E-Brake (Parking Brake) Not Engaging (sometimes)

[Dxm]

Several times, when I park my manual trans. Mustang, and I pull on the parking brake tab, the brake does not engage. It blinks "Parking Brake not applied". Pulling on the tab does nothing. It starts to work when I turn the car off, then on.

It's happened a few times in the past, and now it happened twice in the span of a week.

Am I not doing something? And I find this automatic parking brake really annoying. I'm always paranoid that it did not engage properly. The old-school parking brake was so easy to use. There should just be a way for it to always engage if you turn the engine off on manual transmissions. There is a way to automatically engage it, but only if you enable "auto hold".

Overall, they solved a problem that didn't need to be solved. Any help would be appreciated. thanks!

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[Alan Applegate]

You bring up an issue (or two) about the "e-brake". If indeed the "e" stands for emergency brake (rather then "e" as in electronic), then what happens if you apply it at say 10 mph. The answer is, it will not apply! At about 7 ish or below, it will apply. Not what I'd call an emergency brake!

Sort of an antidote... Some years ago, Automobile magazine ask a GM engineer a simple question: What automobile feature should have never been used? His reply, the Park position on automatic equipped vehicles. Thinking about his answer a bit, I think he was right. Far too many folks use the Park position alone, rather than also using the parking (emergency?) brake. About 50 people a year lose their (or someone else's) life as a result whatever the cause. I'm not so sure the e-brake is the answer regardless of transmission!

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I always get it backwards, but I believe you have to push the tab to apply the brake, and pull it to release.

 

[Dxm]

Um, I know how to engage it it just does not engage sometimes.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Um, I know how to engage it it just does not engage sometimes.

Gotcha. Sounds like maybe you need to take it in then. I have not had issues with mine.

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