Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic – Causes And Fixes

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic – Causes And Fixes

Are you having an electric parking brake problem Honda Civic and you just don’t know how to solve it? Well, if that’s actually the case, then you are at the right place because, in this article, there will be quite a lot to cover on this topic and we are going to elaborate on everything in great detail.

Electronic parking brakes are something new. For some unknown reason, carmakers have decided to ditch the good old and reliable cable for the parking brake, with something less reliable. Known as an electric-powered parking brake.

That’s right, you heard me right, anything digital is more prone to problems compared to classic analog stuff. I wonder what was wrong with the good old parking brake lever and the cable that was pulled to activate the parking brake, so they decided to go this route and cause major headaches to car owners worldwide.

But that’s how things go nowadays and we have to deal with it I guess. But don’t worry, we will try to help you out. First, we are going to learn what is the Honda Civic and the benefits of having a Civic.

Then we will cover the electronic parking brake and learn what this system is and how it works. Then we will cover the pros and cons of electronic parking brakes and then we will discuss the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic. So, if you want to learn more, follow along till the end.

Honda Civic

Now before we dive into more complex topics such as the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic, let’s first take a look at what is the Honda Civic in general. Why do we think that this is essential?

Well, there are a lot of people facing similar issues that do not know what is the Civic. So, we feel the need to create a nice introduction and learn more about this model and its legendary status.

So, what is the Honda Civic? Well, the Civic is probably one of Honda’s most legendary products. Similar to what the Camry is for Toyota, that’s the Civic for Honda.

Even though, the Civic is much smaller and is basically considered a compact car. This model was introduced in 1972 as a subcompact. But in 2000, the model was increased in size and became a compact vehicle.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

And as of today, there is a total of eleven generations released to the market. With the most recent model being released in 2021. And we can honestly say, that the most recent model is probably the best model released by Honda.

The new vehicles ditched the odd look that the previous generation had and the new Civic implements a more classic look. Which makes it more attractive to a lot more people.

And this is why we expect sales to rise quite significantly for this generation in comparison to the previous model. Not that the tenth generation was bad, but let’s say that it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But what is the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic? More on that, we will discuss it in a bit.

Honda Civic Pros And Cons

Now let’s discuss more on the benefits of owning a Honda Civic before we dive into the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic. Let’s discuss the pros for the people since there are a lot of people still doubting whether or not to purchase a Honda Civic for themselves.

One of the biggest pros of the Honda Civic is probably the value that you get for your money. The Civic is not an expensive car when you put things into perspective and compare it with similar cars. The model starts at $25,000 and for a few grand more, you can get an excellent spec with all the bells and whistles.

The second pro of having a Civic is probably the fuel economy. The current model has a 1.5L turbo engine that is crazy efficient. It easily gets an average of 30 mpg. And for a non-hybrid car, we think that this is quite an achievement.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

The next pro of having a Honda Civic is probably the looks. The Civic simply looks really good. As we mentioned, for the current eleventh generation, Honda moved on to a more classical design language that looks absolutely phenomenal.

There is simply no bad angle on this vehicle if you were asking me. And the interior is really spacious. So, spacious, that you will think that you are riding in a mid-size sedan and not a compact car. Which is an absolutely incredible achievement for Honda.

And the last benefit of having a Civic is probably the quality that Honda delivers to the table. The reliability of Honda vehicles is probably one of the best in the game. These are cars that would easily last for 300,000 miles. But what about the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic? More on that next.

Electric Parking Brake

Now let’s cover something really important before we dive into the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic. And this is the topic of what is a parking brake in general. Let’s elaborate.

The electric parking brake, also known as an emergency brake is a type of brake that most modern cars are using.

Back in the good old days which were not long time ago, we had a handbrake lever with a button on top of the lever. You just press the lever and then move the parking brake up or down depending on whether you want to activate or deactivate the parking brake.

And all of the procedure was analog. So, when you pulled up the lever, there was a cable that has been pulled, and this cable when stretched, it tightened the rear brakes, causing the car to be locked in this position. So, your car does not roll down once you get out of the vehicle.

A simple tool that was basically the same design since the early inception of cars. But nowadays, we have to complicate everything. So, carmakers decided to remove the lever found between the seats and replace it with a button that you can pull to activate the parking brake and then pull again to deactivate it.

But this seems too easy to be true, right? There is probably something more complex that happens behind the curtain that we don’t see. And that is true. There is a lot going on inside this system. And that’s what we are going to cover next before we learn more about the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

How The Electric Parking Brake Works

Now let’s move on and learn how the electronic parking brake works before we dive into the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

You probably think that you just press the button and then everything magically happens. Well, this is somewhat true. But not quite right.

This is the case because by pressing the button, you are only sending a signal to the parking brake to activate. But behind the curtain, there is a lot going on in this system in order to work well.

Immediately when you press or pull the parking brake button also known as the e-brake, there is a signal sent to the electric motors that are located on both rear wheels.

The electric motors are simply fused with the calipers. And inside the housing of the electric motor, there is also a planetary gear set that is engaged when the motor starts. And this planetary gear set is basically connected to the electric motor through a tiny drive belt.

So, you understand that there is a lot going on inside of these parking brakes. The simplicity of usage always equals mechanical complexity.

In the video above, you can see more about what exactly is going on inside of these calipers and understand visually what is going on behind the curtain. Otherwise, do check out our guide on how to take off the e-brake to learn more.

What is worth noting is that once these systems fail, you cannot rebuild them. The only way to sort out the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic if the parking brake caliper is bad is to completely replace the unit on that specific wheel.

But more on that, we are going to cover it in a bit. Now let’s take a look at the pros and cons of having a parking brake on your Honda Civic.

Pros & Cons Of An Electric Parking Brake

Now let’s take a look at the pros and cons of electric parking brakes. Knowing the pros and cons is quite useful if you don’t want to have an electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Mainly because you will be able to avoid one of these problems if you avoid purchasing one of these models with parking brakes installed. So, let’s dive into the matter before we learn more about the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Pros

Let’s start with the pros of having an electric parking brake before we cover the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

And the pros of having this feature are mainly the ease of use. You just pull the button or press the button depending on the design and you activate and deactivate the system.

It is so easy that even a child could use it. Unlike the classical parking brake lever when you pull it up and down. And you scratch your head why you can’t move it because you forgot to activate the button.

So, the electric parking brake simply avoids all these hurdles and gives you a simple button to activate and deactivate the system. Quite simple to use, we must admit. But what about the cons of having an electronic parking brake? Let’s elaborate more on that next before we learn about the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Cons

Now let’s discuss more about the cons of these electronic parking brakes before we dive into the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

And when it comes to the cons, there are a lot of them. Remember that this is an electronic device. So, even if your battery is weak or a fuse has popped, you will end up with a car that is completely stuck.

So, parking brake being stuck, parking brake lights, and parking brake malfunctions are very common occurrences on these vehicles.

And when the problem happens that the actuator is bad, also known as the electric motor, you can expect to pay for a brand new one. And this actuator can cost you a few hundred bucks in the worst case.

This is why whenever you have an electric parking brake, you can expect some of these outcomes. And in our book, the cons of this design outweigh the pros. The system might be easy to use. But is complicated as hell. That’s for sure. Now let’s move on to the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

So, we learned about electric parking brakes and how they work. Now let’s take a look at the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

As you can tell, this is a big problem. Since if the parking brake does not activate, you will first be greeted by a message on the dash saying “Electric Parking Brake Problem”. And on top of that, you will face a Honda electric parking brake problem when your Honda Civic won’t start.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

The car could also fail to start because you will not be able to disengage the parking brake on your Honda. And in this case, your car will be completely stuck and not be able to move forward or backward.

And if you have an automatic transmission car, you are basically stuck in this situation. So, you get the idea why electronic parking brakes are not a lot of fun to have. You always have to monitor the battery level in order to avoid an electric parking brake problem Honda Civic. But more on the causes, we are going to elaborate on next.

Causes Of Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

Now let’s discuss more about the reasons why you have the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Knowing the reasons will really help you out when it comes to diagnosing the problem on your Civic and help you tackle this problem in no time. So, let’s elaborate more on these possible causes in the following chapters in great detail.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic, Causes #1: Bad Console Parking Brake Switch

The first and most common reason for the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic is the console parking brake switch. So, what is this switch?

Well, this is the switch that helps you activate your electric parking brake. You just pull this switch and the parking brake activates or deactivates.

And these electronic components, just like other electronic components can fail and cause problems for many car owners.

But first things first, you need to determine that the switch is the one to blame before you decide to replace it. In the video above, you can see how the guy determines if the switch is bad by engaging the brake hold button, seat belt, and transmission lever in gear and back to neutral.

Make sure that you follow the procedure and this will definitely tell you if you have a bad switch or if your actuator is not working well and is causing the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic, Causes #2: Low Or Bad Battery

The second very common cause for the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic is a low or bad battery.

That’s right, a low or bad battery can cause this problem in your vehicle. You will not be able to start your engine and you will be greeted with a parking brake problem.

So, what you can do in this case is to check the battery voltage. For this purpose, you will need to get yourself a multimeter. With the multimeter, you will be able to check the voltage of your battery. If you need some pointers, make sure you check out our guide on how to test a car battery.

A good battery in working order should make about 12.6 volts. If the voltage is below 10 volts, it means that probably one of the cells inside is dead and you have a bad battery. To learn more, we have a detailed write-up on how many amps is a 12-volt battery.

This is why we recommend checking the voltage before you jump to conclusions when it comes to the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic and solving the matter by replacing the actuator.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic, Causes #3: Bad Wiring Or Fuse

Another very common cause for an electric parking brake problem Honda Civic is bad wiring or the fuses.

The wiring is less likely to cause an issue like this. And this should be your last concern. But the fuses can create a problem like this.

So, you should definitely make sure that you pop off the fuse cover and see if the fuses are in good condition. Because if the fuse for the parking brake is bad, then you have to replace the fuse and this will hopefully solve your problem on your Honda Civic. Now let’s move on to the last probable cause.

Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic, Causes #4: Bad Caliper Parking Actuator

And the last probable cause for the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic is the actuator that is found in the rear caliper.

This is basically an electric motor that activates and engages the piston of the caliper. These actuators are made out of cheap plastic, so they can fail at any given moment, especially after a few years of use.

And since this is a new technology, we would probably start to see many failures on these in the upcoming years. In the video above you can see how you can manually release the parking brake. And as you can see, it is a pain to do it since you have to remove the actuator and then replace the component.

For more insight, head over to our guide on brake caliper sticking issues, as well as brake caliper cost and the brake calipers replacement costs to find out what a repair typically entails.

How To Reset The Parking Brake Honda Civic

Bow let’s take a look at how you can reset the parking brake. The cheapest and simplest way to do this is by resetting your computer. Just remove the positive terminal of the battery and then plug it back in.

If this doesn’t work, then you have a problem. It is either the battery, a blown fuse, the switch that you pull, or the actuator.

So, in order to sort out the problem, you will have to troubleshoot this and solve the problem on your Honda Civic. More information about this can see in the videos that we attached previously.

Cost To Fix Electric Parking Brake Problem Honda Civic

When it comes to fixing the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic, you can expect to pay some money to sort this problem out.

If the problem is the actuator, then you will pay the most amount of money. Since this component is about $250. On the other hand, if it’s the switch or a blown fuse, you will spend a lot less money. Also, the labor is quite expensive and goes anywhere between $50 and $100 per hour.

In Conclusion…

In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to the electric parking brake problem Honda Civic. First, we learned what is the Civic and the benefits of having this type of car.

After that, we discussed parking brakes and learned what parking brakes are, and their pros and cons. As well as the problems they make. And most importantly, the causes of these problems and how much it will cost you to sort out any of these issues.

And while you’re here, we have plenty of other resources concerning Honda Civics, if you need some tips and tricks or a hand with troubleshooting. That includes us taking a peek at the Honda Civic air conditioning recall, as well as the 2017 Honda Civic oil type.

We’ve previously also looked at how long do Honda Civics last, comparing the Honda Insight vs the Civic, as well as whether the Honda Civic Si can be had with an automatic transmission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

Where Is The Emergency Brake

The emergency parking brake should be on the center console. Usually between the seats. In old-school cars, the parking brake is a lever that you pull once you press the button. Nowadays, you only have an electronic parking brake that is only one button on the center console.

How To Release Emergency Brake When Stuck

If your parking brake is stuck, first thing, check the battery and see if there is any juice. Should the battery is empty, then recharge it and try again. If this doesn’t work, you will have to manually remove the actuator and then turn to remove the caliper and compress the piston.

How To Disengage Parking Brake Manually

The only way to disengage the parking brake manually is by removing the electronic parking brake actuator if the car has an e-brake. And then try to remove the caliper and compress the piston of the caliper with a special tool.

How Long Can I Leave My Parking Brake On

You can leave the parking brake on, as much as you like, there is nothing wrong with the parking brake left on indefinitely.

How To Tell If Parking Brake Is Stuck

If you get a warning on the dash that your parking brake is on. And also, if you put down the lever or press the E-brake button and nothing happens, you definitely have a stuck parking brake.

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