'Parking brake failure' - Car (no longer) stranded. **updated**

[Pinewood]

[quote="jaynana"]
There are usability advantages - like auto release on drive off, auto apply on P.. 

Certainly can't do handbrake turns though [emoji13]

Hope I won't have a lock-up situation [emoji33]


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[/quote]
I keep wondering if i will wear out the handbrake quicker if i use the "auto H" function all the time. It certainly makes a difference in Central London traffic [emoji19]

[jaynana]

It works by holding the hydrologic brakes not the hand brake.

When you switch the ignition off it switches to the hand brake - can hear the motor winching in the cable... With windows down.




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[X5Sport]

As above, Auto Hold keeps the foot brake on - hence the brake lights also being on - not the handbrake.

[TomX5]

I think I might have the same problem here. I haven't had my car long, only purchased in January this year. However, having looked at my paperwork I can see that BMW had replaced the "handbrake control unit and actuator assembly along with air Spring" back in May last year. The car has only done 4K miles since then; do these really have a short life?

[X5Sport]

Failures are still rare.  Only a very few on here have needed replacing over the years.

[TomX5]

I suspect that the actuator may be OK. Having read other forums, it appears that there could be an issue with software that can cause this failure with a software update being the fix.
Has anybody heard of this?