How to Deal with the P with a Slash on the Electronic Parking Brake?
2 Answers
Electronic parking brake displaying a P with a slash indicates a fault in the electronic parking brake system, which requires resetting the electronic parking brake. Correct usage of the electronic parking brake: Depress the brake pedal, pull up the electronic parking brake switch until the indicator light on the dashboard illuminates, and the switch's indicator light also turns on. Precautions when using the electronic parking brake: If the vehicle is turned off without activating the electronic parking brake, the system will automatically engage the electronic parking brake; press the electronic parking brake switch while holding the brake pedal to turn off the indicator lights on both the dashboard and the switch; the electronic parking brake will automatically release when the accelerator is pressed while the engine is running.
I've driven quite a few cars and encountered the electronic parking brake showing a P with a slash twice. The first time it happened, I thought I hadn't released the parking brake, so I pressed the button again, but it still didn't work. Later, I realized it was a system malfunction. This situation indicates that the electronic parking brake isn't functioning properly, possibly due to poor contact in the wiring connectors or water ingress causing a short circuit in the control module. I recommend immediately finding a safe place to park, turning on the hazard lights, and then attempting to restart the vehicle: first shift into P, turn off the engine and remove the key, wait a few minutes, and then restart. If the light remains on after restarting, don't take it lightly. For temporary parking, you can shift into P or use wheel chocks to secure the wheels instead of the parking brake, but remember to get to a professional repair shop as soon as possible. They will use diagnostic tools to check the specific fault codes. Last time I delayed the repair until the next day, and the brake calipers ended up seizing, costing me an extra 800 yuan in repairs.
