Your helpful guide to the Tesla Model 3 parking brake

[Seth2020]

These three things are true:

1. Whenever the car is put into Park (P), the parking brake is applied. You can call this "automatic parking brake"

2. If you press and hold the right stalk end-button for 3-4 seconds it will apply the parking brake if it is not already applied. If already applied it will make a small noise as it re-actuates the parking brakes, accomplishing nothing since they are already applied. You can call this "manual parking brake". Manual parking brake can also be activated from the touchscreen

3. The red parking brake symbol (dash light) on the touchscreen ONLY shows up if you have used the *manual* parking brake (#2 above)

How do I know this? The Owner's Manual. All of the following are direct excerpt from the owner's manual:

=====
Park
Press the end of the gear selector while Model 3 is stopped. Whenever Model 3 is in Park, the parking brake is applied.

=====
Parking Brake
The parking brake automatically engages when you shift Model 3 into Park, and releases when you shift into any other gear. Note: The parking brake operates on the rear wheels only, and is independent of the pedal operated brake system.

=====
When you use the touchscreen to manually apply the parking brake, the red parking brake indicator lights up on the touchscreen .

=====
((P)) The parking brake is manually applied. See Parking Brake on page 63.
["((P))" is the red parking "dash light" symbol]

=====
Caution: In emergency situations, if the brakes are not functioning properly, press and hold the Park button on the gear selector to bring the vehicle to a stop. Do not use this method to stop the vehicle unless absolutely necessary.

 

[h2oAok]

Is the "manual" parking brake exactly the same as the regular parking brake? or is it similar to a hand brake on a regular vehicle.
If they are exactly the same then why is there even a need for a "manual" brake mode?

 

[Occhis]

As mentioned above, it can be used as an “emergency” brake if the normal brake system is malfunctioning.

 

[destructure00]

Long pressing the park button is good info to have and know. For those that don't know, the parking brake mechanically applies the rear brakes through an electric motor and screw that pushes on the inner rear brake pad. In the event that hydraulic pressure is lost (brake fluid leak), the parking brake should theoretically be able to still be applied.

 

[Seth2020]

I will admit, I do find it confusing that the ((P)) icon ONLY appears when you manually apply the parking brake. IMO it should always appear when the parking brake is set.

 

[linux-works]

also worth mentioning is that if your car is on an incline, say its on slippery pavement like ice - if your noise is lower than the tail, the parking brake is not really very effective. some reports of people having their cars hit stuff when 'parked' on their driveway, inclining down.

when you think about it, you realize the parking brake is on the REAR, ONLY; but its useful to be reminded of that.

 

[sonicP3D]

I think the "manual" parking brake is a further level than the "automatic" parking brake when you shift into P.

Lightly place your feet on the brake pedal, don't apply any force at all, just feel it.
Shift into P with a quick push on the stalk button. Nothing happens on the pedal.
Hold the stalk button for the "manual" parking brakes. You hear a quick sound, and the pedal goes down a little.

Difference! What's the difference? I don't know. But it's something.

 

[Watts_Up]

=====
Parking Brake
The parking brake automatically engages when you shift Model 3 into Park, and releases when you shift into any other gear. Note: The parking brake operates on the rear wheels only, and is independent of the pedal operated brake system.
=====

Coming from a car with manual transmission, you need to re-learn how to drive as you don't need to use the brake pedal or the hand brake.
And going back to a manual transmission car after a while, you forget to downshift when you need to slow down, like in a curvy road,
or even you forget to press on the clutch and go to Neutral when you stop your car...

- So if I go to Park, does the electrical parking brakes are constantly activated or is there a latch mechanism to lock or unlock the parking brakes?

I just wonder if I park in a slanted street and the battery (I guess the 12 V battery) get drained,
if there is no power, will the parking brake been dis-activated then and the car will start to roll?

 

[mongo]

also worth mentioning is that if your car is on an incline, say its on slippery pavement like ice - if your noise is lower than the tail, the parking brake is not really very effective. some reports of people having their cars hit stuff when 'parked' on their driveway, inclining down.

Yeah, but if you slide on ice, the issue is really the tires, not the parking brake.

- So if I go to Park, does the electrical parking brakes are constantly activated or is there a latch mechanism to lock or unlock the parking brakes?

I just wonder if I park in a slanted street and the battery (I guess the 12 V battery) get drained,
if there is no power, will the parking brake been dis-activated then and the car will start to roll?

It requires power to apply and disengage. It does not require power to stay in the same state.

 

[mongo]

I will admit, I do find it confusing that the ((P)) icon ONLY appears when you manually apply the parking brake. IMO it should always appear when the parking brake is set.

It is trying to emulate an automatic transmission vehicle where shifting to P locks the back wheels (mostly) and manually setting the parking brake lights a warning indicator. People would freak if they got a red warning light every time they parked. It might also reduce the attention grabbing effect when there is a true warning indicator for the parking brake system.

I think the "manual" parking brake is a further level than the "automatic" parking brake when you shift into P.

Lightly place your feet on the brake pedal, don't apply any force at all, just feel it.
Shift into P with a quick push on the stalk button. Nothing happens on the pedal.
Hold the stalk button for the "manual" parking brakes. You hear a quick sound, and the pedal goes down a little.

Difference! What's the difference? I don't know. But it's something.

The car may not be appling the parking brake instantaneously when you shift to park. It may delay a few seconds or untill you remove your foot from the pedal to reduce operation cycles.
Try taking your foot off, listen for the noise, then press the pedal and activate the parking brake manually.

 

[Occhis]

I think the "manual" parking brake is a further level than the "automatic" parking brake when you shift into P.

Lightly place your feet on the brake pedal, don't apply any force at all, just feel it.
Shift into P with a quick push on the stalk button. Nothing happens on the pedal.
Hold the stalk button for the "manual" parking brakes. You hear a quick sound, and the pedal goes down a little.

Difference! What's the difference? I don't know. But it's something.

The difference is that your foot brake operates the hydraulic system and the Parking brake operates the independent electric parking brake only system. So the brake pedal has nothing to do with the electric parking brake.

 

[mongo]

The difference is that your foot brake operates the hydraulic system and the Parking brake operates the independent electric parking brake only system. So the brake pedal has nothing to do with the electric parking brake.

@sonicP3D is referring to the difference between what happens when they shift to Park (no apparent change) and what happens when they manually activate the parking brake (noise and pedal movement). My thought is that the parking brake did not actually engage in the first case due to their foot being on the pedal (as opposed to there begin two different levels of parking brake application)

 

[jkoya]

also worth mentioning is that if your car is on an incline, say its on slippery pavement like ice - if your noise is lower than the tail, the parking brake is not really very effective. some reports of people having their cars hit stuff when 'parked' on their driveway, inclining down.

Did not know this - Thanks for the heads up..

 

[sonicP3D]

The car may not be appling the parking brake instantaneously when you shift to park. It may delay a few seconds or untill you remove your foot from the pedal to reduce operation cycles.
Try taking your foot off, listen for the noise, then press the pedal and activate the parking brake manually.

No, I have experimented with this many times well before this thread. It is not a delay thing.

My thought is that the parking brake did not actually engage in the first case due to their foot being on the pedal (as opposed to there begin two different levels of parking brake application)

No, I literally said feel it and don't apply pressure on the pedal. Just go test it out on your car if you don't trust my feets. You can look at the pedal and see it move down if you want to ensure 0 force on the pedal.

Set the car to Drive.
Set the car to Park.
Stare at the pedal.
Wait as much as you want.
Hold the P button for manual parking brake.
Shiiikkk!! Brake pedal moves down a tiny bit.

 

[neptunesfinest]

3 years into production and we still don’t have a definitive answer on this lol

 

[mongo]

No, I have experimented with this many times well before this thread. It is not a delay thing.



No, I literally said feel it and don't apply pressure on the pedal. Just go test it out on your car if you don't trust my feets. You can look at the pedal and see it move down if you want to ensure 0 force on the pedal.

Set the car to Drive.
Set the car to Park.
Stare at the pedal.
Wait as much as you want.
Hold the P button for manual parking brake.
Shiiikkk!! Brake pedal moves down a tiny bit.

Sorry, I didn't know how light lightly was. If lightly had been enough to trigger the switch, that could have been a factor. Though in retrospect that would be a poor design.

Unfortunately, I do not have a car to test on, otherwise I'd do that by having someone else run the controls and checking if it is the parking brake mechanism or the brake booster making the noise, and also checking when the rear wheels lock up.

 

[GoSharks]

People would freak if they got a red warning light every time they parked.

What? If you're parking by the "rules," and using the parking brake, you would see a red light on the dash every time you park. Every manual or automatic car with a manual parking brake, that I've seen, has this light.

 

[mongo]

What? If you're parking by the "rules," and using the parking brake, you would see a red light on the dash every time you park. Every manual or automatic car with a manual parking brake, that I've seen, has this light.

Right, if you purposefully apply the parking brake. But on any other automatic car, shifting to Park does not cause that red indicator to turn on.

 

[PianoAl]

As mentioned above, it can be used as an “emergency” brake if the normal brake system is malfunctioning.

Can you apply it while moving, say, 30 MPH?

 

[mongo]

Can you apply it while moving, say, 30 MPH?

Yes