when i release the parking brake and start driving after a few yards the dash lights up (red) the steering goes stiff and headlights flash !!!! its saying release the parking brake, its NOT a faulty switch on the parking brake lever, its been continuity checked and also bypassed to rule it out, is their another sensor on or round the rear brakes ? 2012 C class C204. can't find any info anywhere !!!!
parking brake issue
- Thread starter tony gee
- Start date
SpikyMikey
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,229
- Location
- The Sunny South Coast
- Car
- BMW F31 330i LCI M Sport Shadow Edition AMG Black Series Touring
When I had my 204, on the odd occasion I forgot to release the parking brake, I just got a visual warning on the dash and an audible tone; no headlight flashing or stiff steering.
Your 204 appears to have a few gremlins
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
yes it has mate !!!! all the issues can be traced back to an electrical fault, the problem is finding it ? hopefully the garage near me will find the problem but will have to put up with it till then. it could be just a simple dodgy wire somewhere.When I had my 204, on the odd occasion I forgot to release the parking brake, I just got a visual warning on the dash and an audible tone; no headlight flashing or stiff steering.
Your 204 appears to have a few gremlins
SpikyMikey
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2020
- Messages
- 9,229
- Location
- The Sunny South Coast
- Car
- BMW F31 330i LCI M Sport Shadow Edition AMG Black Series Touring
Hope you get it sorted; it's a great looking car - if just a tad irritating at the moment
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
i hope so mate, it is a really nice car and don't really want to let it go if i can help it, but the seller give me 30 days to return it.Hope you get it sorted; it's a great looking car - if just a tad irritating at the moment
basie
New Member
The same with my 2013 C180 . Just had it checked at auto electrician they tell me its a mechanicl problem.
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
check the voltage on the small battery in the boot, its the size of a motorcycle battery, it should show 12.6V at least, any less then its flat. you can try charging it and see if the fault goes but if its not holding the charge then it'll need replacing.
RichardF
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2013
- Messages
- 694
- Car
- Sl 320
I don't know if applicable to this model but I sorted the annoying 'non-release' for my CLK parking brake.
Lubricated the return spring under the dash + adjusted the cable and lube the brake compensator (remove rear seat base and hatch)
Lubricated the return spring under the dash + adjusted the cable and lube the brake compensator (remove rear seat base and hatch)
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
my issue had nothing to do with the parking brake operation as that was working perfectly, it was a low voltage in the rear battery that can cause all sorts of weird electrical problems.
basie
New Member
just replaced the aux battery in boot which was reading 10.7 v. Every thing is now fine.
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
a quick and easy fix, and thanks for letting us all know, a lot of people don't bother
Do you have an OBD code reader ? The better ones like the iCarsoft tend to cost around £100 , but you can get an inexpensive one for about a tenner that links to a free app you can install on your phone . The better ones tend to find codes the cheaper ones can miss , and they will go into quite a lot of detail , even in the MB specific ones listing part numbers ; but when I had my 203 , even the cheap one was quite useful and could temporarily reset fault codes for things like swirl flaps . Otherwise take it to someone who has a proper code reader .
This may better point you to an elusive fault that may be linked to something else ...
When that used to occasionally happen to me , I just put my left foot under the parking brake lever and pulled it fully up , then when I was finished for the day , I'd give the brake a pasting ; appyling fully and releasing it again and again until it freed up , was usually good for a while .
Edit , just read to the end and saw it was the battery . I'm pretty sure even the cheap OBD code reader would have detected low battery voltage , so if you have one of the newer cars , it is well worth a tenner to keep it in your glove box .
The one I had was a tenner , but you can now get these cheap ones for £1 , yes , one pound ! The app is free on iOS app store and I'm sure also for Android .
Bluetooth Diagnostic Car Code Reader Engine Scanner Tool Fault ELM327 OBD2 OBDII | eBay
Eonon V0056 OBD2 Scanner Bluetooth Car Code Reader & Scan Tools Fixd Car Diagnostic Tool OBD II Scanner Turn Your Phone into a Professional and Powerfull Car Diagnostic Tool !!! .
www.ebay.co.uk
There are a few of these around , so shop around , I think this , the ELM 327 is the one I had .
Last edited:
OP
OP
tony gee
Active Member
yep I do have a good code reader.Do you have an OBD code reader ? The better ones like the iCarsoft tend to cost around £100 , but you can get an inexpensive one for about a tenner that links to a free app you can install on your phone . The better ones tend to find codes the cheaper ones can miss , and they will go into quite a lot of detail , even in the MB specific ones listing part numbers ; but when I had my 203 , even the cheap one was quite useful and could temporarily reset fault codes for things like swirl flaps . Otherwise take it to someone who has a proper code reader .
This may better point you to an elusive fault that may be linked to something else ...
When that used to occasionally happen to me , I just put my left foot under the parking brake lever and pulled it fully up , then when I was finished for the day , I'd give the brake a pasting ; appyling fully and releasing it again and again until it freed up , was usually good for a while .
Edit , just read to the end and saw it was the battery . I'm pretty sure even the cheap OBD code reader would have detected low battery voltage , so if you have one of the newer cars , it is well worth a tenner to keep it in your glove box .
The one I had was a tenner , but you can now get these cheap ones for £1 , yes , one pound ! The app is free on iOS app store and I'm sure also for Android .
Bluetooth Diagnostic Car Code Reader Engine Scanner Tool Fault ELM327 OBD2 OBDII | eBay
Eonon V0056 OBD2 Scanner Bluetooth Car Code Reader & Scan Tools Fixd Car Diagnostic Tool OBD II Scanner Turn Your Phone into a Professional and Powerfull Car Diagnostic Tool !!! .www.ebay.co.uk
There are a few of these around , so shop around , I think this , the ELM 327 is the one I had .
