Most new vehicles today are made with electric parking brakes. The days of having a lever by your side to pull up in case of an emergency are gone now that most things in vehicles are electric. While this might seem like a good thing to a lot of people on the surface, the truth is electronic parking brake systems aren’t nearly as reliable. You could experience other issues with electric parking brakes as well, and we’ve explained them here.
You Can’t Rely On Electric Parking Brakes In Emergencies
If you’re in a situation where your brakes fail, you won’t be able to engage the electric parking brake while you’re driving. When you try to use it, chances are it won’t respond at all and you’ll need to rely on your regular brakes instead. Most people do this anyway, but it’s something to keep in mind in case you are in a situation where you would use the parking brake in an emergency.
You Can’t Release The Parking Brake With A Dead Battery
When you engage the electric parking brake to go into the grocery store, shopping mall, or even just parking in your driveway, it’s not going to release if your battery dies. Instead, you’ll have to jump-start the battery to disengage the parking brake, which can sometimes be a hassle. Many times people have to push their vehicle out in an open space so they can connect jumper cables to the battery, but that won’t be possible if you have an electric parking brake engaged.
Special Equipment Is Needed To Repair The Electric Parking Brake
Servicing electronic parking brake systems is a much more complicated process than traditional parking brakes. Your mechanic will need a scan tool to go into the computer system and deactivate the system for the brakes to be repaired. Not doing this critical step can lead to significant damage to the electronic system of the vehicle, which can end up being very expensive.
DeBoer’s Auto wants you to be aware of everything about your vehicle. With so many electronics in vehicles today, it can be challenging for the average person to understand them all. It’s particularly important to know what to do in the event of an emergency and understand that your electric parking brake isn’t reliable in those situations. For more tips and advice about your vehicle, contact us at any time.
