Electronic Handbrake failing to disengage

[First Ever Audi]

Morning everyone. Looking for some guidance on a minor issue i'm having with the Electronic Handbrake. The system has been working perfectly well up to now, each time it disengages no problem when driving off, providing you have enough revs....but, when driving off from a level road, it refuses point blank to let go...and i end up having to disengage manually which isn't really a problem, just an inconvenience and embarrassment looking like a kangaroo! Hasn't yet done this on a hill start

Anyone else had the same ?

 

[Gazzz]

Stupid question, but you do have your seatbelt on?

 

[BigD289]

No but I found out (the hard way) the handbrake doesn't automatically disengage on gravel roads!

 

[mjcourtney]

As said above, make sure your seat belt is on and the drivers door is shut. Either of those two will prevent the handbrake from auto-releasing.

How would it know you're on a gravel road?

 

[BigD289]

How would it know you're on a gravel road?

It wouldn't - I think there wasn't enough friction to turn the rear wheels to release the handbrake. The car just ends up dragging its rear! The same happens when parked on grass, you have to manually disengage.

 

[mjcourtney]

Aha, yes that makes sense! Bet that flung up some stones!

 

[Schizophonic]

When you start the car for the first time (in the morning for examples) you have to manually release the electronic break. After that carry on your normal driving and the e-brake will disengage automatically when setting off.

 

[dieseldoug]

As I have the Q5 and the A3 both handbrakes release different from each car, the Q releases just as you are moving off with o drag, the A3 needs the revs and slight torque even on flat roads.
Make sure your still giving it what you would normally do on hills revs and clutch bite, as the others have suggested seatbelt and door closed.

 

[First Ever Audi]

seatbelt was on and door closed.......not happening all the time, maybe every 3rd application

 

[mjcourtney]

When you start the car for the first time (in the morning for examples) you have to manually release the electronic break. After that carry on your normal driving and the e-brake will disengage automatically when setting off.

Not the case in mine, it disengages first time and every time. The only time I have to manually disengage it is when I'm maneuvering without the seat belt on.

 

[WingoWango]

Mine works as above, the only restrictions are seatbelt and door.

 

[mjcourtney]

seatbelt was on and door closed.......not happening all the time, maybe every 3rd application

Try a few more revs when lifting the clutch, sometimes it does hold on longer than you anticipate. I believe the sensitivity of the release point can be adjusted in VCDS, so could be worth speaking with your dealer.

 

[TonyH38]

same as stated above no problem handbrake disengages when pulling away

 

[JossyB]

Took me 10 mins to reverse out the garage when I first got my car. Didn't have a scooby doo how to release the handbrake !

Note to self - always read the instructions first !!!

 

[frazzeld]

I've noticed on slight gradients it has more grip and that it requires a little more of the revs or sometimes a push of the button....I dont seem to have any issues on the flat

 

[AJB]

When you start the car for the first time (in the morning for examples) you have to manually release the electronic break. After that carry on your normal driving and the e-brake will disengage automatically when setting off.

I got mine on Sunday, and found that this morning... But every other time it has disengaged automatically, including yesterday morning as far as I remember...

When I put it into the garage yesterday evening without my seatbelt on I had to disengage manually, but I'm sure I've read that that is normal without the seatbelt done up.

I've no idea what was different this morning though... I would have started with the clutch down like normal, and probably hadn't touched the brake pedal, but I would think that would have been the same yesterday... Just wondering if anyone knew the rules? I can't remember if I did my seatbelt up before or after pressing the clutch and starting the engine - maybe after. I'm sure I'll figure it out over the next few days though!

In general the electric handbrake seems really good and just does what I want. I was worried it would be really annoying but I actually like it, especially combined with the fact that it holds the footbrake on for a couple of seconds, so I don't need to use the handbrake at all going from reverse to first coming out of our drive onto a slight slope.

 

[cemerson]

Shouldn't matter which order you put the seatbelt on and start the engine, as long as both are done when you try and pull away. It's always worked for me so far.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Are people concerned at all about wearing the clutch more on auto-disengage?

 

[cemerson]

No - should be less really, as the computer can promptly disengage when you hit the bite point, whereas a human doing it would take a lot longer

 

[Schizophonic]

Are people concerned at all about wearing the clutch more on auto-disengage?

Well I had that in the back of mind. When I pulled up to a set of lights and put the handbrake on, the light would be then set to go soon after. So it's like I'm putting uneasily pressure to the whole system. Am I better just holding my brakes at the lights for those quick stops?

 

[jet_andy]

Well I had that in the back of mind. When I pulled up to a set of lights and put the handbrake on, the light would be then set to go soon after. So it's like I'm putting uneasily pressure to the whole system. Am I better just holding my brakes at the lights for those quick stops?

Why would you use the handbrake at the lights when pressing and releasing the foot brake will hold you anyway?

 

[Vertigo1]

I'm so used to it that the 8P loaner I had yesterday drove me bonkers - kept trying to drive off with the handbrake on

 

[Ruthus_1]

The handbrake is sooo irritating! IMO obviously and embarassing when it won't release and states I have to press break pedal and release parking break! Mine does it randomly it appears! Always when engine has been off and first setting off but then other times just goes off automatically when first setting off!

 

[cemerson]

I've never had an issue with it - apparently if you take it to Audi they can adjust the sensitivity of it so it comes off quicker, might be worth trying

 

[AJB]

Having read on here about having to accelerate harder, and having had a quick play with the car, I think that was my first thing in the morning handbrake issue. When I reverse slowly out of the garage, I hardly touch the accelerator. If you bring up the clutch without accelerating at all, the handbrake doesn't release. Accelerate even slightly and it does.

 

[constvoid]

Do you have your seal belt on when you reverse out of the garage? If not, the parking brake will not disengage automatically. As I don't have a self closing garage door, I leave my belt off ultil I get back in the car, having closed the door. This means I have to manually disengage the brake to reverse out.

 

[cemerson]

Bit of a pain, especially since you don't legally need your belt on when reversing

 

[AJB]

Do you have your seal belt on when you reverse out of the garage? If not, the parking brake will not disengage automatically. As I don't have a self closing garage door, I leave my belt off ultil I get back in the car, having closed the door. This means I have to manually disengage the brake to reverse out.

Yes, seatbelt on. I'm fortunate in that my garage door does close electrically! I think my issue was just not pressing the accelerator enough, or not pressing it at all.

 

[mjcourtney]

I was watching motorway cops (or whatever it's called) on BBC last night, and they showed a brand new Range Rover Evoque which had broken down in the fast lane of the motorway. The driver (rightly or wrongly) hadn't managed to change lanes before it ground to a halt.

What was interesting was when the police turned up to assist, they immediately set about trying to tow it out of the fast lane.... except the car had an electronic handbrake which had jammed on. Not only this, but from what I could tell they were able to release the handbrake momentarily, before each time it would re-engage. They were cursing it a lot!!

In the end a tow truck arrived and winched the car straight up on the back with the handbrake still engaged, and the car dragging its wheels along the road like a dog with an itchy bum.

It looked like the car had some catastrophic electronics failure, but I was amazed that the car would keep re-engaging the handbrake after it had been manually disengaged - and it got me wondering - do you think Hill Hold Assist would do this in the same circumstances?

Must be a right PITA for traffic police with all these electronic controls!

The final words from the driver were along the lines of "Land Rover will be hearing about this very shortly".... yeah - not surprised!!

 

[Cumbrian_bob]

I saw that program with the police trying to help the stranded Range Rover Driver. Your right mjcourtney, these new features will make life much more difficult in that type of situation.

My old A5 had the electronic brake, although a little older so possibly a slightly different setup to the new A3. But I am pretty sure you could switch it off manually even with the seatbelt off. I seem to remember it was press down the foot brake and press and hold the button down for several seconds. Im convinced this would work with belt on or off, but its a few years ago and my memory isnt perfect for those little details.

I do remember reading about how clever the electric brake is though, it knows when your on a hill and steepness of the hill and calculates the amount of power needed on the car to allow it to set of so it gaurentees you dont roll back, so when the car it facing down a hill or on a good flat road then it will hardly need any power to relaease the brake.

These was also something about it learning the disc wear, so it is able to always able to apply the best amount of braking force needed, none of the old manual type braking a little earlier or harder as the brakes are a bit thinner, or adjusting the handbrake cable as it all gets a bit slack.

This new technology brings really big improvements and safety to motoring, but when the technology is against you, you're in trouble. Ask any driver of a runaway Toyota Prius

 

[cemerson]

"Ask any driver of a runaway Toyota Prius"

That actually turned out to be a non-problem in the vast majority of cases, and people misappying the pedals was the commonest cause by far. There were a couple of instances of the pedal being caught in the carpet, the recall was to make the pedal slightly shorter, but it was user error in the vast majority of cases.

The A3 handbrake will disengage with the seatbelt off if you are pressing the brake pedal - no need to hold for a couple of seconds, just press once.