Can VCDS be used to override the electronic handbrake?

[Quatrelle]

I don’t have VCDS, but if it means being able to do this I’ll happily buy it - I don’t think anyone in France has it, and if they do they sure won’t be anywhere near me!

Passat 3C, 2006.

Sit in the car, handbrake on, seatbelt on, ignition on, clutch down, in gear, bit of throttle, handbrake releases and away you go.

My wife hates it, more especially on a slope in a confined parking space – the brake is either on or off. You can’t wait until the clutch really bites before it releases, as opposed to the manual handbrake in her car.

However, in the same circumstances as above, if the driver releases his/her seatbelt the electronic handbrake will only release when the button is pushed, giving the driver complete control over when the brake releases. This is not to be confused with having to depress the brake pedal to release the handbrake when first getting into the car without using the seat belt.

So, my questions are – can VCDS be used to (a) disable the ‘normal’ way the handbrake works, (b) allow it to be used as above with the seatbelt disconnected, and at the same time disable the chime which cuts in when a certain speed is reached.

Mods: I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, so I've also put it in the 'VCDS - General questions' forum.

[DMitch16]

In a word no. The auto release of the EPB is a safety feature that is built in AFAIK and relies on several sensors working together. The chime is also a safety related item but goes off after 3 minutes. Most will have belted up by then but annoyingly if you put anything of enough weight on the passenger seat it thinks someone is sitting there and Bing, Bing, Bing!!

If you have your seat belt off the EPB will still release with a button press if you keep the clutch down and have your foot on the brake.

[Quatrelle]

Thanks for the reply - that won't please one of us.

I have to say though, as above, that the EPB releases on ours with a button press if the seatbelt, once connected, is disconnected, without pressing the brake pedal, so it can be used similarly to a manual handbrake.

The warning chime also cuts in once a set speed is exceeded.

[Crasher]

The speed warning is set in the dash menu using the wiper stalk buttons. The early 3C handbrake was a bit clunky in the way it worked and was refined later, especially when the hill hold assist option was installed which can be retro fitted but it's costly. The later ECU can also be fitted which has improved software but again, expensive.

[Quatrelle]

Sorry should have made myself clearer - the warning chime I was referring to was that for the seat belt.

[Crasher]

Yes, you can code that out easily with VCDS.

[martin1810]

Quatrelle the epb should release as the clutch bites. My wife hates it and says it doesn't work properly but it works fine with practice. It is guaranteed to act up on a steep hill with another car 2cm behind you.

[Quatrelle]

Quatrelle the epb should release as the clutch bites. My wife hates it and says it doesn't work properly but it works fine with practice. It is guaranteed to act up on a steep hill with another car 2cm behind you.

That's exactly how it is with us. I suppose the problem is that my wife doesn't drive the car often enough to become familiar with it, which is why I suggest, if she's in a tight spot, momentarily releasing the seatbelt (when everything is up and running), so the handbrake then only releases - without the need for a foot on the brake - when she presses the button.

It's a handy little dodge, and I realise it's illegal, but if it gets her (and me sometimes) out of a tight spot, and it only takes a second to replace the belt, it's worth doing.

[DMitch16]

Yes, you can code that out easily with VCDS.

That is definitely something I'd like to do - will have a dig around in VCDS, thanks Crasher.

[Quatrelle]

In a word no. The auto release of the EPB is a safety feature that is built in AFAIK and relies on several sensors working together. The chime is also a safety related item but goes off after 3 minutes. Most will have belted up by then but annoyingly if you put anything of enough weight on the passenger seat it thinks someone is sitting there and Bing, Bing, Bing!!

If you have your seat belt off the EPB will still release with a button press if you keep the clutch down and have your foot on the brake.

DMitch - do you not use the usual dodge of doing the belt up if you put a weight on that seat?

As long as you've had the ignition on and the belt on and haven't previously got out of the car, if you take your seat belt off you don't need your foot on the brake to release the EPB, just a button press.