2017 Interstate Parking Brake Stuck

[Fly.On]

While in a nearly inaccessible canyon in central Idaho we could not get the parking brake to release. While I studied the fuse chart hoping to disable the brake my smarter wife called Coach Net for help. Their technicians said they had encountered the same problem in the past with Sprinters and said to try three actions.
1. Slide the drivers seat forward and back several times. Sometimes that releases the brake. No joy for us
2. Rotate the drivers seat around as far as possible and do it several several times. Again, no resolution - the parking brake still would not release.
3. Stand behind the drivers seat and firmly grasp the parking brake handle with both hands. Using the drivers seat to increase leverage, slowly apply as much pressure pulling up on the brake as far and as hard as one can, then release the handle as normal.
That worked!
Thanks Coach Net.

[Pahaska]

You must have applied the brake with more than normal force for it to be that hard to release. The parking brake does not need excessive force to be effective.

I can't see where items #1 and #2 would possibly make any difference. Item #3 is the normal release procedure, except that release should not require appreciably more force than the brake was first applied.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Fly.On

While in a nearly inaccessible canyon in central Idaho we could not get the parking brake to release. While I studied the fuse chart hoping to disable the brake my smarter wife called Coach Net for help. Their technicians said they had encountered the same problem in the past with Sprinters and said to try three actions.
1. Slide the drivers seat forward and back several times. Sometimes that releases the brake. No joy for us
2. Rotate the drivers seat around as far as possible and do it several several times. Again, no resolution - the parking brake still would not release.
3. Stand behind the drivers seat and firmly grasp the parking brake handle with both hands. Using the drivers seat to increase leverage, slowly apply as much pressure pulling up on the brake as far and as hard as one can, then release the handle as normal.
That worked!
Thanks Coach Net.

Number 3 is a solution, that can also sometimes be done while in the driver's seat. The actions in #1 and #2 will never release a stuck parking brake.

This problem and solutions are in this recent thread on this forum:
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...-136038-2.html

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I can't see where items #1 and #2 would possibly make any difference. Item #3 is the normal release procedure, except that release should not require appreciably more force than the brake was first applied.

JOHN, MIKE - This was a slam dunk fix for CoachNet that would've taken 30secs. But it is a Call Center tactic to be able to charge customer (in this case MB or AS) the next level STREP charge (Standard Repair Charge). Depending on how CoachNet contractual response models as setup, a 1-min over phone fix may be a N/C hence no added revenue to them. But a 15 or 30 min engagement with customer will push STREP to next level 1-hr STREP charge. Milking the call-timer is not unusual, I used to work in Worldwide Customer Support in HP and know some who do it regularly. My customers were all Enterprise computing environments. So they had 24x7 contracts. Hence I did not bill customers any more for 5-sec or 5-hr phone chat. It is sad commentary but very real.

[wachuko]

A few more steps and they would have had you doing the Hokey Pokey !

Glad to read that you were able to release it. But step 3, sitting in the driver seat, is all I have had to do in situations were I raise it too high...

[Ryoungca]

I'm happy that you resolved it, I had a similar symptom in my 2015 AI and it turned out that the parking break mechanism inside the rear wheels was significantly rusted and wouldn't release. MB fixed it enough to allow us to continue our trip but we are now looking to replace those parts.



I'm hoping this isn't a common issue for Sprinters, our unit was exposed to a lot of winter driving during its first couple of years and we have a lot of underbody evidence of corrosion from salt, etc.

[Titus]

You do have to pull the brake lever a bit harder to release it than you pulled on it to set it. But I can't imagine ever setting it so hard that I couldn't sit in the seat and pull it a bit harder to release it. Like Boxster, I also can't imagine why 1) and 2) would ever do anything to release the brake.

[rangerrik7]

Coach Net,
Thanks for the tip. #3 worked. I have to add, the research and solution was achieved like someone said in the forum, of all places my wife's internet search. I spent a couple of hours searching and she presented me with your recommendation and my introduction to this forum. I am now a user.

Problem resolved. Thanks.
rangerrik7

[Rocinante]

Welcome to the forum, so glad your first search for something was so helpful.