How to Solve the Issue of Continuously Flashing Electronic Handbrake?
4 Answers
Remove the handbrake cover and locate the handbrake switch, then inspect the switch first. Use a multimeter to measure the voltage of the red wire at this time. You can unplug the electrical connector of the car's handbrake switch.
Last time the electronic parking brake red light in my car was flashing like an alarm, so I rushed straight to the repair shop. The veteran mechanic said it was 80% likely that the brake pads were worn through, and the wear sensor wire was touching the brake disc, triggering the light. Sure enough, upon inspection, the rear brake pads were down to bare metal grinding against the disc. He also taught me a trick: if you hear metal scraping noises while driving and see the parking brake light flashing, stop immediately and call for a tow truck—driving further could damage the brake disc. If there’s no abnormal noise, first check the battery voltage; if it’s below 12V, false alarms are common. Oh, and in icy conditions, the parking brake mechanism can freeze and cause the light to flash, so you’ll need to clear ice from the frozen brake pads.
My brother's car has the electronic parking brake yellow light constantly flashing. The diagnostic computer read out a C1141 fault code, which turned out to be poor contact in the micro switch inside the parking brake button. The mechanic said electronic parking brakes with Auto Hold function are most afraid of water intrusion in the circuits, so avoid directly spraying the wheel hubs with high-pressure water guns during car washes. The temporary fix is quite simple: turn off the engine, lock the car, and wait ten minutes for the system to reboot - sometimes this can resolve electronic glitches. However, if the light continues flashing after restarting, or if the brake pedal feels softer, don't take it lightly - immediately check the brake fluid level and fluid level sensor.
Our fleet's MPV had its electronic parking brake flashing red. The driver thought a restart would fix it, but the next day it completely locked up. Upon disassembly, we found the motor control module was burnt out, costing over 3,000 yuan to replace. This type of fault typically requires a three-step diagnosis: first, check if any other warning lights are illuminated on the dashboard; second, listen for any buzzing sound from the motor when the parking brake is engaged; and finally, feel the brake caliper temperature for any abnormalities. When parking, avoid yanking the electronic parking brake abruptly. On slopes, always hold the foot brake before pressing the P button to prevent overloading the motor from excessive cable tension.
