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just picked up a CPO last week. on cold starts, my brake release lever does not release my parking brake. it takes about 3 to 4 tries to get it to release. is there some special way I'm supposed to pull the release?
I have that problem too on my 2012 E300. Tomorrow morning is going to be extremely cold (-24ºC) so I did not engage the foot brake because of that.
However, I found a way to release it quickly. I call it the "hand-foot brake" method. So instead of only pulling the release handle and waiting for the pedal to come back, I use my other hand to accelerate the process... So I basically pull the parking brake pedal with my arm. And it takes 1 second.
EDIT
Pulling the pedal by myself is however very hard when it's very cold so I contacted my dealer about the issue. The mechanic looked at it and checked if the brake mechanism was at least functional (it was). Then he asked me what I wanted him to do: either unmount the parking brake system and try to solve the issue or order a new brake mechanism and install it another day. Fortunately, I chose the first option: it took him about half an hour to fix it by simply adding some lubrification to the system. Now the pedal comes back as normal and it cost me Can$120 for 0.7 hour of work.
Last edited by Mathieu Dostie; Feb 3, 2019 at 02:00 PM.
Reason: Added fix solution by the dealer
I had the same issue on my 14, when cold (35 or below) it didn't come all the way back, needed 3 or 4 tugs on the release to make the "BRAKE" light turn off. Took it in and they replaced the pedal assembly, CPO paid for the repair.
My parking brake release lever was messed up. I had to pull the lever with major force. Even then, the parking brake still wouldn’t release sometimes.
While in for regular service, I got it fixed under warranty. Same solution that maxshop previously reported.
Attached is a screenshot of the repair service.
Originally Posted by maxshop
I had the same issue on my 2014 E350 and I got it fixed from the dealer under manufacturer's warranty. Here is the work they performed as listed on the invoice:
B CLIENT STATES PARKING BREAK RELEASE IS DIFFICULT TO RELEASE WHEN COLD
425857 PARKING BRAKE PEDAL WITH MOUNT REMOVE/INSTALL, REPLACE PART(S) IF NECESSARY
28060
PARKING PEDAL IS VERY STICKY AND NOT RELEASING FAR ENOUGH TO HIT PARKING BRAKE SWITCH//
REMOVE PARKING BRAKE ASSY..
D&A ASSY AND CLEAN ALL ANTI CORROSION COATING FROM LOCK DRUM COIL SPRING.. PEDAL ASSY NOW MOVES FREELY//
Same issue with my 2016 Wagon. If parked outside in cold weather, the parking brake will refuse to disengage. It was mentioned at last service and apparently they cleaned and lubed the cables but it happened again last month while on a ski holiday. I was able to pull up on the pedal itself until it released, but it was verrrrry stiff. I hope this isn't one of those issues they keep chasing it around until the warranty expires :-(
See if you can get dealer to replace pedal assembly.
My brake release actually works now. I simply pull, brake easily disengages and I drive off.
In hindsight, my brake release was seriously out of order. I was almost going to break the brake release lever because I was pulling so hard prior to getting it fixed.
Originally Posted by need2speed
Same issue with my 2016 Wagon. If parked outside in cold weather, the parking brake will refuse to disengage. It was mentioned at last service and apparently they cleaned and lubed the cables but it happened again last month while on a ski holiday. I was able to pull up on the pedal itself until it released, but it was verrrrry stiff. I hope this isn't one of those issues they keep chasing it around until the warranty expires :-(
This seems to be a common problem. (have same problem on 2016 E350)
My parking brake assembly was completely replaced under warranty four years ago, and the problem has now come back.
This time mechanic lubed the hell out of the thing, and it doesn't require multiple pulls, or waiting for a few minutes anymore.
This seems to be a common problem. (have same problem on 2016 E350)
My parking brake assembly was completely replaced under warranty four years ago, and the problem has now come back.
This time mechanic lubed the hell out of the thing, and it doesn't require multiple pulls, or waiting for a few minutes anymore.
These cars a really well built to deploy predictible trouble. Imagine if this was an honnest defect fixed already, it should come back when time's up. In that sense, the issue was not fixed because it is still there unaltered.
This seems to be a common problem. (have same problem on 2016 E350)
My parking brake assembly was completely replaced under warranty four years ago, and the problem has now come back.
This time mechanic lubed the hell out of the thing, and it doesn't require multiple pulls, or waiting for a few minutes anymore.
do you recall if the last time also happened during the fall or winter months?
Mine was replaced under warranty, cold season. After two years started again, cold season early morning or nights only. It went away ( and partially ignored it ) and came next cold season. This time I injected lubrication through the cable sleeve, and working correctly for two years.
Sometime may be the spring, and sometimes i think the grease MB uses harden/decays and basically prevents sliding
do you recall if the last time also happened during the fall or winter months?
When the whole assembly was replaced, it was in April 2019.
So it wasn't that cold then, but I did notice when the issue returned, it was much more noticeable during cold days. (it actually re-occurred last winter; went away during warm months, and then came back again last month)
The parking brake pedal uses a strong spring coiled up on itself.
When the petroleum grease is mostly evaporated from summer heat, what's left is like a concentrated sticky substance ie. GLUE -
The big spring sticks to itself
I cleaned up and used high-temp silicone brake grease: no issue since
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; Nov 16, 2023 at 02:09 PM.
When the whole assembly was replaced, it was in April 2019.
So it wasn't that cold then, but I did notice when the issue returned, it was much more noticeable during cold days. (it actually re-occurred last winter; went away during warm months, and then came back again last month)
Yep, mine has been trouble free for a year so far.
It would not fully release, brake was still engaged no matter how many times I pulled release handle.
I sprayed it like in video. Then I pulled the release handle and worked park brake pedal up and down several times to work in the WD-40. Waited 10 min to let WD-40 to soak in, then repeated process once more.
As predicted in post #35, my dealer “cleaned and lubed” the assembly, or so they said, every time I made the complaint but never solved the issue. Off warranty now, I’ve learned a technique to pull up on the underside of the pedal with my foot at the same time as pulling the release handle. Thanks for this video, I’ll give that a shot!
Mine also sticks on cold days. Ive noticed if you move the car forward or reverse a little and try releasing again, it works much faster and with less pulls.
Going to try that WD40 method from the video above.
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