"Service Electronic Parking Brake" In Jeep Cars – Why?

When you get a pop-up message on the screen of your Jeep, it may scare you to death. You may know that once you visit the dealership, you should keep your pocket open for the dealer's greedy hand to get into it as deep as they want. But wait, some messages can be dealt with just by simple DIY methods.

Service electronic parking brake message highlights

• Common reasons:EPB problems, 12V battery dying, connection and wiring problems
• How to fix:check the battery, check wires, inspect the EPB motor
• Possible consequences:the parking brake may not be available, car may not start
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Yes, if it starts
• DIY repair:Possible but complicated
• Repair price range:$150-$800

Here's what I will tell you today:

• What's the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message telling you about?
• What are the most common reasons for this problem to happen?
• Best fixes and DIY inspection tips for your Jeep.
• Can you still drive when you see this message?

Let's get started!

Explaining the error message

So, the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message can only appear on the dash of modern vehicles that actually have the electronic parking brake. Instead of having a big lever of the handbrake between the seats, these vehicles have a small button or knob for applying the parking brake.

This system is not mechanical and doesn't have the physical wire connected to the knob, hence the name "electronic". The button sends the signals to the control unit, and the control unit commands the brakes to engage using special actuators.

Originally, Jeep meant the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message to be shown when you have some problem with this brake system. For example, the electronic control unit doesn't get the signal from the knob or the actuator isn't applying the brakes on one of the wheels. This will result in this message popping up on the dash.

Weirdly enough, the parking brake will be engaged when this message appears on the dash of your car. It means that you will have to know some wizardry to let your car move again. But I will tell you more about it later in this article.

Now, let's pay attention to the reasons and fixes for this problem.

Why does this message come up?

Well, although there are several things to mention here, the most obvious and common issue is the problem with the battery voltage. But let's go through all possible issues before we come to the conclusion of what you should check in your Jeep.

Here are the possible reasons for the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message to appear:

1) Battery voltage is low

One of the most common issues that will trigger this error message in about 95% of cases is the battery problem. When the voltage of your battery drops lower than 12 volts, you can expect absolutely weird things to happen with your vehicle.

Given that the electronic parking brake completely relies on the battery when the engine is off, it will be one of the first systems to trigger the error message on the dash of your Jeep. The parking brake will have problems engaging or disengaging due to low power in the network and will throw the message.

Actually, the low voltage can also be spotted by several other messages and errors, as well as by the slow cranking of your engine when you are trying to start it. Later on, I will tell you what you should do when this happens.

2) EPB button problem

Modern Jeep vehicles are far from being as tough and reliable as the Jeep cars that were made two decades ago. All these electronically controlled things are very convenient but they aren't as durable as you may think.

It's enough to spill your coffee once on that electronic parking brake button to make it die. Also, it may be damaged by too strong pressure on it when trying to engage the parking brake. So, try to remember if something was wrong with this button recently.

3) EPB actuators are malfunctioning

Your electronic parking brake relies on the actuators that physically move the brake pads on the rear wheels when commanded by the control module. These actuators are located on the wheel hubs and are prone to different kinds of damaging factors like stones thrown by wheels or mud covering them.

If one of these actuators fails, it will immediately throw the message on the dash once you try to engage or disengage the parking brake. In this case, a thorough inspection is needed to understand if the actuator can be repaired or should only be replaced.

4) Wiring problems

In a modern Jeep car, everything depends on the wiring. Electronic modules will not work unless they get all the needed signals from all the connected units in your car. That's why even one corroded or broken cable can lead to issues with the parking brake system.

This often happens after accidents, especially the rear-end ones or side impacts. One small wire can just fall off the connection and you will spend days or weeks trying to find it. In this case, a proper inspection in the dealership will help.

5) Software glitch

I place it last because this is not really common for Jeep cars. Yet, it's also worth checking out. Sometimes, the control modules freak out and throw all kinds of different messages simultaneously blocking the work of the units in question.

So, the EPB control module can have a glitch that will apply the parking brake and throw this message on the dash. Usually, this problem is hard to locate because it's intermittent. One time you start the car and everything is fine, another time it shows the error and you can't disengage the parking brake.

Also, you may want to have a look at the service bulletin by NHTSA about the EPB problems with some Jeep models between 2014 and 2016.

So, what should you do with this message?

I would start with the two easiest reasons that are pretty straightforward in checking and repairing: the battery and the software glitch.

Here's what you should do in these cases:

• disconnect the battery - first, take off the cable from the negative terminal, then from the positive one;
• wait for 5-7 minutes and connect the battery (first positive terminal, then the negative one);
• check if the problem is still there;
• if the problem isn't solved, try jumping the battery using a charger, a booster, or jumping cables and another vehicle;
• if the battery shows low voltage and is over 4 years old, you may consider replacing it with a new one;
• after replacing the battery, check if the problem disappears.

In most cases, after you make these steps, you will be able to resolve the problem and the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message will disappear from the dash of your car.

But if the problem persists and you can't drive the vehicle due to the issues with the engaged parking brake, you will need some professional help. Now, the question is if you can go there on your own because the brake is engaged and you can't ignore this fact. Let's see.

Can you still drive the car when this error is active?

You can technically drive with the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" message on your dash unless the parking brake is stuck engaged. In this case, you will need to somehow release the brake which is not that easy to do.

The service mode will not help as the EPB control module doesn't get the proper signals from other units or can't command the EPB motors to do their job. So, there are two ways to disengage the parking brake, in this case:

• Dealing with the initial problem that causes the parking brake to jam the pads to the rotor. For example, you may need to charge or change the battery.
• Taking off the EPB motors from both sides of the car and using appropriate tools to manually release the brake pads. This will require some expertise and also a car lift, so for many of you, this will not be a good option.

If you can't release the parking brake, the only option is to call a tow truck and take your car to the nearest repair shop or to the dealership. The vehicle will be inspected there and mechanics will deal with the problem. Unfortunately, this will not be done for free. Even if the car is still under warranty, some units aren't covered by it like the battery or the damage from physical impact.

Final thoughts

If your Jeep Compass or Renegade shows the "Service Electronic Parking Brake" error message, you may find it super-difficult to solve. However, in most cases, this is just the battery. Charge it or use another battery to make sure that the proper voltage supply solves the problem.

If this doesn't help, you may need professional help as there are several units in the electronic parking brake system that may require replacement or servicing. Unfortunately, when it comes to EPB repairs, this is not a DIY task and you will need to go to the dealership or some independent shop that you trust.