Parking Brake Malfunction Error (and Air Bag Error)

[Caster]

I was driving home today and all of a sudden my car spit out two errors, Parking Brake Malfunction Error and the Air Bag light went on. I don't know what could of caused the error, I wasn't doing anything specific just driving normally, and poof, two errors were spit out. I figured I'd drove home and check the manual, so when I got home I parked the car, turned it off, and turned it back on again just to see if it would throw the errors again, and they were gone. I engaged the parking brake, which was fine and didn't show any errors. I checked the manual when I got in the house and it said to press the SET button to explain the malfunction in more detail, which I didn't do and can't do now that the error was gone. It also reports that I should go have it repaired immediately by an Audi dealer.

What do you guys think? Has this happened to anyone? Let me know! Thanks!

[SharkB8]

Same thing happened to me a few months ago, the errors went away by the next day. Take it to your dealer and have them check it out just in case.

[B8xman]

yea just take it to the dealer, whats the big deal?

[thefizz]

I had this. There is a connector under the seat that can get knocked loose or be damaged by things like taking it to the car wash. The dealer will know how to fix it.

[Caster]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm going to take it soon, just thought I'd get some info before I walk in clueless...

[turr520]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm going to take it soon, just thought I'd get some info before I walk in clueless...

Was this fixed? It happened to my B8 S4. I took it into the dealer and they kept my car for 3 weeks, not knowing exactly how to fix it. Finally they thought they had it fixed, but the warnings have come back again. This only happens sporadically and it's very frustrating. Any help is appreciated.

[routertyty]

I just got the "parking brake malfunction" error this evening too. I'm almost due for my 15k service. Question... can I wait to take this into the dealership for fixing or should I go in right away? Just not sure how safe it is or if I'll break something by driving this way for a long distance. Thoughts?

[coolwater]

Do you have access to a vagcom?
The vagcom would tell you exactly what's going on.

-cW

[routertyty]

Here are the error codes I got from VCDS:
************************************************** ****************************-
Address 03: ABS Brakes (J104) Labels: 8K0-907-379.clb
Part No SW: 8K0 907 379 BJ HW: 8K0 907 379 BJ
Component: ESP8 quattro H04 0050
Revision: ******** Serial number: **************
Coding: 1D0D18
Shop #: WSC 02391 823 56573
VCID: 8201E0DCA494

1 Fault Found:
00473 - Control Module for Elect. Park/Hand Brake (J540)
013 - Check DTC Memory
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01101101
Fault Priority: 6
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 78
Mileage: 20494 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:26

Freeze Frame:
Hex Value: 0x00C0
Hex Value: 0x4002
Hex Value: 0x1232
Hex Value: 0x02AD
Hex Value: 0x00FF
************************************************** ****************************-
1 Fault Found:
9446407 - Seat Occupied Recognition Safety Belt Force Sensor
B1024 07 [008] - Mechanical Failure
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:25
************************************************** ****************************-
Address 53: Parking Brake (J540) Labels: 8K0-907-801.clb
Part No SW: 8K0 907 801 H HW: 8K0 907 801 H
Component: EPB Audi B8 H09 0100
Revision: 00000003 Serial number: 00000000739555
Shop #: WSC 00000 000 00000
VCID: 346DF6042EA0

1 Fault Found:
01321 - Control Module for Airbags (J234)
013 - Check DTC Memory - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00101101
Fault Priority: 4
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:26

Freeze Frame:
Voltage: 14.00 V
Count: 80
Speed: 0.0 km/h
Hex Value: 0x02E0
Hex Value: 0x0001
Hex Value: 0x0101

[oldred]

Yea happened to me at 700 miles it was a connector issue. It seems to have been one of those snap together connector coming loose... they did have to remove console

[OmaHahn]

Why take it to the dealer - it cost time & money do to this. Plus 98% of the time the errors just go away. My parking brake dummy light came on 2 or 3 times within a one week period. I was actually going to take it to the dealer thinking something is wrong, well the dealer couldn't get me in for a week or so and guess what? The light has never come back on and it's been 8 months. The brake works fine too. If it works, ignore the dummy light - unless it keeps coming on, that gets annoying.

[coolwater]

This indicates a sensor or physical disconnect.
I'd have it checked-out at the dealer if you are under warranty.
Don't clear the codes and show the SA the errors.
-cW

1 Fault Found:
9446407 - Seat Occupied Recognition Safety Belt Force Sensor
B1024 07 [008] - Mechanical Failure
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:25

Here are the error codes I got from VCDS:
************************************************** ****************************-
Address 03: ABS Brakes (J104) Labels: 8K0-907-379.clb
Part No SW: 8K0 907 379 BJ HW: 8K0 907 379 BJ
Component: ESP8 quattro H04 0050
Revision: ******** Serial number: **************
Coding: 1D0D18
Shop #: WSC 02391 823 56573
VCID: 8201E0DCA494

1 Fault Found:
00473 - Control Module for Elect. Park/Hand Brake (J540)
013 - Check DTC Memory
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 01101101
Fault Priority: 6
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 78
Mileage: 20494 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:26

Freeze Frame:
Hex Value: 0x00C0
Hex Value: 0x4002
Hex Value: 0x1232
Hex Value: 0x02AD
Hex Value: 0x00FF
************************************************** ****************************-
1 Fault Found:
9446407 - Seat Occupied Recognition Safety Belt Force Sensor
B1024 07 [008] - Mechanical Failure
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:25
************************************************** ****************************-
Address 53: Parking Brake (J540) Labels: 8K0-907-801.clb
Part No SW: 8K0 907 801 H HW: 8K0 907 801 H
Component: EPB Audi B8 H09 0100
Revision: 00000003 Serial number: 00000000739555
Shop #: WSC 00000 000 00000
VCID: 346DF6042EA0

1 Fault Found:
01321 - Control Module for Airbags (J234)
013 - Check DTC Memory - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00101101
Fault Priority: 4
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:26

Freeze Frame:
Voltage: 14.00 V
Count: 80
Speed: 0.0 km/h
Hex Value: 0x02E0
Hex Value: 0x0001
Hex Value: 0x0101

[Highlander1010]

I did that to mine when I pulled out the MMI trim and had to disconnect the Hazard light button. It automatically got tripped. Airbag + Parking sensor. The dealer reset it for me without any cost or questions.

[NeedQuattro]

I had this. There is a connector under the seat that can get knocked loose or be damaged by things like taking it to the car wash. The dealer will know how to fix it.

Anyone else run into this problem again? My Parking Brake and Airbag light went on a couple weeks ago and I just cleared it though VAG, (error was for the airbag sensor not parking brake) I just washed my car and it came back on. I am leaning towards the airbag connector, does anyone know where it is so I can see if it came loose? Thanks!

[SDF1]

I had all of them lol

1) If you only get Control Module for Elect. Park/Hand Brake (J540) , then it's the electronic brake switch, tell your dealer to replace it!

2) I've gotten the airbag, transmission, parking all go error when the MAF sensor cable was loose. I've seen it happen with people that changed their air filter and not reconnected it. Just push it and make sure it's snug and the clip isn't broken.

[Vito Roma]

The exact thing happened to me (auto) dropped it off at the dealer this morning. Happened last night when my wife was adjusting the passenger seat...weird, didn't feel safe having her in the car and the passanger airbag off. Washed the car 4 days ago (Def not the issue) and was stopped at a light when the park brake malfuction and airbag light turned on.

[Vito Roma]

Well they said they ran a test and it cleared itself. They said if it happens again they will have a better idea what caused it. As of right now they said it could be the seat belt, loose wire, or seat weight system. I just hope it doesn't happen again...

[B G 8er]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just returned from a frustrating time with my Auto Electronics shop. The reason for the session was to diagnose and fix a black and white verses color issue with my back up camera connected to my XCar Link.

Just left the shop and now I have this same problem. Air Bag and Parking Break malfunction!

We are pretty sure the camera is defective and so going back and tearing everything up was a complete waste of time!

However now I am worried about these error codes.

We did have the trim around the MM screen off as well as have the hazard switch/passenger air bag sensor light unplugged (possibly when the accessory/ignition was switched on and off).

Wondering if it is safe just to clear the codes and see what happens?

My Son was in the passenger seat on the ride home and the indicator light was off. Then when he exited the car the passenger air bag off light came on.

The light on the parking break switch is working as is the parking brake.

Highlander, I am thinking this is exactly what happened to you?

Advice?

[B G 8er]

Problem solved. Greg @ Eurocode to the rescue. It was due to the plugs on the hazard switch/passenger airbag sensor warning light on the MMI surround being disconnected while the ignition was switched on. Thanks Highlander for your earlier post and to Greg at Eurocode for the fix!

[Speycaster]

I had the exact same issue when I switched out my stock seats for the S4 seats. With help from DavidB8, it turned out to be the the connection of the black plug under the passenger seat. After checking and re-seating all connections, the codes went away. David went through tons of vag-com screens and wiring diagrams to diagnose/ trace the problem to this exact plug.

[Speycaster]

First try disconnecting you neg side of battery (like rebooting a computer) then clear the codes with vag-com.

[quattroforlife]

been driving around with the air bag and parking break for a solid 4 months..lol...been waiting for the 25k service and the dealer said they would take care of it...i have about another 1500 miles to go but from what ive read i could possible just plug the MAF sensor in again and maybe check some plugs under the seats?

[buelldozer]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I thought I'd add my experience in here.

I had this exact problem with my 2009 A4 and here is what I did and found.

First off these connectors, in my car at least, are black and are located in the following places: Drivers Side - right hand side of the seat towards the rear. Passenger Side - middle of the seat, towards the rear.

First off elevate the seats as high they will go, then move the seatback forward as far as it will go, then move the seat itself about 1/2 to 3/4ths of the way up. This will give you enough room to work and make your inspections.

On my car VCDS was showing an intermittent fault on the drivers side so I was pretty sure that was the problem side but I checked them both anyway. I found that the connectors were good to go, remembering to check both sides of each connector, but looking closely I noticed that the wire loom between the drivers side buckle and the seat connector was wedged into the track. When I removed it I found that the track had pinched the loom and partially severed the shielding on one of the wires. I removed the buckle from the car and repaired the wire. Re-installed the buckle, be sure to use Lok-Tite Red, and then used VCDS to clear the error (Airbag module)

IMHO Audi screwed up here, instead of using what amounts to heat shrink tubing they should have used real rigid plastic wire loom. With the thickness and stiffness of that stuff it would have positively prevented this from ever happening. When I re-installed this is what I did to prevent it from happening again.

Presto! Parking brake error is gone and the airbag light went out. Hope that helps someone who ended up here from a Google search...like I did.

[SDF1]

For the Parking Break Error (J540), they couldnt figure it out and it came and went till they replaced my EPB Switch and voila. never had that error again.

[Wah]

For the Parking Break Error (J540), they couldnt figure it out and it came and went till they replaced my EPB Switch and voila. never had that error again.

What is the EPB switch?

When the car spits out Parking Brake Malfunction and/or ESP Malfunction, more than 90% of the time, it will be due to a failing MAF sensor.
If you received an airbag error (the little red guy with a big balloon on his lap), then I would take it in. I experienced this two weeks ago, took it in and turns out one of the connecting wires was loose. The tech re-welded them together, erased the code, and the issue was solved.

[SDF1]

What is the EPB switch?

When the car spits out Parking Brake Malfunction and/or ESP Malfunction, more than 90% of the time, it will be due to a failing MAF sensor.
If you received an airbag error (the little red guy with a big balloon on his lap), then I would take it in. I experienced this two weeks ago, took it in and turns out one of the connecting wires was loose. The tech re-welded them together, erased the code, and the issue was solved.

If you disconnect the MAF and turn on the car be ready to see XMas lights and yes the ESP malfunction is one of them lol I also had that issue but that was after a service the Audi Tech must of broke it and it fell. They knew it was them because it was a few days after the service. They got me a new MAF and connector :D

[VonnyBoy]

Was this fixed? It happened to my B8 S4. I took it into the dealer and they kept my car for 3 weeks, not knowing exactly how to fix it. Finally they thought they had it fixed, but the warnings have come back again. This only happens sporadically and it's very frustrating. Any help is appreciated.

I had the exact same issue... Took it to the dealer and they determined my rear e-brake motors were failing. They replaced both of them and everything is good now.

[crash1121]

I had the exact same issue when I switched out my stock seats for the S4 seats. With help from DavidB8, it turned out to be the the connection of the black plug under the passenger seat. After checking and re-seating all connections, the codes went away. David went through tons of vag-com screens and wiring diagrams to diagnose/ trace the problem to this exact plug.

THANK YOU!

[Lulink]

I have this issue also, the parking brake. I took my car to dealer and ask for check up the error. I didn't say what kind of error yet...but when I say parking brake, the technician guy was about to jump to my car suddenly hold up and walked back to his manager and say "its a parking brake". It kinda give me a quick thought that this issue is very seem common. Then the manager walked to me and say how could possible situations may happen and cause this problem and ask me to make appointment for check up. I still have this issue and wait for my appointment next week. But...before I left, He said this is not very big issue cause I live in Houston, which the roads and grounds almost flat, so he let me know and not make me worry too much about this. But It just give me bugging feeling when I start the car and the buzz on say you have problem.

One more thing is my right fog light sometime off and the warning turn on, but couple days later, its disappear. I heard a lot friends who had Audi before say they usually have problem with wires or electric system.

[cameraz]

My 2009 Premium Plus A4 has this problem also. My Airbag warning light and Parking Brake malfunction lights come on intermittently. I researched and several people traced the problem to a yellow connector plug under the floor under the driver's seat. I sprayed some electrical contact cleaner on the plug's contents, then I cleared the codes using a scanner. A couple of days later, the warning lights came back on.

A week earlier, I took my car to my dealership, and they told me I have a faulty Passenger Occupancy Sensor. They quoted me a price of $1,616.00 to do the repair. Labor is $500, and the part -- 8K0-898--522-K -- is $991.09. The dealership said the sensor was located inside the front passenger seat, and that they would have to take the seat out to replace it.

So I told the dealership to hold off on doing the work, and they charged me a $125 diagnostic fee. I think this is a little exorbitant, to say the least.

I'm really discouraged about this because I'm only planning to keep the car another year, and hate to have such a major expense.

[booost]

My 2009 Premium Plus A4 has this problem also. My Airbag warning light and Parking Brake malfunction lights come on intermittently. I researched and several people traced the problem to a yellow connector plug under the floor under the driver's seat. I sprayed some electrical contact cleaner on the plug's contents, then I cleared the codes using a scanner. A couple of days later, the warning lights came back on.

A week earlier, I took my car to my dealership, and they told me I have a faulty Passenger Occupancy Sensor. They quoted me a price of $1,616.00 to do the repair. Labor is $500, and the part -- 8K0-898--522-K -- is $991.09. The dealership said the sensor was located inside the front passenger seat, and that they would have to take the seat out to replace it.

So I told the dealership to hold off on doing the work, and they charged me a $125 diagnostic fee. I think this is a little exorbitant, to say the least.

I'm really discouraged about this because I'm only planning to keep the car another year, and hate to have such a major expense.

The diagnostic charge is standard, for the cases when people decide not to do the repairs the dealer doesn't lose money. This is exactly why my car will never see the Audi dealership again once the warranty expires.

[Dr Chill]

Does anyone know the exact location of the sensor related to this fault code?

1 Fault Found:
9446407 - Seat Occupied Recognition Safety Belt Force Sensor
B1024 07 [008] - Mechanical Failure
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Reset counter: 118
Mileage: 20494 km
Date: 2011.11.04
Time: 19:42:25

[m9xx411]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but does any one have pictures of what cables I'm looking for

[moonlines]

The E-brakes are not calibrated in sync when you pull the electronic brake button... could this be the problem?

[PLSTKBMPR]

This just happened to me today. Tried to put on the parking brake and it malfunctioned. It happened last week but it went away. Now its back and my parking brake will not engage no matter what I do. I'm not too worried and don't really use it but now that I know it's malfunctioned its going to bother me all day and night. What cables do I check under the seats and how is this related to the electronic parking brake? I just want this thing fixed without going to the dealer and paying for something that I can do myself... Thanks!

[B44]

The exact thing happened to me (auto) dropped it off at the dealer this morning. Happened last night when my wife was adjusting the passenger seat...weird, didn't feel safe having her in the car and the passanger airbag off. Washed the car 4 days ago (Def not the issue) and was stopped at a light when the park brake malfuction and airbag light turned on.

Not to go off track. But how is it that your cluster displays speed?

[Aistis]

I have the same issue , my friend slammed the trunk and those two lights came up. Tried disconnecting then battery but it didn't helped, gonna go to my mechanic on tuesday

[98A4TurboAWD]

BUMP.

Happened to me when I disconnected the dash plastic surrounding the MMI to replace the bulb.

This was months ago and it has never gone away, even after the battery was disconnected all day while I did my rear main seal.

Connectors under each seat were fine. Don't have access to VAG. Anybody found a fix for this?

[blbroo]

BUMP.

Happened to me when I disconnected the dash plastic surrounding the MMI to replace the bulb.

This was months ago and it has never gone away, even after the battery was disconnected all day while I did my rear main seal.

Connectors under each seat were fine. Don't have access to VAG. Anybody found a fix for this?

I reset my error with dashcommand and it has stayed away.


For News 3, I'm Chuck Taylor

[98A4TurboAWD]

I reset my error with dashcommand and it has stayed away.


For News 3, I'm Chuck Taylor

Which obd2 adapter did you use with your Audi?