Continental is expanding its product range for electric parking brake repairs in the independent aftermarket. Workshops can now order both motors and preassembled caliper-motor units as original ATE parts. PMM finds out more.
‘‘Our aim is to offer the aftermarket as many spare parts as possible in OE quality,” explained Peter Wagner, Head of OE & Aftermarket Services at Continental. “Independent workshops can now benefit from our OE expertise when repairing electronically controlled parking brake systems.”
Electric parking brakes from Continental are used in many different cars within the Volkswagen Group, so workshops can obtain products for numerous high-volume models made by VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat, including VW Golf VII Arteon, Audi A3, Skoda Superb, and Seat Leon. The company will soon also offer spare parts for electric parking brakes in the vehicles of many other European manufacturers.
An economical alternative
The servomotor in a brake works hard and can often fail before the brake caliper does. In such cases, Continental offers workshops an alternative that is appropriate to the vehicle’s current value: a separate servomotor in OEM quality. The entire brake caliper unit doesn’t have to be replaced, just the motor, which saves time and money. The defective motor is removed, a new one is installed, and the motor is then relearned to the vehicle by a diagnostic device like the Autodiagnos Check. After that, the car is ready to go again.
Brake caliper unit simplifies replacement
If, on the other hand, the caliper in an electronic parking brake is faulty, it is usually necessary to replace the motor along with it.
“In a vehicle with a damaged caliper, the motor tries to compensate and raises its output to extreme levels. Then it’s only a matter of time before it fails,” explained Henrik Ohlhaver, Product Manager at Continental. “Here a new brake caliper unit is the simplest solution because our new units are delivered preassembled.”
Drivers who opted for coloured brake calipers when they bought a new car won’t have to do without them after a repair job. In addition to its standard product, the company offers calipers in matt black, tornado red and ultramarine blue – just like the originals.
E-learning courses
Continental’s experts make sure that their knowledge is passed on to the aftermarket. The Training Centre offers numerous courses on basic electrical practice, the design of modern driver assistance systems, brake servicing and brake diagnostics. In addition, the company’s e-learning programme includes an object-based training course on electric parking brakes. The online Knowledge Centre also provides video tutorials on brakes. Anyone who is interested can download the training programme here, find out where the courses take place and then book them.
