Land Rover Defender: Electric parking brake (EPB)

Do not rely on the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) to hold the vehicle stationary if the brake warning lamp is illuminated.

Seek qualified assistance urgently. A faulty EPB system can lead to personal injury or death.

The EPB operates on the rear wheels, therefore, secure parking of the vehicle is dependent on being on a hard and stable surface. Operating the EPB on wet or loose surfaces may lead to damage to the vehicle or personal injury.

Do not rely on the EPB to operate effectively, if the rear wheels have been immersed in mud or water. Doing so may result in damage to the vehicle or personal injury.

The Electric Parking Brake (EPB) switch is located on the switch pack between the steering wheel and the driver's door.

Operate as follows:

1. With the vehicle's electrical system switched on, press the brake pedal, and pull the EPB switch out to release the EPB.
2. Push the EPB switch in to apply the EPB. The EPB warning lamp illuminates to confirm.

   Note: The red EPB warning lamp continues to illuminate for at least 10 seconds after the vehicle's electrical system has been switched off.

The EPB automatically applies when Park (P) is selected.

Note: To prevent automatic operation, with the vehicle stationary, pull out the EPB switch to the release position before selecting P.

The EPB applies automatically if the vehicle's electrical system is switched off and the vehicle's speed is below 2 mph (3 km/h).

Note: To prevent automatic operation, when the vehicle is stationary, pull out and hold the EPB switch. Within 5 seconds, switch off the vehicle's electrical system and continue to hold the EPB switch for a further 2 seconds.

If the EPB is operated when the vehicle's speed is less than 2 mph (3 km/h), the vehicle is brought to an abrupt stop. The stop lights do not illuminate.

Driving the vehicle with the EPB applied causes serious damage to the braking system.

When stationary, with the EPB applied and the transmission engaged in a forward or reverse gear, press the accelerator pedal to gradually release the EPB. The vehicle can now be driven away smoothly.

When shifting from P with the EPB applied, the EPB automatically releases to allow a smooth drive away.

Note: Automatic EPB release for pulling away from standstill is only possible when the driver's door is closed, or the driver's seat belt is buckled.

To override the EPB automatic release, push the EPB switch in and hold.

In an emergency, apply and hold the EPB switch to give a controlled reduction in the vehicle's speed. The vehicle can be brought to a complete stop. The vehicle must be traveling at more than 2 mph (3 km/h), and the accelerator pedal must also be released. The EPB warning lamp flashes, a warning chime sounds, and the instrument panel displays a warning message. The stop lights illuminate.

Release the EPB switch, or press the accelerator pedal to, release the EPB.

If an EPB fault is detected, the instrument panel displays a warning message. The amber brake warning lamp also illuminates. If a fault is detected during EPB operation, the instrument panel displays a warning message. To protect against unintentional vehicle movement, the EPB is automatically applied when the driver is detected to be exiting the vehicle. The EPB is applied when Drive (D), Neutral (N), Reverse (R) or Sport (S) is selected and all the following conditions exist:

• The vehicle is stationary.
• The driver's door is opened.
• The brake pedal is released.

The EPB drive away feature operates if:

• The EPB is applied.
• A forward or reverse gear is selected.
• The driver's seat belt is fastened or the driver's door is closed.*
• The accelerator pedal is pressed.

* If it is believed the driver has left the vehicle, only the driver's seat belt is monitored.

Note: The vehicle may move briefly before the EPB is applied. On a steep slope, the EPB does not apply if significant vehicle speed is reached as the brake pedal is released.

Note: If the EPB is released and the driver exit conditions are still met, the EPB will automatically re-apply after a short period of time.

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