2019 Mini Countryman Rear brakes... need tool?

[bowlofturtle]

Not much on the web in terms of DIY.

But I did find a youtube video of someone doing it on a 2019 that needed a scantool to reset the rear brakes.

Are these scanners somewhat easy to find locally and cheap?

I did the front brakes on this mini not to long ago and it was simple stuff. I did notice it had rear electric parking brake switch tho. If I need to spend like $200 on a tool, I might as well let the dealership do it.

I've heard of others just disconnect power to the battery and doing the work but not sure how to wind the piston with no issue.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

I worked on a couple vehicles with electric parking brake (2013 VW Tiguan and 2010 Volvo XC70) and on both I was able to disconnect the actuator from the caliper, and just manually drive it in by turning it. Don't know if the MINI has that option, but I had zero issues after re-assembly with new brakes on both vehicles.

Edit: here is an example for what I did on the Tiguan and XC70. No computers required for recalibration in my case. Scroll to 2:30 into the video.

 

[14Accent]

Attempting to service electric calipers without following procedure has never been recommended. It's not a simple matter of retracting the calipers. After service, the EPB module needs to learn the new stop points of the caliper piston to prevent burning out the motors and/or module.

My advice: do it right.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Attempting to service electric calipers without following procedure has never been recommended. It's not a simple matter of retracting the calipers. After service, the EPB module needs to learn the new stop points of the caliper piston to prevent burning out the motors and/or module.

My advice: do it right.

Does it learn once and keep it forever, or does it get reset (like the rest of the computers) every time the battery is disconnected for a period of time? Just wondering if disconnecting the battery before starting the job and reconnecting it after brake job is finished will do the same as spending hundreds of dollars on a tool to do the same thing... In my case - both vehicles lived happily ever after, but wondering if something got messed up by my redneck engineering procedure? Although if it would've been messed up, I'm sure there would've been a code or warning light somewhere, but neither car had it. Just genuinely wondering...

 

[14Accent]

As far as I know, after any brake service the module needs to learn an "initial" value, which is then updated each time the parking brake is engaged. As the pads wear, the module adjusts this initial value as needed.

 

[atikovi]

If I need to spend like $200 on a tool, I might as well let the dealership do it.

So you rather spend $400 at the dealer to replace the brakes instead of buying a $200 tool you can use again and again? Or sell.

 

[bowlofturtle]

So you rather spend $400 at the dealer to replace the brakes instead of buying a $200 tool you can use again and again? Or sell.

I meant to type $2000 on those fancy bi directional snap on tools.

I highly doubt I’ll use it again. One know if one mini owner.

 

[dbias]

My obdeleven scan tool i use on my vw and audi was 80 dollars. It does 99% of what the factory tool does.

 

[atikovi]

Maybe https://www.amazon.com/Autel-MaxiCh...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

 

[MCompact]

My Carly App can do it as well.

 

[Accent Abuser]

I worked on a couple vehicles with electric parking brake (2013 VW Tiguan and 2010 Volvo XC70) and on both I was able to disconnect the actuator from the caliper, and just manually drive it in by turning it. Don't know if the MINI has that option, but I had zero issues after re-assembly with new brakes on both vehicles.

Edit: here is an example for what I did on the Tiguan and XC70. No computers required for recalibration in my case. Scroll to 2:30 into the video.

Yeah I do this all the time on everything with an electronic parking brake, sometimes the computer doesn't like it and you have to press the parking brake button a few times, shut off the car and restart it etc but fiddling with it usually satisfies it eventually, just be careful with the bolts, that plastic is more brittle than you think. Also tighten only, turning counter clockwise will pop the piston out.

 

[Hall]

There is almost certainly a "manual" method of putting the vehicle's brakes into some type of service mode. On Fords, you turn the key, press the accelerator to the floor a certain number of times, etc, etc.

If that Mini uses BMW's components, it looks like you physically remove the electric motor and then turn the piston in like normal (https://bimmerlife.com/2019/07/20/diy-brake-jobs-and-the-electronic-parking-brake/).