What! New car I can't change rear brakes w/o scanner w brake servicing?

[UG_Passat]

welcome to 2005 (or even earlier)

 

[brianl703]

Yes, if your car has an electronic parking brake where the parking brake is engage/disengaged by an electric motor, instead of a mechanical lever connected via cable, you will need a scan tool capable of retracting the motor all the way so the brakes can be serviced.

That's not always true. I replaced the rear brakes on my 2013 Chevy Volt, which has an electronic parking brake, without using a scantool.

(The rear brakes didn't actually need to be replaced, but the person I bought the car from had bought the rotors and pads because they thought the rear brakes were making noise (I never noticed it) so since I had the parts I replaced 'em).

 

[CleanSump]

A lot of 'new automotive technology' is really just a solution in search of a problem, IMO.....and it creates customers for the dealer....

Automatic parking brakes were available on Cadillac and Chrysler top end cars back in the 1960s.
Put it in Drive and the brake released, put in Park and brake engaged.

 

[brianl703]

Automatic parking brakes were available on Cadillac and Chrysler top end cars back in the 1960s.
Put it in Drive and the brake released, put in Park and brake engaged.

Some versions of the Ford Crown Victoria had a parking brake that released when you put it in Drive. Putting it in Drive applied vacuum to a release mechanism on the parking brake.

 

[nthach]

My 05 prius needs the dealer scan tool to bleed the rear brakes, important in a world where salt corrodes their lines.

Tried it without the scan tool, upon booting the car turned on the red warning triangle and refused to move out of park. It noticed a lack of pressure during power-on self-check.

The front brakes bleed if someone does something with relays under the hood.

By the time your car needs servicing, the scanner will cost less.

The gen 2 Prius absolutely needs Techstream or a scan tool to run the bleed routine. While there is a way to pull the ABS relays and bleed the fronts conventionally and them hold down the pedal to cycle the brake actuator for the rears, it’s not recommended. Toyota officially put that as a backup method without Techstream for the gen 3/4 cars and other hybrids.