake to invoke a loose rear end. we have the gas pedal.

my handbrake was indispensable driving my fwd in the winter. being fwd you couldn't turn in the snow so you just gave a little turn and quickly hit the handbrake.

with enough practice you could park your car with it....lots of fun....even for people like me in the "over 25" crowd

 

[SoonerLS]

The electronic parking brake is a neat idea, but I'd rather have a brake lever like the Mustang has. I mean, how are you supposed to pull off a bootlegger turn with a switch?

 

[glanga]

thanks for the feedback, but if it was the calipers is it normal that both back ones stuck at the same time? it hasnt had any problems since and im weary to take it to the dealer as weve had a falling out

 

[beaups]

Both calipers going bad @ same time would be rare, but not impossible. could be abs controller or even some other part of the hydraulic braking system that controls front/rear braking distribution. You really should get it looked at, could be all sorts of different things.

 

[scjmc]

The software is intelligent so it prevents morons (like the under 25 crowd here) from engaging the brake under certain conditions.

It looks like we got ourselves a comedian.

 

[fuzzyb]

Alright so I always put on the parking brake, its habit now so I always put it on on my LS. When you put the car into gear its supposed to go off right? That how its always been for me. So i put the car in gear the parking brake light goes off (i always make sure it does before i go) and start driving to the store and the car feels funny like it wont shift out of a lower gear, i try powering through it for about 2 miles (stupid me) then i decide to pull over. i get out and check the passenger side first and the rear disc is neon red its so hot and smoking, and the driver side rear brake pad is literally on fire, smoking and on fire. i sit and let them cool down for a little and they seem fine now, a little squeak which i will have the dealer check it all out, but is this a common problem, safety recall, etc?

Same dam thing happened to my 03 today. I have only owned the car for 22 hours. I just started driving & noticed it about 2 miles from my house. The car drove fine but when you were not on the gas it slowed down pretty quickly. Luckily my destination was close & the wife noticed smoke coming from the rear of the car at a stop light (about 4 miles of driving on highway).
Rear passenger rotor was dam hot but but not red. Rear driver was was normal.
I messed with the parking brake
I drove about 15 more miles hitting the brakes hard at stops, with no more problems (didn't touch the parking brake again).

 

[MFLSJHS]

i had a 2006 ls . that power brake is a great idea to look at untill it locks when ur at highway speed on a wet road just after it starts raining and the road is slippery than its a real good idea ... i will never own another lincoln product or vehicle with a power parking brake proud to say i switch to a 07 Cadillac CTS Sport

 

[cammerfe]

You Still Here?

i had a 2006 ls . that power brake is a great idea to look at untill it locks when ur at highway speed on a wet road just after it starts raining and the road is slippery than its a real good idea ... i will never own another lincoln product or vehicle with a power parking brake proud to say i switch to a 07 Cadillac CTS Sport

And on another note,I don't much pay attention to the brake handle on my '02. It mostly serves as the (temporary---several years now) mount for the spray head for my mandatory fire suppression system. One of the things on my list is a neat little aluminum bracket with no sharp edges that can be riveted into the side of the console in such a way as to hold the end of the hose from the suppression canister and not be in the way of the brake handle.

KS

 

[joegr]

i had a 2006 ls . that power brake is a great idea to look at untill it locks when ur at highway speed on a wet road just after it starts raining and the road is slippery than its a real good idea ... i will never own another lincoln product or vehicle with a power parking brake proud to say i switch to a 07 Cadillac CTS Sport

It's very hard to picture the parking brake applying on its own. How is it that you are certain that it was the parking brake, instead of an ABS malfunction related to the traction control? That seems more likely, unless you just hit the gas pedal and lost it.

 

[MFLSJHS]

The computer shorted out. Car was in dealer a week before for electrical problems and had the locking brake issue before thankfully that was only in my driveway

 

[Lincolntech]

The elctronic parking brake still uses cables just like the manual parking brakes so I think one or more of the cables are rusted and stuck. Since the brake was probably never used or rarely used would contribute to this. Also the software has no sensor to check tension so it would not know the brakes were locked.