XSeries-forum

Hi All

E70 has a pretty big problem as the electronic parking brake is stuck. Called the recovery and they could not fix it. It has been towed to a garage they recommended as it was either there or dealer. Does anyone have any idea how much the cost will be? Apparently it needs the cables cutting and a new box fitting (whatever that is!). As you can guess I'm not that savvy on cars- just like to drive them!

On another note when it was recovered they only put it on 2 'skates' then dragged it onto trailer. I was'nt there at the time but pretty concerned that will have f'd the diff up. Again, can anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Tom

If you open the booth, lift the cover and you will find a red plastic handle. Open the pocket to the left and you will see a little stud sticking up. Hook on the handle and pull up . You should be good to go again .

Thanks. The recovery chap did this and it didn’t work.

I had this happen to me while on holiday a few weeks ago i tryed the manual reset didnt work i had it recovered and the cables cut to get going.
the replacment box they are talking about is the electronic handbrake actuator simlar to the one below.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-X5-X6-E70-E71-E72-Park-Brake-Module-EPB-hand-brake-Control-Unit-Actuator/391990662055?hash=item5b4476d3a7:g:vp4AAOSwR8habuqs


be careful that the partnumber is the same, the one on my one happens to be hard to get second hand. when i see one of mine on ebay ill grab it.

It will be a £1000 plus if you take it to the garage

km

Thanks. That one is from China unfortunately. Does anyone have an idea of you can get 2nd hand?

Wonder what the seller on ebay was using it for ! Did you notice the sellers name ?

Theres a guy over here who reconditions them.

http://www.adverts.ie/14409950

I had this a few weeks ago and had to have a new one fitted at the dealer (the new unit needs coding apparently so the local independent couldn't do it).  Recovery truck had to use skates to move the car as the parking brake was locked on and the release cable in the boot wouldn't budge it.  The unit under the car had chewed up its gears so wouldn't let go - went with a right old squeal when it failed

Very common problem and it has been noted that even replacements are failing after 18 months or so.  The recommendation is to not use the parking brake. 

Note that "applying" the parking brake when the engine is running etc coming to a halt, and before you open the drivers door or turn off the ignition uses the calipers to hold the car in place.  It's only when you turn the engine off or open the drivers door that it uses the unit under the car to pull on the bowden cables and engage the little drum brakes for the parking brake in the rear wheels.  You can hear it doing it.

Mine was about £1300 all in at the BMW dealer.......I nearly had a heart attack. 
The part alone was £800 and it took them a while to do it as everything was stuck on.

Not sure if having more tooling like a crow bar or a claw hammer and some wood would have helped the release cable in the boot operate as I had no leverage when mine went.  Just a screwdriver through the loop and me pulling up deadlift style, trying to make it let go.  Nowhere near enough force.  There is also a fuse you can pull in the boot fuse box to "reset" the braking control unit and mine almost let go when I did this (pulled the fuse, plugged back in, started the car) but wasn't quite enough.

update:
I also had this done at the dealer in the end but also needed callipers and breaks changed few other things due to the dodgy dealer i got it from. i have had the car less than 6 months and this bill was £2838
the break unit on my bills was £758 and the a switch was £44.00 and they have to code it to the car so not easy to do on your own although there are some you tube videos of how to do it.

This guy on E bay was helpful and does reconditioned units at half price

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/topnotchparts2015

I just changed my parking brake switch, no coding required

[quote="celica"]
I just changed my parking brake switch, no coding required
[/quote]You don't need to code for the switch but you do for the actuator unit under the car that applies the parking brake.

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Thanks to all for contributions. This is still ongoing- I managed to find an eBay seller who reconditions for £200 (you send them your unit). This has already risen to £290 as cables needed replacing PLUS I am now awaiting a call from them as apparently it still does not work so they may have to fit more parts (it's been there a week on a so called 24hr turnaround). All in all a bit of a mare.

The car is my wife's and is actually our 3rd car so really not keen for this to happen again. How do I 'not use' the parking break as I assumed it just comes on automatically? Car is an auto so doesn't really need the brake anyway one would think. I certainly never use on my F30 3 series which has a hand parking brake (which is worse than useless anyway). Plus I live in Cambs so no exactly hilly around here!

[quote="Slipperyshoe"]
Thanks to all for contributions. This is still ongoing- I managed to find an eBay seller who reconditions for £200 (you send them your unit). This has already risen to £290 as cables needed replacing PLUS I am now awaiting a call from them as apparently it still does not work so they may have to fit more parts (it's been there a week on a so called 24hr turnaround). All in all a bit of a mare.

The car is my wife's and is actually our 3rd car so really not keen for this to happen again. How do I 'not use' the parking break as I assumed it just comes on automatically? Car is an auto so doesn't really need the brake anyway one would think. I certainly never use on my F30 3 series which has a hand parking brake (which is worse than useless anyway). Plus I live in Cambs so no exactly hilly around here!
[/quote]Just put the transmission in park and it'll lock up stopping the car from moving. It does allow a smidgen of movement if you're on a slope etc (so be careful if you're really close to say a car in front or something) but loads of people I know with these kinds of autos (BMW owners with the 8 speeder) just do that. They never use the parking brake anyway and that's not even trying to avoid breaking it.

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I seem to remember reading somewhere that extra stress maybe put on the actuator mechanism if the rear parking brake shoes were out of adjustment.
This is maybe why replacement actuators are failing again.
Just a thought , not a proven theory.

Prior to mine failing big time, thus requiring complicated recovery (hard to tow a car with the parking brake locked on - needed skates), it was making a grinding noise now and then when the parking brake came on.  So when you first pull the button, with the engine running etc, it applies the rear calipers using the normal brake system (hydraulics via servo) but then when you open the door to get out, or turn the ignition off that's when the actuator kicks in and pulls the cables to apply the mini drum brake setup. 

I was there checking door hinges and all sorts thinking the grinding noise was those as it always happened whilst the engine was running and I opened the door to get out.  Little did I know this was the actuator under the car on its last legs.  Then when it imploded (6pm on a Sunday evening in a Malton car park, 40 miles from home), it was that same noise x1000, with extra squealing thrown in for good measure.

With regards to the adjustment - are we talking the same as with smaller cars?  My E91 had like a little toothed ring that you turned with a flatty screwdriver with the rear wheel off in order to adjust the parking brake on that side.  Other than that, there was no other adjustment you could make....