Auto Parking brake causing issues off road

[dgorsett]

Just bumping to see if anyone has had a similar problem yet. I have had no further issues, but still curious what happened incase it reoccurs.

While traveling moderate to rough trails (steep, washed out , rocky) trails in Arizona this past week I experienced the parking brake sticking on after auto applying on a steep grade when shifted to park. The owners manual states the brake will apply when shifted to park on a steep grade, then will release manually or automatically when back in gear. The problem is it would not disengage on two occasions. Miles back in, rough country at night, not good.

Both times I was in low range in steep terrain, placed the Bronco in Park to scout the route, was unaware, but the Bronco also set the parking brake. The first time I really didn't know what was happening, by the second time I figured it out. I had to power through the brake, the obstacle and the steepness, it was about all the Bronco could do. The Bronco did not auto disengage as it should and , once I figured out what was going on, would not manually disengage. I powered through to a leveler spot, the first time it disengaged right away, the second it took about 10 minutes with on off cycles, every brake related warning light in the book, hood popping and owners manual reading then just magically released itself.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this and is there a work around? Do any of our Ford service friends @flip @Ducati1098 or @RagnarKon have an answer? Both times I was unaware the brake had set, I did not try to manually disengage until after I noticed the problem, I wonder if that would have worked?

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[Scott R Nelson]

At the Moab Bronco Off-Roadeo that I attended in September I was taught the proper way to use the park brake and get it into Park.

Step one, set the park brake.
Step two, shift into neutral and let off of the brake until things settle.
Step three, stick it in park.

This will save you from damaging your transmission.

If you do it the way they taught, then release the park brake by hand when you're ready to get going again, you shouldn't be having any of these issue.

 

[Beach_Bum]

At the Moab Bronco Off-Roadeo that I attended in September I was taught the proper way to use the park brake and get it into Park.

Step one, set the park brake.
Step two, shift into neutral and let off of the brake until things settle.
Step three, stick it in park.

This will save you from damaging your transmission.

If you do it the way they taught, then release the park brake by hand when you're ready to get going again, you shouldn't be having any of these issue.

The steps should be:
1. Apply foot brake.
2. Shift into neutral
3. Set park brake
4. release foot brake (let the weight settle).
5. apply foot brake (won't be able to shift without doing so) and shift into park.

Using the parking brake as a habit, will prevent premature wear/tear to the parking pawl.

I was not aware of the parking brake being set automatically on steep grades.

 

[Ducati1098]

I haven’t ran into this before, so I can’t explain why it didn’t automatically release like it was supposed to. Anytime the parking brake is applied and you use the accelerator pedal it should disengage right away.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

The steps should be:
1. Apply foot brake.
2. Shift into neutral
3. Set park brake
4. release foot brake (let the weight settle).
5. apply foot brake (won't be able to shift without doing so) and shift into park.

Using the parking brake as a habit, will prevent premature wear/tear to the parking pawl.

Oh yeah, like that.

You must have paid attention better than me.

 

[dgorsett]

The steps should be:
1. Apply foot brake.
2. Shift into neutral
3. Set park brake
4. release foot brake (let the weight settle).
5. apply foot brake (won't be able to shift without doing so) and shift into park.

Using the parking brake as a habit, will prevent premature wear/tear to the parking pawl.

I was not aware of the parking brake being set automatically on steep grades.

A lot for my small mind to remember, especially when in aa challenging off road situation but Ill try. And I understand why, to save the pawl, but not sure it will help with failure to disengage.

BTW neither time did I leave the vehicle, my spotter got out while I shifted to Park with my foot on the brake and the Bronco auto engaged the parking brake.

 

[HeliPilot]

A lot for my small mind to remember, especially when in aa challenging off road situation but Ill try. And I understand why, to save the pawl, but not sure it will help with failure to disengage.

BTW neither time did I leave the vehicle, my spotter got out while I shifted to Park with my foot on the brake and the Bronco auto engaged the parking brake.

Can you not disable the auto brake feature through SYNC?

 

[dgorsett]

Can you not disable the auto brake feature through SYNC?

Idk, but I bet they call it a safety feature so probably not, I'll check.

 

[Tricky Mike]

Anytime the parking brake is applied and you use the accelerator pedal it should disengage right away.

I find this to be very hit or miss so I'm in the habit of manually disengaging it.

I don't think the 7MT automatically applies it on a grade, at least I've never had it happen.

 

[dgorsett]

I find this to be very hit or miss so I'm in the habit of manually disengaging it.

I don't think the 7MT automatically applies it on a grade, at least I've never had it happen.

Right, I think the act of putting AT in park sets the brake on steep grades. I'm curious if setting it manually or releasing it manually would have eliminated my issue. Hard to test now as it seems to take a pretty severe grade to trigger auto set.

 

[userdude]

Oh yeah, like that.

You must have paid attention better than me.

I took my brother, who was Hummer qualified in the Marines and apparently they teach you that sequence? At least he knew it. I don't think I ever got it right that day, and he always caught it...

 

[userdude]

A lot for my small mind to remember, especially when in aa challenging off road situation but Ill try. And I understand why, to save the pawl, but not sure it will help with failure to disengage.

BTW neither time did I leave the vehicle, my spotter got out while I shifted to Park with my foot on the brake and the Bronco auto engaged the parking brake.

So you never rolled back? That was what I figured happened, you got out and it caught on the pawl and the Bronco tried to defensively prevent wear or something. Very strange, I don't know if there's a way to replicate it near your dealer so you can show the service people (or if you got video or they can get it from the computer), but that's a little concerning in my mind. Your brakes on a 4-5k vehicle are important!

 

[dgorsett]

No roll back, had to power forward through brake and obstacle. Eventually tried releasing, resetting, releasing and powering down nothing. Then randomly, while standing by the door, Bronco not running it just released, I could hear it and it moved a smidgen.
It would be near impossible to replicate at dealer, these were steep hills!

 

[Solfive]

I use the proper parking procedure every single time I park and my Bronco still stranded me when I couldn’t get it to disengage.

Side note, and no judgement, but I didn’t realize how few people set their brake in the proper sequence until reading this forum over the last couple of years. I learned how to drive on a manual trans so it’s always been kind of intuitive ever since. I’m glad this gets talked about to help save some wear and tear for those who were never taught.

 

[dgorsett]

I use the proper parking procedure every single time I park and my Bronco still stranded me when I couldn’t get it to disengage.

Side note, and no judgement, but I didn’t realize how few people set their brake in the proper sequence until reading this forum over the last couple of years. I learned how to drive on a manual trans so it’s always been kind of intuitive ever since. I’m glad this gets talked about to help save some wear and tear for those who were never taught.

So tell me about the failure to disengage and what you did to resolve.

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