I have a 2003 S-Type 3.0 with an issue with parking brake. No faults. Brake seems to work fine except it seems to be slightly applying parking brake while driving. Brake rotors are getting very hot and smelly. Doesn't seem to be enough to feel in the car while driving. Just enough to get burning brake smell and hot rotors. I tried the EPB calibration but that doesn't seem to be doing anything. Dash display does not say its in calibration mode after pushing pedal 5 times. Looking for suggestions. I'd like to just disengage the parking brake all together as we never use it and it seems to just cause problems. Thanks in advance. And let me say that I've learned a lot about working on this Jag from members here and I appreciate that because I knew nothing about these Jags when I bought this one for my wife.

 

If you start the car with windows down somewhere quiet, then lift the EPB paddle and listen, press paddle and listen, a few times, do you hear it applying and releasing? You may need to remove a wheel and watch - but keep well clear for safety.

You should be able to force it to need a recal by disconnecting it (just remove the fuse for its module is enough but many prefer to disconnect the main battery).

 

Your symptoms sound more like seized caliper(s) and not an issue with the EPB.

 

If I disengage the parking brake and remove the fuse in the trunk so the EPB will not engage then drive it, I have no heat or smell. Then I have faults and no anti-lock brakes. Put the fuse back in, disconnected battery for a few minutes. Everything reset. No faults on dash. This all started after I changed the rotors and brake pads. I did not know to disengage EPB when changing brakes and rotors at that time and did not disengage EPB. Do you think I might have damaged the caliper?

 

I don't think that could damage the caliper. Doing what you just put should then prompt you to recal the EPB.

You didn't say if you can see it releasing & applying. You'll probably need each rear wheel off in turn to check.

 

I can hear the EPB engage and disengage when pushing down and up on the lever inside the passenger compartment. I've also put the car in drive and applied the brake and released and it seems to work as it holds the car in position when applied and rolls when released but if I drive it down the road and back the rotors are turning blue and smoke and I can smell the pads.

 

Regarding the EPB calibration. I thought that doing what I did would cause it to fault and need to calibrate as well but after putting the fuse back in, no fault on the dash panel.

 

I would approach this issue by starting over and following the proper instructions for replacing the rear brake pads by first disengaging the EPB system. This may lead to a correct re-set of all the various components and it will cost you nothing but your time. Be sure to lube the caliper pins with a small amount of synthetic grease so your pads will indeed slide properly if they are not doing so now....

Good luck and keep us posted....

 

To me it sounds not to be disengaging fully but you'll need to check with each wheel off.

In N (engine off will do!) you should be able to turn rear wheels (well, discs, if the wheels are off) by hand when the EPB is disengaged.

If this is indeed the problem, either you've failed to get it to recal or there's some mechanical issue (with EPB cable and/or caliper).

 

Thanks for the tips. I'll try these ideas. Right now, trying to change the valve cover gaskets. Got the plenum off. Looking on here to find something on taking off the valve cover. Thanks again. This is a great site for guys like me who know nothing about Jags.

 

hello to set the park brake I would unplug the neg terminal..give it 20 minutes...then reconnect, press the brakes pedal twice but on second press hold it down, then pull epb lever. The brake light should appear and you should hear the park brake engage. If this doesn't work then you may have a issue with the REM.

 

I'd say it's something on the linkage sticking, but I don't understand why it doesn't rub if you remove the fuse.

 

My experience is that a bad EPB mechanism in a caliper will cause it to fail 'off' rather than 'on'. The mechanism relies on the lever arm being able to make a full return to 'off' in order to advance the pad inwards as it wears. A seized arm may temporarily keep a pad in contact with a rotor (which will be noticeable by the driver as a 'dragging' feeling) but will soon evolve into the inability for the EPB to keep the car stationary with the engine running in gear.

There is an easy test. On a deserted road and with the car coasting in gear at low speed, apply the EPB by lifting repeatedly on the handle. There should be a marked increase in the amount of braking achieved at each step, possibly enough to cause the wheels to skid if on a loose surface. Braking should appear to be equal and balanced from side to side.

Without touching the foot brake or EPB paddle, lightly touch the gas pedal. The EPB should release instantly and allow the car to creep ahead at normal engine idle speed.

If there is any doubt, raise the wheel off the ground with the EPB off and evaluate how much effort is required to turn it.

If you have an I/R thermometer, measure all four rotor and caliper temps after a good run looking for inconsistency in readings from one wheel to another.

 

Good ideas!

 

FYI - your EPB engages automatically every time you shut off the car and remove the key. Unless you manually hold down the EPB paddle during the shut off process, the EPB will engage automatically. So it is being used all the time, really. Just thought I should point that out.

 

im going to sound really dumb, but when a transmission is in park it is now not in gear and can not go forward nor rear unless in neutral, why is the epb even an option?

 

Less stress on trans pawl, which in any case can fail to engage in which case car can run away. Also, E=emergency as well as electrical.

 

I know this is an old thread, but I had the same issue on my XJ8 and someone might be looking for solution. In my case it was just a botched rear brake pad job, where they installed EPB lines above the tooth-like things, when they should have been below, so the applied weight on the rear of the car was causing the lines to tension. Sorry for bad English!

 

As JagV8 suggested, cars are equipped with an emergency brake in the event of an emergency. They're operated by a footpedal, or a handle that you yank on (as is the case with earlier S-types), or electronically - '03 and newer S-types have the electronic paddle on the console. The paddle engages incrementally; that is, if you need to stop your car in an emergency, every time you pull up on the paddle, it will apply more breaking power, similar to pulling up on the handle device. So, using a combination of downshifts and the electronic paddle or the pull-up handle, you can stop your car even if your primary braking system is completely FUBAR.

In addition, the EPB on '03 and newer S-types (and many other cars) automatically engages when you shut off the ignition and remove your key. A nice convenience and extra safety precaution while the car is parked.

This feature is most appreciated when parking on an incline: Park the car, shift to Park, keep foot on brake pedal, turn ignition off and extract the key. This engages the EPB, which takes approx 3-5 secs to fully engage. You may even hear it. Then release the brake pedal. You will notice the car does not roll. All done. Now go about your business with the peace of mind of knowing that you will not have issues shifting out of park when you are ready to drive away. You also have the option to engage ithe EPB manually by pulling up on the paddle, and I highly recommend you always allow the EPB to engage BEFORE releasing the brake pedal.

Failure to engage the parking brake on a hill BEFORE releasing the brake pedal could cause your car to roll until the transmission stops the roll; this may cause the shifter to get stuck in Park. There are plenty of posts in Jag Forum on this very topic.

As JagV8 stated above, it has something to do with stress on the transmission pawl. Thanks to JagV8 for mentioning that.

NOTE: This advice also applies to owners of the earlier S-Types who must engage their parking brakes manually using the parking brake handle. Simply shift to Park, keep your foot on the brake pedal and pull up on the EPB handle, then shut off the car and release the brake pedal. Your car won't rely on the trans to stop it from rolling and most likely won't get stuck in park on an incline.

Hope this helps.