Hi everyone,
Purpose is just to share recent experience I had with my Explorer ST, here in Europe. It might help you for future brake kit choice.
I had same car during recent professional life in US and decided to get same one in Europe and installed Rotora brake kit.
Recently I had to replace both OEM electric parking brake engine. They were burn out.
As you know by design these OEM brake moves a piston to press the disc, until the calculator switch off the electric engine.
Rotora design is different. The parking brake piston is not in the caliper, but in an additional part in between OEM electric engine and the disc. Process is the same, an endless screw move the Rotora piston to press the disc. The Rotora disc width is roughly 50% higher than stock ones so the distance to press the disc by the piston is lower.
What happen when you use parking brake ? The endless screw never stop ! After few months engine is burn out.
Why the calculator doesn’t switch off the engine ? Because it refers to a longer distance that was calibrated with stock discs having lower width, and considers that the piston has to move again to really block’ the disc, whereas the piston is already on it !
To fix it, recalibration of the electric engine is mandatory through the OBD plug. The issue is that, calibration is « out of tolerance » given a too high disc width (I guess) and there is no way to change limit values or something else.
And engine not calibrated have many consequence : no parking brake with red flag and alarm on dashboard, no more cruise control, hold on, hill decent assistance… Even worse, technical control required each two years in Europe refused !
Why this situation is becoming a serious problem in Europe ? Because European Union has decided that from 2025 parking brakes has to be electronically activated when the car engine is switch off.
Rotora has no solution and prefers to ignore the issue. Take care with them.
So my advice to you is, when you choose brake kit, never forget the way it works for the parking brake.
Hope it helps
Purpose is just to share recent experience I had with my Explorer ST, here in Europe. It might help you for future brake kit choice.
I had same car during recent professional life in US and decided to get same one in Europe and installed Rotora brake kit.
Recently I had to replace both OEM electric parking brake engine. They were burn out.
As you know by design these OEM brake moves a piston to press the disc, until the calculator switch off the electric engine.
Rotora design is different. The parking brake piston is not in the caliper, but in an additional part in between OEM electric engine and the disc. Process is the same, an endless screw move the Rotora piston to press the disc. The Rotora disc width is roughly 50% higher than stock ones so the distance to press the disc by the piston is lower.
What happen when you use parking brake ? The endless screw never stop ! After few months engine is burn out.
Why the calculator doesn’t switch off the engine ? Because it refers to a longer distance that was calibrated with stock discs having lower width, and considers that the piston has to move again to really block’ the disc, whereas the piston is already on it !
To fix it, recalibration of the electric engine is mandatory through the OBD plug. The issue is that, calibration is « out of tolerance » given a too high disc width (I guess) and there is no way to change limit values or something else.
And engine not calibrated have many consequence : no parking brake with red flag and alarm on dashboard, no more cruise control, hold on, hill decent assistance… Even worse, technical control required each two years in Europe refused !
Why this situation is becoming a serious problem in Europe ? Because European Union has decided that from 2025 parking brakes has to be electronically activated when the car engine is switch off.
Rotora has no solution and prefers to ignore the issue. Take care with them.
So my advice to you is, when you choose brake kit, never forget the way it works for the parking brake.
Hope it helps
