Parking brake service

Manual vs. electronic parking brake

Older cars have a manual parking brake operated via a handbrake lever or foot pedal with a mechanical cable to the rear wheels. Modern cars — particularly from 2015 onwards — typically have an electronic parking brake (EPB) where electric actuators in the rear calipers press the pad against the disc. Both solutions need regular service, but the tasks differ.

Symptoms and warning signs

For manual brake: the lever must be pulled high before it bites, or the car rolls on flat or slight slopes. The cable can be stretched, frayed or broken. For electronic EPB: red dashboard light, "Service parking brake" message, brake that won't engage or release, or beeping at startup. On some brands (Audi, BMW, Volvo) the EPB is tightly tied to pad replacement — calibration must be performed after pad replacement, otherwise the system throws a fault code.

What we do at the workshop

Manual brake: we lift the car, remove the rear wheel and inspection cover if needed, and check cable tension and rust. The cable is re-tensioned at the main adjuster on the lever or the caliper regulator. If the cable is rusty, frayed or can't be tensioned enough, the entire cable is replaced.

Electronic EPB: we connect diagnostic equipment to the OBD port and put EPB in service mode. The actuator is wound back electronically so we can remove the pads. After pad replacement we run a calibration routine: the actuator moves back and forth to find correct end positions, and the system stores new position data. On some premium brands this requires special tooling beyond a generic OBD scanner.

Original or aftermarket parts?

Brake cables are available as OE and quality aftermarket — we always recommend quality brands (Cofle or manufacturer's own) because cheap cables freeze and rust through after 1–2 Norwegian winters. EPB actuators are mostly only available as OE or factory-remanufactured, and replacement requires coding afterwards.

What about the warranty?

Service and repair at an authorised workshop does not affect the new-car warranty. We give 12 months' guarantee on work and parts.

Book online easily or call us on 41 17 32 24.