RS6 E-Brake Failure: Common Causes and Fixes

As someone with moderate experience working on German performance cars, I dealt with a very similar parking brake fault on my 2011 RS4. The symptoms were identical, complete parking brake failure with warning lights. After proper brake diagnostics, the workshop found the electric motor in the brake calliper was defective, requiring replacement. The repair involved: Full electronic system scan, Brake calliper removal and inspection, Electric motor replacement, Recalibration of the parking brake system Total cost came to 505 Euro including parts and labor. The vehicle safety inspection confirmed everything was working correctly afterward. The electronic parking brake systems on these models are known to have similar issues around the 10-year mark. Getting it fixed promptly is important since it affects overall vehicle safety. To provide more specific advice about your situation, could you share: Current mileage, When the issue first appeared, Whether you hear any sounds when engaging the parking brake, If any other brake-related warning lights are showing This would help determine if your case matches what I experienced or might be something different.

Had my service done just last week at 100085 KM. The technician ran comprehensive brake diagnostics and found the parking brake control module was failing intermittently. Turns out the brake fault was triggered by a corroded wiring connection at the module, not the motor like in your case. The repair cost came to 280 Euro including new wiring harness and labor. Much better than replacing the entire motor assembly. Vehicle safety verification showed all systems working normally now.

Thanks for the update on your RS6 repair. Interesting that your electronic brake issue turned out to be wiring-related rather than a motor failure. These system glitches with corrosion are actually fairly common on the RS models, especially as they age. My RS4 needed the full motor replacement, but looking back, I wish the shop had checked the wiring connections first. Could have saved a good chunk of money. Your 280 Euro repair bill sounds much more reasonable than my 505 Euro motor replacement. The brake control modules on these cars are pretty robust, but the wiring connections can definitely be a weak point. At least you caught it before any complete brake failure occurred. Your lower mileage probably helped too, mine was at 140000 km when the problems started. Did they apply any protective coating to prevent future corrosion issues with the new wiring harness? Might be worth asking if they didnt, since these electronic brake systems can be sensitive to moisture and corrosion.

Just got my car back and wanted to share the final outcome since others might face similar electronic parking brake issues. The brake diagnostics confirmed it was a corroded wiring connection at the brake control module causing intermittent failures. Much simpler fix than a full motor replacement. Total repair was 280 Euro for a new wiring harness and labor, way less than I feared after reading about motor failures. The vehicle safety check confirmed everything is working perfectly now. They also applied a moisture-resistant coating to protect the new wiring from future corrosion. Really glad I had this parking brake fault checked out promptly instead of waiting for a complete brake failure. The repair shop mentioned these wiring issues are fairly common in the electronic systems as these models age. For anyone else getting warning lights or errors with their parking brake, definitely worth having the wiring connections inspected before assuming worst-case scenarios.