Motor vehicle parking brake control device

A control system for a motor vehicle parking lock, the parking lock having a gear with a plurality of teeth separated by a plurality of grooves, and a detent member movable to a disengaged position spaced apart from the gear, to an engaged position wherein the detent member is received by one of the grooves and to a tooth-on-tooth position wherein the detent member engages an outer end surface of one of the teeth, the control system comprising:

• an actuator for moving the detent member;
• a control circuit for controlling the actuator;
• a sensor for sensing a parameter of the control circuit and generating a signal representing said parameter;
• and
• a control unit for evaluating the signal from the sensor and generating a status signal indicative of the engagement status of the parking lock, the control unit generating a parking lock disengaged status signal when the detent member is in its disengaged position, the control unit generating a parking lock engaged status signal when the detent member is in the engaged and tooth-on-tooth positions.