Visit Dealer showing while parking brake light flashes

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surfdragon

New member
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
4
I drove the car on a normal Saturday, parked it for a couple hours in the garage, when I started it again, the parking brake in the center console was flashing, the "park" warning on the dash was flashing, and the dash now said "visit dealer".
I've only had the car for 4 days... not happy.
 
One other on here reported a similar experience and they were told by the dealer that is was a parking brake actuator overheat error code. The dealer cleared it and said to bring it in if it did it again...

surfdragon said:
I drove the car on a normal Saturday, parked it for a couple hours in the garage, when I started it again, the parking brake in the center console was flashing, the "park" warning on the dash was flashing, and the dash now said "visit dealer".
I've only had the car for 4 days... not happy.
Click to expand...
 
Visit the Dealer SOON, if you can still drive the car
(rear drum brakes NOT locked).

If the rear drum brakes ARE locked, do NOT drive, and
either release the rear drum brakes manually (hand crank
spot is in the cargo-area floor), or get a LEAF-ride on a truck.

At least your LEAF does not have the "Tea-kettle Syndrome".
Be thankful that you are an Early Adopter, with the chance
to help Nissan find possible problems.
 
I am glad I'm an early adopter. Thanks for showing me the other post! I'm hoping they can fix this fast and that I can get on to driving the car! It was just a bit of a shock to get a problem after only owning for 4 days, and I'm hoping that early adopter doesn't mean mostly driving loaner cars.


The car is at the deal now, and tomorrow morning they will have a look.
 
The dealer has the car - Nissan sent 2 specialists to fix it.

Apparently they had to do some "re-calibration" of something - hopefully I'll get some real specifics tomorrow evening when I pick it up and post it.

By the time I get the car, I'll have had it for 4 days of the 8 that I owned it. I hope this is the last time this happens. Going to blog about it now.
 
The final result: Nissan had specialists come out and they replaced the "brake actuator". It's been working perfectly ever since. They were very helpful and courteous.
 
Have had the Leaf almost a month with no problems so far until this happened this morning. It's an interesting warning..."Visit dealer"???? It sounds so casual. Had to go out so we took our other vehicle, just got back and checked this website because there is so much info here. Well, at least I know I'm not the only one this has happened to. Called dealership and they are trying to reach a "specialist" via cellphone today. If they don't, there will be one on site at the dealership on Monday-at least I have an idea of what it is now. Mine seems to be locked up, not able to move which should be a challenge as it is parked in my garage. Will be interesting to see if they suggest the manual release...will update as the situation changes.
 
TomT said:
One other on here reported a similar experience and they were told by the dealer that is was a parking brake actuator overheat error code.
Click to expand...

So does this mean the parking brake needs power in order to operate? Hard to understand how it would overheat if it didn't constantly draw power while engaged. If you run out of juice, does it disengage?
 
Eleafgrrl said:
Have had the Leaf almost a month with no problems so far until this happened this morning. It's an interesting warning..."Visit dealer"???? It sounds so casual. Had to go out so we took our other vehicle, just got back and checked this website because there is so much info here. Well, at least I know I'm not the only one this has happened to. Called dealership and they are trying to reach a "specialist" via cellphone today. If they don't, there will be one on site at the dealership on Monday-at least I have an idea of what it is now. Mine seems to be locked up, not able to move which should be a challenge as it is parked in my garage. Will be interesting to see if they suggest the manual release...will update as the situation changes.
Click to expand...
Took it in Monday after manually unlocking the brake per the owners manual...never heard from dealer so we just took it in Mon. morning. Is ready for pickup now. Seems to have gone smooth enough.
 
LakeLeaf said:
TomT said:
One other on here reported a similar experience and they were told by the dealer that is was a parking brake actuator overheat error code.
Click to expand...

So does this mean the parking brake needs power in order to operate? Hard to understand how it would overheat if it didn't constantly draw power while engaged. If you run out of juice, does it disengage?
Click to expand...
Yes, it needs power to operate (engage and disengage), but should need none to stay engaged.
 
I had this light come on the other day, but it was a unique scenario. I had my dog with me, and she likes to put her front paws on the center console so she can see (she's a 14 pounder). Well, I didn't realize it at first, but she was repeatedly pressing down on the parking brake button. After a few dozen clicks, the idiot light came on saying there was something wrong with the parking brake and to visit the dealer.

I pulled over, put it in park, tested the parking brake, and the light went off. It hasn't come back on since, and I keep the dog off of it now.

Why do all these things need to be electronic? A cable hand brake would do the trick nicely and use less electricity. :roll:
 
Just one more thing to go wrong. My last car was built in 1968 and had no power brakes, no power steering, cable clutch, cable accelerator, hydraulic brakes, and of course a cable hand brake. Most problems could be fixed in 10 minutes with $10.

But then again, it drank gas, leaked oil and spewed dirty exhaust all all over the place! And the worst part was it didn't have AC.
 
Good to hearthat Nissan fixed it quickly and without incident. Not so good to know that there is now a problem or two recorded with the electronic parking brake.

I'm going on 4 weeks with no problems yet with neither the car nor the Blink (knock on wood).

On a related note, I was disappointed that the parking brake is not a manual hand-brake. If there is an emergency situation, I would feel much better knowing I can yank the $hit out of something to stop the car. The electronic brake is hokey-feeling... even if it does work the same. Hopefully it runs on separate electronics than most of the other car, just in case there is an electrical failure and I need to stop the car.
 
highcountryrider said:
But that wouldn't be high-tech! :lol:

One advantage to the electric actuator may be that it doesn't freeze.
Maybe.
Click to expand...
"Maybe" is right: the working part of the parking is quite normal: cables pulling drum brake inside each rear wheel's hub. (The actuation is electric: an electric motor drives a reduction gear which pulls the brake cables via a multi-plate clutch.) The cables are mostly covered by the rear underbody shield, but the ends where they go into the drum brakes look to be out in the open enough to collect water/moisture and therefore freeze.
 
Good point.

"Your car is completely electronic. Nothing can go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong..."

:eek:

EricBayArea said:
Good to hearthat Nissan fixed it quickly and without incident. Not so good to know that there is now a problem or two recorded with the electronic parking brake.

I'm going on 4 weeks with no problems yet with neither the car nor the Blink (knock on wood).

On a related note, I was disappointed that the parking brake is not a manual hand-brake. If there is an emergency situation, I would feel much better knowing I can yank the $hit out of something to stop the car. The electronic brake is hokey-feeling... even if it does work the same. Hopefully it runs on separate electronics than most of the other car, just in case there is an electrical failure and I need to stop the car.
Click to expand...
 
EricBayArea said:
Good to hearthat Nissan fixed it quickly and without incident. Not so good to know that there is now a problem or two recorded with the electronic parking brake.

I'm going on 4 weeks with no problems yet with neither the car nor the Blink (knock on wood).

On a related note, I was disappointed that the parking brake is not a manual hand-brake. If there is an emergency situation, I would feel much better knowing I can yank the $hit out of something to stop the car. The electronic brake is hokey-feeling... even if it does work the same. Hopefully it runs on separate electronics than most of the other car, just in case there is an electrical failure and I need to stop the car.
Click to expand...
There is a big super capacitor to provide electrical power for the brake system in the event of total electrical failure.
 
What would it take to put one cable to the front (over the Battery Pack) and add a Lever, by passing the electric parking brake motor and the awkward cable "loop" in the rear?
 

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