Video showing a DIY method of retracting the rear brake caliper pistons on a Mk2 Citroen C4 Picasso with electric handbrake. It is recommended that you employ a professional for any work on the brakes of your car.
With my car stationary, ignition OFF and electronic parking brake ON as per usual, I opened the bonnet and disconnected the battery positive connection (after checking the dashboard display was dark). I then loosened the brake fluid reservoir cap, wrapped some kitchen roll tissue around it and placed an old towel beneath it. The next step was to raise the rear of the car and remove the road wheels. Starting at the nearside wheel, I removed the connector from the electric motor on the calliper. This has 4 pins but the outer pins are the ones that operate the motor. I connected a previously prepared twin core cable with crimped connectors suitable for sliding over the two the outer pins on the calliper motor. The other ends of this cable were stripped back to expose the copper conductors. I connected the copper conductors to an old 12V car battery and listened until the motor stopped turning with the parking brake fully off. Reversing the connectors at the battery reverses the motor's direction and applies the parking brake so a bit of trial and error may be needed to discover the polarity needed for parking brake OFF/ON. Just make sure you remove power from the motor once you hear it stop. Once the parking brake is fully off, the calliper can be removed, the calliper piston can be fully retracted and the brake pads replaced in the normal fashion. With new brake pads fitted and the calliper replaced, connect the test lead wires to the 12V battery until to the motor puts the parking brake fully ON. Remove test lead and replace the brake motor connector. Replace the road wheel and repeat the whole procedure on the offside rear brake. Tighten the brake fluid reservoir cap and remove any towel/tissues used to collect surplus brake fluid. Reconnect the car's positive battery connector and close the bonnet. Inside the car, switch on the ignition and reset the Time/Date. Start the engine and take your car for a test drive to check all is well. With the above method there is no need to remove the calliper motor and manually wind the parking brake off.
Thanks for the video. Between this and a forum post I found I felt confident to attack this myself, I was concerned about the potential handbrake fault but fortunately did not get this. To confirm I followed the steps of turning on the ignitiion but not engine, disabling the handbrake then turning off the ignition. (Video is a little confusing that turning off the ignition is commented but not recorded). Removed wheel, caliper and then motor from caliper. Reversed the piston with the TX50, replaced the pads, replaced the caliper, rewound the piston until the disc wouldnt spin and then backed off until the motor would mate with the piston and then everything else back on. No problems! Much less expensive than the dealer quoted!
Great post mate, worked a treat. BTW I disconnected the electrical motors and there were no faults registered, once the ignition was left off during the process.
Brilliant video we have a 67 plate c4 watched ya video an just finished doing fronts an rears witch I've never done on one of these absolutely brilliant great help
Great video clear short and to the point very useful thank you keep up the good work. Have to admit it took a bit of practice getting the inside brake pads back in with the springs but whats life without challenges! Now I'm on for the " Airbag and pretensioner "warning light which comes on for the first 40 seconds of some drives ...dont think its going to be an easy one Thanks again made the job very straight forward indeed
Did you sort out that " Airbag and pretensioner "warning light ? If you've had any other suggestion, ignore mine, but sometimes it's just corrosion on the fuse / fuse box (the one that is mounted above the battery) or a mangled wire in the wire loom from the fusebox. If you want to go this way, test the fuse, its seat, then the resistance of each of the related wires in the wire loom. Granted, it's a tedious process, but one to do once you've eliminated all the other potential causes and of course before throwing expensive parts into the car. Hth. And if youy found it to be caused by another thing and pinpointed the problem to a given component / part, please do explain what it was and how you sorted it out. Cheers.
Not sure you'll see this. But what point have you placed your jack stand at there? The area around my jack points is badly rusted and prone to crumple.
just seen this video, I didn't turn off my ignition whilst changing the brake pads. I now have an error on my braking system and cannot apply the handbrake anymore. Is there any other way to fix rather than going to the dealers
Hi mate, can you please let me know if brake calibration is required after changing pads? Thanks to your video, very clear, to the point, simple and helpful. My cars already have electric handbrake fault on so I didnt need to take the handbrake off. Please make more videos.
That's all well and good, however you can't calibrate the cable to get the tension correct. You may find you'll have too much slack in the cable which will effect braking force.
Hi Roly, My electric handbreak is not working same car just flasing, signs on the dasbord saying have handbreak repaired. i have diganosed and code says change caliper with electric handbreak. i am not sure if its correct
U have the option to deactivate auto parking brake . And light will show auto parking is of and and no need to remove the electric motor . Just read the manual or go on the screen on the car settings then information and it show exactly how to deactivate auto parking permanent if u want to
great vid mate.will this get rid of the prob i have with handbrake faults coming up.have no handbrake at all and i have replaced switch on dash and shorted out the terminals in car to no avail.still have lights on dash,thanks in advance for any help.cheers
Hello, great vid! A little off subject but not by far.... any chance you could tell me the braking system used front & back? Bosch / TWE etc. I am having a nightmare trying to find out. My car is 2016 C4 PIcasso Blue HDI 👍
Fantastic video thanks for posting it. Got to do this job on my 2016 model. Noticed that the 2 caliper bolts are Torx E13 and could not find a socket anywhere in this size. I have E12 & E14. How did you overcome that problem did you find an E13 socket from somewhere?
Very helpful. I have heard elsewhere that the off-side electronic parking brake unit needs screwing back CLOCKWISE, and the near-side's ANTI-CLOCKWISE, Can anyone confirm whether this is the case, please? (And for anyone wondering about the actual brake piston - these should be pressed straight in, and not 'wound'.)
Having now done this job - on my 2015 Picasso C4 with Bosch brakes - I can confirm that BOTH EPB 'pistons' need to be screwed back CLOCKWISE. If needed, you can confirm this on your own brakes by turning them each way and observing the hydraulic piston - do the opposite of what makes them come out! A few more points, in case it helps; The EPB motors on mine were secured to the callipers using 5mm HEX (Allen) screws and not Torx - took me a few minutes to work out why the hell the latter wouldn't fit properly! It is absolutely ok to unclip the EPB cable connector for this job, and that makes life MUCH easier (provided, I understand, you do not start up the ignition during the job until it's complete and the EPB is re-connected). Cover the two open connector ends with tape - there will be a fair amount of dust flying around. When pressing back the hydraulic pistons, do not 'wind' them back, but press them straight in - they simply do not need to be 'wound' (the EPB does this bit), and you'll also run the risk of distorting the piston's rubber garter. Once the new pads are fitted, pressed snugly against the disc, and the calliper replaced, take up the slack using the EPB piston by winding it anti-clockwise to bring the brake piston forward. You can judge it's far enough by the disc starting to bind (so back it off - clockwise - a good half-turn or so until it's free-running again), or just do it enough to take up any obvious gap, and the EPB will do the rest later once applied. Then turn the ignition back on (WITHOUT pressing the clutch to start the engine!) and engage the EPB - it'll 'whirrr' to FULLY take up any slack and get the brakes all set. Do NOT press the foot brake BEFORE this - you ideally want the EPB to take up the slack, and then for the 'hydraulics' to start from this base position.
Great work. But why need to remove the motor? You removed at released position, and after the retraction you refit also in the same position. Why did you not retracted the piston with the motor attached? Or the handbrake shaft do the adjusting after the change? Thx for the answer.
I found that I could not retract the caliper without first removing the motor. The motor needs to be run backwards to unlock the piston and that's only possible with the service software. Removing the motor and turning the cailiper shaft allowed me to unblock the piston. My guess is if you try to let the handbrake do all the adjustment after refitting the software won't like it.
@@rolydixon4173 some guy tells me i can retract the piston if i release the handbrake, i dont need to remove it. I have Diagbox software, but there isnt any option for that. I found "set release/on position" (i think its do the same like the handbrake button). There are "Change handbrake actuator L/R" "change brake caliper" and " calibrating handbrake" also, but not found for example "set removing position" Anyway, i get the parts today, tomorrow i`ll try the job, i will tell you what i figured out. Thx for the answer.
In this video I was changing the pads without using diagbox software. If the software you have supports the Picasso Mk 2 you should be able to re-calibrate the handbrake after fitting - so no need for you to remove the motor. Hope it goes ok for you.
Any way to activate the electric hand brake on? I saw on the video you have deactivate it. Mine seems like permanently deactivated as the annoying warning alarm when open the door. Plus I get a electric parking brake fault message on dash . Any idea? Is that have any link with worn rear brake pads?
@@Jm96ify Did managed to replace the pads but the electric parking brake fault still exists. However a local gaurag told me that the issue is with caliper and its motor. Cost about £300 with labour.😩😦
roh007 Yes mine has the same problem. Taking it to the dealers tomorrow to see how much they say. So will let you know. I’ve changed my brake pads it’s just the parking brake fault.
This is just the video I was looking for but confused as you say the ignition MUST be off so there isn’t a fault detected but your video shows ignition on when you exit the car .. please explain?
@@rolydixon4173 Ah ok .. so should I follow your video step of ignition on (without key inserted), press handbrake button to disengage and then just switch the ignition off (or will this reapply the handbrake?)..
