2011 Audi A6 Parking Brake Warning

[RiftCygnus]

Hey all. So i wanted to throw out an issue that I noticed since i bought my Audi recently.
So i bought this from a small local dealer. Took it to an independent shop to check out and looks like it had a Parking Brake Warning/Malfunction light on it after they took it for some drives and checked it. The dealer replaced all the brakes on the car and said that they "fixed" or adjusted it or something and the warning went away.

I haven't tested the parking brake, but it's not dragging or making any weird noises, so that's good news at least. However, it just came back on after about 4 months of having the car and driving it around.
I put my bluedriver odb2 scan tool on it and found a couple codes that look like they're related, and i've only done a little bit of preliminary research into them. I'm going to attach the photo below in a link, but the codes seem to point to a communication error, which sounds like it may be something with the wiring going to the parking brake assembly itself.

I found a website describing a similar issue here: https://www.fluidmotorunion.com/parking-brake-malfunction/ Seems kind of similar, but i'm looking for some input on if anybody has heard of this issue on the forums or had it personally.

Does this seem like more of a wiring issue? Is that website correct if that's the case? And does anybody have the process on how to narrow down or troubleshoot exactly what it is?
https://imgur.com/a/C8Gy00S

[Steve Q]

You've done a great amount of diagnostic work 👍 might be worth considering the switch (I'm assuming nits electronic parking brake) or have an auto electrican to take a look at the wiring. 

[Stevey Y]

On 9/1/2022 at 4:15 PM, RiftCygnus said:

Hey all. So i wanted to throw out an issue that I noticed since i bought my Audi recently.
So i bought this from a small local dealer. Took it to an independent shop to check out and looks like it had a Parking Brake Warning/Malfunction light on it after they took it for some drives and checked it. The dealer replaced all the brakes on the car and said that they "fixed" or adjusted it or something and the warning went away.

I haven't tested the parking brake, but it's not dragging or making any weird noises, so that's good news at least. However, it just came back on after about 4 months of having the car and driving it around.
I put my bluedriver odb2 scan tool on it and found a couple codes that look like they're related, and i've only done a little bit of preliminary research into them. I'm going to attach the photo below in a link, but the codes seem to point to a communication error, which sounds like it may be something with the wiring going to the parking brake assembly itself.

I found a website describing a similar issue here: https://www.fluidmotorunion.com/parking-brake-malfunction/ Seems kind of similar, but i'm looking for some input on if anybody has heard of this issue on the forums or had it personally.

Does this seem like more of a wiring issue? Is that website correct if that's the case? And does anybody have the process on how to narrow down or troubleshoot exactly what it is?
https://imgur.com/a/C8Gy00S

Hi clear the codes first before diving in to the wiring, could just be corroded connectors on the rear calipers.

Steve.

[RiftCygnus]

1 minute ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi clear the codes first before diving in to the wiring, could just be corroded connectors on the rear calipers.

Steve.

I actually cleared all the codes about 1 month after I received the car. So it's had about 3 months or more to run and gather codes since then, which i'm assuming means these ones are still legitimate.

 

13 hours ago, Steve Q said:

You've done a great amount of diagnostic work 👍 might be worth considering the switch (I'm assuming nits electronic parking brake) or have an auto electrican to take a look at the wiring. 

What do you mean by the "switch"? I was only aware there was the electronic parking brake motor, a cable connecting it to the EPB control module, and the module itself?

[Stevey Y]

1 minute ago, RiftCygnus said:

I actually cleared all the codes about 1 month after I received the car. So it's had about 3 months or more to run and gather codes since then, which i'm assuming means these ones are still legitimate.

 

What do you mean by the "switch"? I was only aware there was the electronic parking brake motor, a cable connecting it to the EPB control module, and the module itself?

Hi there should be a switch on the centre console it should have P stamped on it, if you can publish the codes that would help a lot.

Steve.

[RiftCygnus]

2 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi there should be a switch on the centre console it should have P stamped on it, if you can publish the codes that would help a lot.

Steve.

So are you asking me to press the parking brake switch and scan for any codes again?
I did catalogue both of the e-brake related codes in this picture: https://imgur.com/a/C8Gy00S
These were the only related ones i saw.

[Stevey Y]

23 hours ago, RiftCygnus said:

So are you asking me to press the parking brake switch and scan for any codes again?
I did catalogue both of the e-brake related codes in this picture: https://imgur.com/a/C8Gy00S
These were the only related ones i saw.

Hi there is a calibration process for the brake switch you can find it on youtube, I can't open the link you gave as it won't let me in as refused to give consent for their data poaching activities so if you could actually publish the codes that would help.

Steve.

[RiftCygnus]

11 minutes ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi there is a calibration process for the brake switch you can find it on youtube, I can't open the link you gave as it won't let me in as refused to give consent for their data poaching activities so if you could actually publish the codes that would help.

Steve.

Ok, so the codes are these:

1. Control Module for Elect. Park/Hand Brake (J540): No Signal/Communication
2. Supply Voltage for Right Parking Brake Motor (V283): Electrical Fault in Circuit

[Stevey Y]

18 minutes ago, RiftCygnus said:

Ok, so the codes are these:

1. Control Module for Elect. Park/Hand Brake (J540): No Signal/Communication
2. Supply Voltage for Right Parking Brake Motor (V283): Electrical Fault in Circuit

Hi thats better, does the parking brake still work?, with regard to item 1 I think thats in the boot and they are prone to corrosion through water ingress in to the boot, 2 is either a corroded connector,  strip check connector and if there is no obvious signs of corrosion chase the wiring back and check for breakage.

Steve.

[RiftCygnus]

On 9/7/2022 at 2:56 PM, Stevey Y said:

Hi thats better, does the parking brake still work?, with regard to item 1 I think thats in the boot and they are prone to corrosion through water ingress in to the boot, 2 is either a corroded connector,  strip check connector and if there is no obvious signs of corrosion chase the wiring back and check for breakage.

Steve.

A little late, i know. But figured I'd update. So i haven't tested the parking brake, but i sent the Audi to a shop since then just to have a general inspection done. They said that the parking brake cable was just unplugged and they plugged it back in. The Parking Brake warning went away for a while, BUT it ended up coming back a couple weeks later or so. So i'm assuming the clip on the cable plug is bad or something and keeps coming off. When i get to it, i'll probably just plug the cable back in and tape it together with duct tape or something.

[Steve Q]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:04 PM, RiftCygnus said:

A little late, i know. But figured I'd update. So i haven't tested the parking brake, but i sent the Audi to a shop since then just to have a general inspection done. They said that the parking brake cable was just unplugged and they plugged it back in. The Parking Brake warning went away for a while, BUT it ended up coming back a couple weeks later or so. So i'm assuming the clip on the cable plug is bad or something and keeps coming off. When i get to it, i'll probably just plug the cable back in and tape it together with duct tape or something.

Glad you got some sort of resolution. Let's hope it is just a clip.