Electronic Parking Brake, Should It Auto Release?

[merrycherry]

Hi everybody

I've just bought a 60 plate 2.0 D4-D T4 estate and wondered if the electronic parking brake should auto release when I pull away? Mine does not.

I asked my local Toyota dealer who told me it should release but if there is no warning light on my dash then it's working properly which totally confused me. They mentioned something about the car being adaptive and the previous owner might have released the brake manually and that's the reason it won't auto release. This to me sounds like a load of rubbish.

I would much appreciate your advice.

Thanks

[Airfan]

It does not auto release. Mine is brand new.

[mintalkin]

on the auto box it will not release due to safty reasons, my car is a 59 plate manual box and that will auto release even if you manually release it several times it will still auto release when you need it to,never come across a handbrake that can learn, i know cars are getting clever but come on!!

[Mike169]

Hi David

I can see where you are coming from........a friend of mine had a very posh Rover, a 60k type of car, it had an electric handbrake with auto release as you tickled the throttle, auto box of course, but it is the only car i have ever known with the system fitted.

Regards Mike169

[merrycherry]

Thanks for your reply mintalkin, the garage I bought it from are trying to feed me a load of rubbish saying it might not be a feature on my model when it's quite clear in the manual it should auto release with no specific models excluded (unless it's an automatic box)

Thanks again.

[mcorban]

Mine auto releases when i pull away in gear. That said, i tend not to do it, as some have failed (why i do not know), and the cost of replacement outside of warranty is circa €1300

[merrycherry]

Have had it confirmed from a second Toyota dealer that it should release.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

[mcorban]

Sounds like a warranty job to me

[Heidfirst]

yup, if you just bought it from a Mr. T it should be under warranty of some kind (if it was registered after June 2010 it will have come with a 5-year original manufacturers warranty, prior to that original warranty was 3 years).

[merrycherry]

It's going back to the garage where I bought it

[alan333]

I had a 59 plate 2.0d TR and it had the auto release. To get it to work you need to lift your foot off the clutch a bit AND press the accelerator a bit. It won't release if you don't do both.

[merrycherry]

Yes Alan, works just like my old Passat, well should do anyway.

[thwandy]

I had this problem with my new 61 plate manual Avensis Spirit and it took some time to get it rectified under warrantee by RRG Macclesfield.

Firstly the torque setting for it to release can be set by a dealer using a lap top. Secondly the earlier torque sensing units were susceptible to failure due to water ingress. A modified unit was fitted under warrantee (would be expensive if not under warrantee)

finally after both these fixes failed to rectify the problem a sensor on the clutch peddle was found to be faulty and since that has been replaced I have had no problem.

In the meantime just lifting the setting switch releases the brake.

[merrycherry]

Thanks for your reply thwandy, the dealer is taking it back to investigate, I'll give them your advice if they have problems.

If the release switch wasn't in such a ridiculous location this wouldn't have been such a problem.

[RK123456]

Yes it should auto release, but I wouldn't recommend driving it relying on it to auto release as it leads to premature clutch wear, the engine is pulling against the parking brake through the clutch..

My last Avensis 2009 D4D tourer, I always let it auto release.

The result, a parking brake actuator failed at 60k miles and the clutch needed replacing at 72k miles.

[merrycherry]

Obviously not as reliable as my old Passat, 126000 miles and never had a new clutch and always used the auto release.