Put the Electronic Parking Brake into Service Mode

Last updated: June 12, 2026

The Renault Captur (Mk2, 2020–present) uses an electronic parking brake (EPB) on most automatic and higher trims, operated by a switch on the centre console with no handbrake lever. To change the rear pads or discs you must put the rear calipers into service mode first, so the motors retract the parking-brake pistons clear of the disc. The Captur Mk2 has an owner-operated service-mode sequence, so many owners can do this with no diagnostic tool — though later locked ECUs may need a Renault CLIP tool (see below for an honest note).

Be aware that many Captur Mk2 versions — especially manual-gearbox and entry trims — still use a conventional cable handbrake lever rather than the EPB. If you have a pull-up lever between the seats, this guide does not apply: those rear calipers wind back mechanically with no electronics involved. Confirm you actually have the (P) rocker switch before continuing.

Putting the EPB into service mode

Service mode drives the rear parking-brake motors fully open and holds them there, giving the clearance to compress the piston for thicker new pads. Do this with the car chocked on level ground, before you jack up or remove a wheel.

1. Switch the ignition on without starting the engine — press Start/Stop once without touching either pedal.
2. Make sure the lever is in P (automatic) or a gear is engaged (manual).
3. Press and hold the brake pedal and wait about one second.
4. Keeping the brake pedal down, also press and hold the accelerator pedal for at least one second.
5. With both pedals held, press the EPB switch — the red parking-brake light flashes.
6. Within five seconds, while the light is still flashing, press the EPB switch once more. The rear calipers wind open and service mode is active.

If the light stays solid instead of flashing, the timing was missed — switch off, pause, and start over. An honest caveat for the Captur Mk2: some phase-2 and later cars have a locked EPB module that ignores the manual entry, and on those the calipers can only be retracted with an up-to-date Renault CLIP (or compatible) diagnostic tool. If three clean attempts fail, your car is almost certainly tool-only — do not force the calipers.

Critical warning — never force the pistons back

The Captur’s rear pistons are moved by an electric motor turning a fine internal screw. Never push or wind the rear pistons back by hand, and never clamp them in with a G-clamp. Forcing a piston the wrong way strips the spindle or burns out the motor, and a replacement EPB caliper costs many times more than a set of pads. Let service mode retract the piston electronically; once it is open, wind the spindle back only with the correct three-pin Renault rewind tool — never by force.

Exiting service mode and bedding in

With the new pads and discs fitted and both wheels back on, exit service mode in the same order but pull the EPB switch instead of pressing: ignition on, lever in P (or in gear), hold the brake pedal, hold the accelerator, pull the EPB switch, then pull it again within five seconds. The motors clamp the calipers back onto the discs. Cycle the parking brake on and off twice and confirm the warning light behaves normally with no EPB fault message.

Then bed in the new pads: drive gently and make ten to fifteen moderate stops from about 30–40 mph with a cooling gap between each, and avoid hard or sustained braking for the first 200 miles so the friction material transfers evenly onto the discs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Captur Mk2 have an electronic parking brake?
Only some do — mainly automatics and higher trims. Check between the seats: a (P) rocker switch is EPB; a pull-up lever is a cable handbrake and this guide does not apply.

Can I retract the Captur EPB without a diagnostic tool?
Often yes, using the pedal-and-switch sequence above. But locked later ECUs need a Renault CLIP-type tool, so be prepared for that possibility.

Why won’t the service-mode sequence work on my car?
Either the timing was missed (try again from the start) or you have a locked module that only a CLIP tool can command. Three failed clean attempts point to the latter.

Do both rear calipers release at once?
Yes. Service mode retracts both rear motors together, so you run the sequence only once.

What did Renault change about the caliper tool?
Later Renaults use a triangular three-pin spindle instead of the older two-pin design, so you need the matching three-pin rewind tool.

If a brake or EPB warning light or fault code appears afterwards, you can find out what it means at autodtcs.com.