Parking pawl integrity

[Pianewman]

OK, OK...I'm an idiot. I haven't driven the Tesla for several days. My memory had the sounds reversed.

I have enabled "parking brake applied when activating PARK.

Right stalk, one push, whirring sound (like in other cars with electronic parking brake!) from rear, engaging the parking brake system.

Right stalk, HOLD, (after first push): quiet "clunk" from the rear, probably just mechanically confirming the parking brake is engaged.

 

[alexcue]

OK, OK...I'm an idiot. I haven't driven the Tesla for several days. My memory had the sounds reversed.

I have enabled "parking brake applied when activating PARK.

Right stalk, one push, whirring sound (like in other cars with electronic parking brake!) from rear, engaging the parking brake system.

Right stalk, HOLD, (after first push): quiet "clunk" from the rear, probably just mechanically confirming the parking brake is engaged.

Oh great... now I have to go look and see what mine is set at! I always assumed the parking brake was applied automatically. The car yelled at me when i opened the door the other day without setting Park first. Hadn't done that in a while.

 

[Gaige]

Now a caution note: WIth most conventional vehicles that are front wheel drive or all-wheel drive and have an automatic transmission when you park on a hill, on snow and ice, the vehicle is held by the parking gear pawl (front wheels) and the parking brake (rear wheels) if you do are they teach in driver's education classes (also turn the front wheels towards the curb if pointed down hill or away from the curb if the vehicle is parked pointed up hill.) Tesla vehicles can break free, start sliding on even a slight incline if there is even a thin layer of ice beneath the rear wheels. The extra weight of the Tesla vehicle probably contributes to compressing the snow beneath the wheels into ice and then the wheels lose whatever traction they had when you parked. There are videos of Tesla vehicles that start sliding down a sloped driveway or parking space with a minute or two of being parked. (Summer tires make this even more likely to occur since the rubber compound used on summer performance tires get very hard when the temperature drops below 45F.)

There is a service bulletin regarding having the Tesla Service Center add an additional wire harness to the Tesla vehicle so that the front brakes will also be applied when you activate the parking brake. Not sure if this applies, is available for the Model Y.

This happened to me on a medium steep icy driveway, before I switched out the stock Goodyears.

Definitely makes sense with the weight and those tires. Interested if you can find the service bulletin

 

[jcanoe]

This happened to me on a medium steep icy driveway, before I switched out the stock Goodyears.

Definitely makes sense with the weight and those tires. Interested if you can find the service bulletin

It is not looking good as far as adding front wheel electronic parking brakes to the Tesla vehicle. At least for Model S, X there are separate smaller grey calipers mounted on the rear wheels in addition to the standard hydraulic brake calipers. The smaller calipers clamp onto the rear brake rotors when the electronic parking/emergency brake is activated. To add this capability to the front wheels would require adding the second set of smaller calipers to the front wheels, also wiring to the parking brake controller. I could not find the reference to the service bulletin regarding adding the electronic parking brakes for the front wheels. Maybe it was scrubbed as the information was incorrect.

 

[LevelHeaded]

I’ve never “long pressed” the park button on my M3 or MY. The normal “short press” has always applied what I thought was the parking brake and I’ve had no reason to explore the “long press” option...

An interesting question is, in the absence of a transmission, what does “putting a Tesla in park” mean if the parking brake isn’t applied? Seems like it would freely roll

 

[jcanoe]

I’ve never “long pressed” the park button on my M3 or MY. The normal “short press” has always applied what I thought was the parking brake and I’ve had no reason to explore the “long press” option...

An interesting question is, in the absence of a transmission, what does “putting a Tesla in park” mean if the parking brake isn’t applied? Seems like it would freely roll

When you press the button on the right steering wheel lever you engage the electronic parking brake, every time. Open the driver's door without first pressing the stalk button, the Tesla vehicle automatically will activate the electronic parking brake. When you are stopped, press and hold the right stalk button this does the same thing as just pressing the button briefly. Press the button again and the electronic brake just goes through the routine of clamping the rear wheel rotors when the electronic brake calipers have already been clamped to the rear wheel rotors. It is redundant to press the button a second time.

If you first shift into Neutral, when you press the button on the stalk or open the driver's door, the electronic parking brake will automatically engage.

The only way to have the Tesla vehicle to not automatically set the electronic parking brake when you open the driver's door is to select Transport Mode from the Service Options screen.

 

[Midnightsun]

I had my brakes completely off and disassembled for painting purposes. The parking brake is mechanical in nature however activated electronically when put in park. When the command is sent such as selecting park, a whirring noise is heard, this is a small motor turning a mechanical screw which clamps the rear rotors to the discs. Even if you do not put it in park when stopped and open the door, it will automatically put it in park and apply the parking brake with a message and warning on the screen indicating this. There is a unit on each rear wheel FYI. Pretty simple and effective system completely independent from the hydraulic system.

 

[Pianewman]

88xxx here, again, purchased 12/26/2020.

When I first set up the car, I thought there was a command to automatically "Enable Parking Brake when placing in PARK." That's what made me think that engaging the parking brake was a separate, additional step, UNLESS I enabled it by checking the box. That's what has me confused.

I've had 2 or 3 updates since then. Now I can't find that command (or...it never existed and I'm simply confusing the issue.)

Am I crazy? Was this never an option?

For sure, now, place in PARK, hear the "whirring" sound. If I press the button TWICE, there's a muffled mechanical "click."

 

[jcanoe]

I had my brakes completely off and disassembled for painting purposes. The parking brake is mechanical in nature however activated electronically when put in park. When the command is sent such as selecting park, a whirring noise is heard, this is a small motor turning a mechanical screw which clamps the rear rotors to the discs. Even if you do not put it in park when stopped and open the door, it will automatically put it in park and apply the parking brake with a message and warning on the screen indicating this. There is a unit on each rear wheel FYI. Pretty simple and effective system completely independent from the hydraulic system.

I checked the Tesla parts catalog. The parts list for the front brakes for the Model Y is much shorter than for the rear brakes. There is no motor unit or electronic parking brake (EPB) wiring harness for the front brakes as there is for the rear brakes. Tesla Parts Catalog (You will need your Tesla credentials to log in to the Parts site.)

 

[Midnightsun]

Never said anything about the front as there is nothing there except hydraulics like on every normal car. I know there is no parking brake up front, had them off and apart.

 

[jcanoe]

Never said anything about the front as there is nothing there except hydraulics like on every normal car. I know there is no parking brake up front, had them off and apart.

I created the confusion re the front brakes when I posted that I had read there was a service bulletin that could add electronic parking brakes to the front wheels (not sure which model Tesla this applied to but I believe it was the Model 3.) I can't find the reference now so I think it was bogus and has been scrubbed.

The reason for desiring/needing a front electronic parking brake was the issue where the Tesla vehicle (Model 3 in particular) can start sliding on even a slight incline when parked on even a thin layer of snow. The weight of the Tesla vehicle may play a role; the snow under the wheels turns to ice and you lose all traction. The front wheels are free to roll due to there not being a parking pawl as with a FWD or AWD ICE vehicle with conventional automatic transmission. The rear wheels are locked by the electronic parking brake but the vehicle will start sliding. Not having winter tires makes this scenario even more likely to occur. (Never recall this being a problem with Detroit RWD vehicles so not really sure why the Tesla vehicles have a tendency to break free and slide.)

 

[Midnightsun]

No way can you add "parking brakes" to the front the way they are now. Not made to accommodate any type of electro mechanical device. Bringing wires to them would serve no purpose as there is nothing to connect too.

 

[jcanoe]

What if it was possible to use the front motor to hold, keep the front wheels from rolling? I can envision a scenario such that when you drive the Tesla vehicle on an incline and then park the Tesla's cameras record that the vehicle may be parked on snow or ice. The tilt sensor measures the degree of incline. The Tesla vehicle automatically activates a snow and ice hold mode that locks the front wheels. The rear wheels are already locked by the electronic parking brake. This would require continuous draw of some power from the battery pack. Still, it might prevent this from happening: