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Hi I got a 2019 Q5 black diesel edition in Jan 2024 and would like to know if the auto handbrake is supposed to engage automatically or not. I have found that sometimes the parking brake engages automatically and sometimes it doesn't. I've taken it to Audi twice now and been given conflicting info stating from one person that the auto handbrake should engage automatically and then another saying i have to manually flick the parking button to get the parking brake to engage. However I have noticed on occasions thst the brake engages itself but its very inconsistent. I've tried leaving the car in drive or reverse and sometimes it auto engages and sometimes it doesn't. I've put the car in park by pressing the P on the gear shift and sometimes it engages the handbrake when i switch off the engine and sometimes it doesnt. We still have a 2014 A3 which has the same buttons and the auto handbrake engages whenever you stop the car and switch off the engine unless you flick the P switch to cancel it. I just feel it either engages or it doesn't engage and keen to find out what anyone else has experienced or if it is a fault which Audi need to find even though they said today that no fault is showing yet the technician drove the car with me and experienced the same as I had explained. Thanks in advance

I have a new 2013 spec A3 fitted with the electromechanical parking brake, i.e. there's an electrical switch to apply the parking brake and also to disinguage it. I do not have the hill-assist system fitted. This is an optional extra. So to apply the parking brake I pull up the switch and when I'm pulling away forwards it seems to disinguage itself with no further action from me. I find however that if I'm pulling off in reverse it doesn't disinguage itself. I have found I can get it to disinguage by lifting my clutch a little and effectively rocking the car which seems to disinguage it. You can force it to disinguage by pushing the switch however in order for this to happen you need to depress the footbrake. So here's the problem: If you're trying to pull off in reverse up a hill, you need your foot on the footbrake in order to release the parking brake. So you can't be applying a few revs and using the clutch because your foot is on the brake pedal (unless you employ some fancy footwork). This seems a bit of an error to me in the application of the parking brake system fitted to the car. You can purchase the hill assist system but this is a cost option and obviously you needed to have had selected it on purchase. If its needed in order to be able to pull off on a hill then it should have been a standard fitment. It was much easier with a manual handbrake, you could apply as much pressure as you wanted as and when you wanted it. With this new electrically controlled system, its either on or off. Bit of a drop off on an otherwise great car!