Flashing red BRAKE light on dash.

It is entirely possible that when the actuator froze it pulled too many amps through the module and fried it too. Not saying that is what happened, but it is a possibility.

I believe there's also some sort of run timer or distance measurement for how far the actuators pull the brake cables. I had this consistently last year and ended up the parking brake shoes needed to be adjusted. Spun the adjuster out so the shoes barely scrubbed the drums and it went away. I still get it every now and then but when I do I feel/hear the shoes clicking cause they didn't release properly. ALso most e-brakes lock/bind when moving in reverse so if you park on an incline with the nose up and reverse from your spot that could do it too.

 

My procedure when parking is so hold the brake, put in park, hit the parking brake and once I hear it stop I release the brakes. Car barely rolls and I know the parking pawl isn't being stressed.

Good replies! Note about 4-5 responses above as to my specific situation regarding the brake light issue.

 

I am not able to engage the parking brake while the light is flashing, it simply gives me an audible beeping tone. It has been coming on more and more so clearly SOMETHING is wrong, but when it wasn't coming on daily I was able to engage the parking brake and it all seemed to work fine. I'm curious as to how they tested that the actuator was seized.

After going through this and another thread about the flasking "BRAKE" light, I am scared that something has or is on its was on failing. Happened to me today, and I turned the car off, checked the gas cap, and the car was normal. Havent gotten to drive it after going home since the incident, but am nervous due to the fact it was stuck ON, and could not move the car.

 

130ish to get the dealer to pull the codes for the PB module, and now 1400 to replace the module and PB actuator. I wish these cars came with a manual PB.

 

This just started happeing with my 2010 2.5i CVT with 106k, and I will update if this problem still happends.

You can always look for a used parking brake, by now they should be easy to come by. My guess is the failures are from lack of use or corrosion. Electronic brakes are becoming more common now since they can also be used for other functions like hill holder.

Good advice FLegacy! I'm getting under the car today to get a good look at the PB actuator as that seems to be thof culprit for me. It seized and thus doesn't allow the parking brake to engage. BUT I still have random times where it doesn't flash on, it push the PB and voila it engages. I don't know what the dealership would do that would cost $1400 (in my situation) but I can get a new actuator for about $350 and change. Is there something I'm missing? They mentioned replacing the brake module... That's a part of the actuator correct? All my research and look at vacay pix shows just the actuator as if it is all together? Or am I not seeing something?

To me it seems like either it has stuck by not being used on a regular basis or there's a sensor problem.

 

By using the parking brake every time you park the vehicle and not just use the park position of the gear selector you ensure that it is working whenever you need it.

 

And never trust the gear selector park position, it's not always reliable.

I seem to remember it was an assembly that was sealed from moisture and dirt. So you will probably not want to replace just a component, but the whole thing if you can get one that hasn't been opened.

 

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I don't know what the dealership would do that would cost $1400 (in my situation) but I can get a new actuator for about $350 and change. Is there something I'm missing? They mentioned replacing the brake module... That's a part of the actuator correct? All my research and look at vacay pix shows just the actuator as if it is all together? Or am I not seeing something?

Sure looks like you are correct to me - the parking brake actuator, etc. is sold as a single assembly, and while in some places in the manual they talk about the actuator and control module separately, they show them as one thing (so two different subcomponents that look to be only sold as an assembly) - the other parts are the switch, and the hardware at the wheels. It looks like a pretty straightforward DIY, but at the end you are supposed to do a force calibration, which requires the select monitor...

Well, I said I'm getting under the car and poke around... That's exactly what I did...

 

From under the car just to the right of exhaust and driveshaft just past center of car towards the rear.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160815/0fca9f4b03a25dd6ab6dd7d5ca883b20.jpg

 

Making sense of the combo of the actuator and the control module... Seeing the connector helps.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160815/63911ab56ac56bab3ef043313845a886.jpg

 

And after having to remove the rear wheels, calipers, rotors and tearing down the parking brake to get the cables removed... The whole unit intact.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160815/44c23f18a3bab15cc508fe181c5d7566.jpg

 

I had the chance to do some experimenting since I am getting a new one, and it was definitely not frozen by any means, it was freely able to move by pulling and pushing on the cable which leads me to believe it has to do with the module or the electrical side of it., I even attempted to disassemble the cable portion and it is definitely a sealed unit, I was only able to partially separate the cable from he actuator and only saw lots of white grease and free movement.

 

So that's how it stands as of now, I buttoned everything back up, rebuilt the parking brake, and drove it around the block a few times, with little difference in brake feel. The part is being ordered as we speak just making sure they send us exactly what we need.

 

Obviously my brake light is flashing but for some interesting reason I haven't been able to understand, the green hill holder light is illuminated in the dash as well and I notice a stutter in the car after braking with some heavier braking. Why would it do that??

A combo of problems leads me to start to suspect a grounding problem, check if the park brake unit and fuel pump share grounding point.

I'll look into that a little more closely. Now to locate said grounding point!

...Obviously my brake light is flashing but for some interesting reason I haven't been able to understand, the green hill holder light is illuminated in the dash as well and I notice a stutter in the car after braking with some heavier braking. Why would it do that??

 

The hill holder uses the parking brake. Maybe the ECM is pissed that it detected the parking brake module was disconnected. Hopefully the stutter is a simple ground and not the dreaded torque converter bearing.

Mine is also speratic, it was stuck on again and couldnt move the car... we waited and hour and the PB released as if nothing is wrong. Like the above posted, I think its something to do witht the electronic module.

 

Please update us blcnytsky when you reinstall the new one! I just hope the dealer dosent need to program the new PB module to the car.

I didn't think that far ahead... And now I'm concerned that will be needed. It will still be savings in the end, but considering they said the actuator was seized (frozen?) and it really wasn't, doesn't fill me with happy feelings of confidence for them. They claimed they tested the system, but all of that seemed electronic because they definitely didn't remove the plastic covers to inspect the actuator (rusted bolts were a PITA to get out).

They probably just hooked up the SSM to the car and ran the thing through it's paces - it sounds like it's an intermittent issue, so if it didn't do it for them, they probably said all was good.

 

From the service manual, it really looks like if you disconnect the module while it has power (i.e., without disconnecting the battery) you need to do some specific routines with the SSM to get things back to normal - it says the force sensor calibration needs to be run whenever you removing the parking brake assembly, replace the electronic parking brake control module, or adjusting the parking brake shoe clearance. It also implies that sometimes a new module will sometimes give a "parameter selection error" and require that you run the parameter initialization mode, again with the SSM. If you have the 6MT, it also says that the clutch sensor calibration needs to be run if you replace the electronic parking brake control module.

 

For all of those steps, it's literally hook up the SSM, select the procedure form the menu, and let it run - so hopefully, all it will take is 10-15 minutes of a technicians time to run the SSM routines.

 

I keep hoping someone will release an aftermarket application that lets you emulate the SSM, but no such luck, yet.

I didn't think that far ahead... And now I'm concerned that will be needed. It will still be savings in the end, but considering they said the actuator was seized (frozen?) and it really wasn't, doesn't fill me with happy feelings of confidence for them. They claimed they tested the system, but all of that seemed electronic because they definitely didn't remove the plastic covers to inspect the actuator (rusted bolts were a PITA to get out).

 

Well we used our parking brake on a regular basis and it just started acting up. Hence why i think its an intermittent electrical/electronic problem, if I wait a about 30 mins and try to release the PB again, it acts normal.

 

Then I try to apply/release it many times after that it works normal. This a heart breaking for me because this could all be avoided with a old school parking brake handle/cable combo.

Update: got the parking brake actuator assembly last week but was only able to get it swapped out this weekend. Everything reinstalled.... Still has the flashing brake light. I will take the advice of an above mentioned post to go into Subaru and tell them to use the SSM to run some procedures after replacing the parking brake actuator. Although it was removed and reinstalled with the battery disconnected...

Hate to say it but I fear this issue will continue to come up as our cars age...let us know how it goes!

One thing I don't like about the 5th Gen, why couldn't Subaru give us a hoon handle!? Electronics fail, I don't expect my parking brake to work forever. I do use it frequently though in hopes that will keep it from seizing up.

^That and the stock crappy functionality of the 5EAT manual mode are like the only 2 things I truly dislike about my car. E-brake ass-dragging in my Maximas when it snowed was one of my all-time favorite things to do.

^That and the stock crappy functionality of the 5EAT manual mode are like the only 2 things I truly dislike about my car. E-brake ass-dragging in my Maximas when it snowed was one of my all-time favorite things to do.

 

Well, compared to your FWD Maxima, you have power to your rear wheels now. Hitting the gas to slide the back out is way more fun than braking.

Yup, one of the reasons I'm really looking forward to my first winter with the car.

 

Although, I have to say, the 00-03 Maxima's long, heavy rear end made it really good at throwing the tail out and holding angle with the help of the handbrake. For FWD anyways.

Hate to say it but I fear this issue will continue to come up as our cars age...let us know how it goes!

 

 

I just need to make sure I use the correct language with the dealership so they don't charge me a $150 diagnostic fee... [emoji35]

 

I may contact the same service tech and just follow up with her...

 

If I were keeping this car, I'd be more inclined to just let the dealer do their thing but I need this thing sold before November and I don't want to drop $2000 on a silly electronic parking brake issue. I'm already $500 in with diagnostic and replacement of brake actuator assembly.

 

Heck, I drove WITHOUT it for the week and a half while waiting on the part to be shipped! I didn't miss it... (I think the car did though with its confused hill holder engaged the whole time)

 

But nobody wants to buy a car that had a flashing red light on the dash, not without low balling me and having some logical reason for doing so.

It's been a while but the problem has been resolved.

 

I STILL had the flashing brake light after I installed the actuator and brake module. This time Hill Holder assist wasn't engaging despite brake actuator functioning now. Got around to bringing it in to the dealer... they came back with reconfiguring the parking brake, viola.

 

Let's compare costs....

 

Dealership $1400 to replace actuator/module and recheck.

 

Me: new actuator/module: $350

Taken to dealership for reconfigure parking brake: $200.

 

I'll take the $850 savings all day.