Electric parking brake - and future brake jobs

[Hopeless Diamond]

I'm sure it's a long ways off for people (especially us vin-less ones), but is anyone familiar with releasing the parking brake actuator at the caliper to change rear pads? Had tried to change the pads on my wife's old Tiguan, also with electric parking brake, and basically it was controlled by the BCM (or one of the other modules) and you were supposed to have a dealer do them as they need to access the module to back the parking brake motor out. I did find a work around where you just unplug the motor and apply 12v to it (had to swap +/- to get it to go the right direction). First time I ever needed a battery to do brakes, but that's the price of progress right?

Curious if there's gonna be a simple way around, or just do the hack?

Sponsored

 

[Rahkmalla]

i imagine it's no different than changing the rear pads on my k900. there is probably a way to disable the parking brake as you shut the vehicle down. probably after turning off, going back into accessory power and pressing the parking brake again (maybe holding it)

 

[bigblueboing]

From experience I know you had to use vag com for vws to release the parking brake to do a brake replacement. I’m thinking forscan can probably do the same thing.

 

[Biscuit]

If you set up the vehicle for flat tow, that would keep the parking brake off.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

As the pads wear, the parking brake motor keeps adjusting in to compensate. When you change pads, you have to back it out in order to get the new thicker pads to fit., just like compressing the main caliper (or needing to wind back the caliper).

Not sure Forscan would touch the brake system, but maybe. I see scan tools that can make the changes for Audi/VW systems, probably something for Ford at some point.

 

[Exomodo]

I assisted a '17 F150 owner do his rear pads, the piston has three indents that a special socket engages and you turn the piston back into the original depth before replacing the pads so it fits over the rotor.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

Can't believe they use the operational brakes for parking. Most rear discs I have ever run across have internal pads and you never see them until you pull the rotor. This may be different but the whole idea of "parking" brakes is it is the "emergency" brake system and has separate controls, whether mechanical or electronic. And rarely does a brake job have to include rotor swap initially. I have gone two or more pad swaps without having to even worry about milling the rotors - they are made of better Chinese steel than they used to, lol

Sponsored