Beginning a few weeks ago the "engine" light on my dash came on and stayed on and also my car started making a long, horrible (and embarrassing) groaning sound from around the rear wheels when I turned off the engine. I took the car to a shop (not a jaguar specific shop) by my work. They said the code they got from checking the car indicated that the electronic parking brake actuator was bad and that a new one would be $3000 for the part, but not too much in labor.

Yikes!

I thought about seeing if I could just pull the fuse or disconnect the actuator so it would stop that racket when I shut off the engine and so that the engine light would go off, but my husband says that I'll have to have it fixed before I get my next state inspection next summer. He says they check the parking brake here (VA). He also checked on line and says he saw the part for a lot less than $3K.

I searched all the threads here for parking brake problems so I could maybe find if there was some other way to fix the problem or find instructions on replacing the actuator myself if that does indeed have to be replaced. I found quite a few threads about problems others have had, but none of them seem the same as this problem. They all had different messages on the dash, and had parking brakes staying engaged, and also their car going into "limp home" mode.

Does anyone here have any knowledge about the problem I'm having? Is there something else I can do besides replacing the actuator? If I will need to replace that, is that something I can find instructions for doing?

 

This is on a 2004 XJ8.

Hopefully I've correctly added this information to my signature bar as well.

 

It does sound as if you have a problem with the parking brake but $3000 is an absolute rip off!

You can happily drive around without this brake so pull the fuse to stop it working for now. (F32, 30amp fuse box in trunk)

You can ring a jag dealer to find out how much they want for the part but do not buy it from them.

I suggest you buy an used part from a breakers.

There is one on this forum,his name is Paul,(Seamless Automotive, Rancho Cordova CA). Google it.

If you have problems getting the part PM me I know where there is one in Europe.

 

Is it possible it just needs lubricating?

 

Norri

The parkbrake is an electric motor which drives an actuator.
The actuator looks like a complicated little beast and if it was mine I would have a go at it but in this case it seems the best thing would be to replace it
IMO.

 

I might have the wrong model or year, but my copy of JPEC shows the actuator listing for around $450.