Parking brake question

Hey y'all. Just joining this part of the community - very recently moved from my old 2000 Outback to a 2012 Legacy sedan. Not sure I'll bother with a build thread as there's not too much I plan for it.

 

Either way - I'm curious if anyone has relocated the controls for the parking brake. I almost feel like this car was designed in an in-between stage when all the manufacturers were going from a mechanical brake to the electric and didn't know how to deal with the controls. I've been using a normal old handbrake between the seats for my entire driving career, and getting used to the brake being on the left dash is proving to be an irritant for me.

 

So - has anyone moved it? I look at the little indentation between the heated seat buttons and it seems like a pretty good candidate though I admit I haven't made any measurements. I imagine it'd only mean extending the wires to reach, and some trimming to get it to fit, and figuring out how to cover the hole left where it came from.

 

It's probably a silly idea all around, but it's got me curious. Most other carmakers seem more recently to have located their brake switch to the center console, including Subaru themselves if I'm not mistaken. Any thoughts?

There has been a lot of talk about the parking brake, but to my knowledge noone has actually done anything with it. Technically it should be as easy as extending some wiring, but my subie sense says the parking brake doesn't have its own wiring harness or module.

 

I would look for a parking brake for the center console like you want preferably from a subaru or nissan and then compare the wiring diagrams to see what is needed. I would bet you could make it work as a parallel button then you don't have to fill the gap in the dash.

The indentation between the heated seat buttons is for the SI Drive selector knob available in other markets (like ours).

 

Our local market deleted SI Drive during the facelift.

 

I saw an interior pic of a local facelift model and it appears the e-brake switch was moved to the spot where the SI Drive knob used to be.

 

So it looks like what you want is possible with OE parts.

 

Personally I dont mind the location as it is, I grew up driving cars that had foot operated e-brakes and their release levers were always somewhere in that area.

 

The Subaru switch actually look really similar to 80's-90's Mercedes e-brake releases lol!

Check out this ad, in the interior shot you can see the e-brake switch between the heated seat buttons.

 

http://olx.ph/123879582

 

At least I believe that is the e-brake. I saw some other ads with clearer pics and I thought I saw the e-brake logo on that switch.

This ad has a close up pic...definitely the park brake switch between the heated seat buttons.

 

http://olx.ph/122762054

^Do you know of any sort of Subaru OEM parts look up page for the Phillipines? Similar to like what we have for the US with parts.subaru.com, where you can dig and find OEM part numbers for things?

Scubaboo, that's a great find! Looks like it's a one-piece switch plate together with the heated seat switches. I know nothing about what cars are imported to the Philippines; would those be Japanese market or perhaps European market vehicles? Or, are those two the same ?

 

Anyway, I have more research to do clearly. I now have more questions:

 

1) Would that switch plate fit a pre-facelift vehicle like my 2012? I see that behind it there's a door which I'm guessing is either a cubby or a cover for the cupholders; my 2012 just has two cupholders there.

 

2) Assuming the switch plate fits, and the wiring can be extended/rerouted, the next question is whether the plugs match, and if not, can I obtain pigtails for the new switch (and maybe the seat heater switches, though I bet they'll be the same).

 

3) If it fits, and the wiring can be made to match up, will the switch operate? The USDM cars it's push to engage, pull to disengage. The one in the pics in Subaboo's links looks like a newer style where you just pull and it knows to toggle the brake on or off. If all the electronics are contained in the switch then it should be good to go, but if there's another module or something that might be even more difficult to locate.

 

Also wondering about the hill-hold feature. Is there a different switch on the cars in the Philippines, or is it an automatic feature, which might further complicate things? I could pretty easily live without it as I've never owned a car with it before, but having that info would be helpful.

 

I guess I need to pursue finding that switch plate and seeing what might be possible.

 

Thanks for all input so far - I'll post back if I move ahead on this.

Humble, we dont have an online reference like the US does. But I get parts from the dealer and I will get a copy of the schematic and part numbers for you guys on my next visit.

 

Ritt, our local market cars are look to be JDM, which in my limited research is also EDM.

 

On your questions,

 

1) I believe yes, it will fit. In our market the hole for that switch is the same pre and post facelift. From pics I see of US cars the hole and switches are the same except you dont have the SI Drive knob. IIRC despite market differences like the door over the cupholder, the panels themselves will interchange between USDM and JDM cars. In the classifieds I saw someone selling a JDM console with pics, you can check too.

 

2) I cant say, with the big change in location there might be a change in the harness. But I assume the plugs will be the same. I will ask the parts guy for more info when I pass by the dealer one of these days.

 

3) Switch still looks to be push to engage, pull to disengage. I doubt there are other changes in the system aside from switch location but I will get more details when I pass by the dealer.

 

Hill Hold - we have the switch under the power mirrors and beside the park brake, same as USDM IIRC. I think it stays there when the park brake moves to the center console from the pics I saw.

Looks like it's a facelift non-SI drive thing?

Switch - 83321AJ020, might need a replacement panel as well, possibly this - 92133AJ070

 

 

And then of course extend the wires from the dash to the center console.

 

 

 

Looks like it was covered here already: https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/electronic-parking-brake-259287.html?p=5561133

This is awesome info. Need to look more into it tomorrow when it's not past midnight...

 

Thanks again and keep it coming. Scubaboo, again, any info you can discover re: getting the parts and specifically how it operates would be great.

I only use the parking brakes if I'm parked on a hill in my 2013 Legacy. It took me a while to get use to it but it does not bother me anymore since my Acura still use the hand brakes and I use it all the time and my Benz use the foot brake that I use all the time.

I prefer to use the handbrake most of the time. My car is a manual trans so using the brake is best. Even with an auto I'd probably still do it. It's a matter of personal preference...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passed by the dealer to get a liter of ATF (30 freaking dollars per liter lol) to add to my remaining stash of Idemitsu ATF HP for a drain and fill for my 5EAT.

 

So as promised I talked to the parts guy about the park brake on later models and got these.

 

I forgot to ask about the harness though, sorry.

 

But those are part numbers for the 2013's here that have the park brake in the center console, and the console under the ac vent where the parkbrake switch used to be.

Good info!

 

 

I might need you to get the parts for me someday; I'm striking out on a vendor that carries them, though I admit I haven't gone into a dealer near me with the right numbers to see if they could get them.

Sure, just let me know!

Would love the folding mirror switch too