Parking brake help....stat!

[Alan]

Something funny happened to my parking brake while engaging it just now. I was pushing the pedal in and it sort of gave way...almost like something broke underneath. Now when I push in the pedal it goes back quite easily. It offers no resistance. I checked the connection under the car and everthing looks okay, but I'm not sure what it SHOULD look like normally. Know what I mean?

I have a long trip in the morning and am worried that the parking brake is still in the SET position. Is there any way to check it and/or manually release the parking brake under the car?

[TAF]

Alan,

I forget whether you have an "A" or a "B". If it's an "A"...it will release when you start and put it into gear.

[Smokie]

When you start the car and put it in drive do you hear the release sound ? If you put your car in Neutral on level ground can you push it and get it to roll ?

[Alan]

TAF and Smokie,

Just got in from testing. There is definitely something wrong. It SEEMS to be releasing (fingers crossed for luck) but when the parking brake is activated...it's just not holding. Not sure at this point if the cable just gave way and needs to be tightened back up or if it's something more. All I know is that something gave way when I tried to activate it earlier.

I had my wife push in the parking brake pedal while I watched the cable move back and forth. My main concern was that it didn't release from it's SET position. Looks like that's okay, but a trip to the dealer is in store unless the parking brake is something I can adjust myself with some help from my MM.net friends.

The pedal doesn't have that "resistance" feel to it anymore. It can be activated, the cable moves under the car, but it just seems WAY too easy. I have a slightly sloped driveway. I put the car in neutral, activated the parking brake, and the car didn't hold. It didn't roll back very fast but it's not holding, either.

[Dr Caleb]

Good news and Bad news Al.

Which do you want first? Ok, the bad.

Sounds like the cable to the e-brake snapped. You don't have an emergency brake anymore.

The good? E-brakes usually fail open. You proved this when you said the car would still roll. Don't expect it to roll easy - it's a big car! :)

You can still do your trip. But you don't have that extra insurance of an emergency brake. It's fairly simple to fix, depending on where it broke. Your dealer should be able to do it in a couple hours.

Life lesson! Preventative maintainence!! Those of you who own 4X4's know to engage the hubs at least once a month to keep the hubs lubricated - well, we should all get in the habit of engaging the e-brake on all your cars once a month just to be sure the cables are good, and there is no binding in the mechanisms!!!

Bummer man. :(

[MapleLeafMerc]

Originally posted by Dr Caleb
You can still do your trip. But you don't have that extra insurance of an emergency brake.

Just don't park on any hills!


Originally posted by Dr Caleb
Life lesson! Preventative maintainence!! Those of you who own 4X4's know to engage the hubs at least once a month to keep the hubs lubricated - well, we should all get in the habit of engaging the e-brake on all your cars once a month just to be sure the cables are good, and there is no binding in the mechanisms!!!

Bummer man. :(

Sound advice.

[Marauderman]

Originally posted by Dr Caleb
well, we should all get in the habit of engaging the e-brake on all your cars once a month just to be sure the cables are good, and there is no binding in the mechanisms!!!

(

Good point---something I hadn't though of doing--but I will from now on--a good heads up point --Thanks--Tom

[Alan]

Dr Caleb,

Thanks for your help. It does seem that the brake has done exactly as you've described. However, the cable still moves when activating the parking brake. That's what has me wondering if it's just something of a simple "tightening up"...if you will...of the cable mechanism to set things right again.

Anyone aware of how to do this on a "B" model?

[Logan]

Did you take the wheel off and check the connection cable connection point to the caliper housing? That's usually where it'll snap if it's going to.

[vegasmarauder]

If ALL your cables move the front and the two rear ones, you may have either a slipped or broken cable adjuster. It's located on the left side just in front of the rear wheel. You can see it in the cable. It has a big spring on the end of it. To adjust, you have to release the parking brake. Pull a U clip outward that is about in the middle of the assembly (if yours in broken it may be missing). The spring will preload the cable and make the adjustment. Apply the P/brake and check if it holds. When I have run across this before on CV's and GM's the U-clip has failed/broke. It is defiantely something to have done under warranty because they will put on a whole new cable. Hope this helps..

[GarageMahal]

Originally posted by Dr Caleb
well, we should all get in the habit of engaging the e-brake on all your cars once a month just to be sure the cables are good, and there is no binding in the mechanisms!!!


Take off eh! The emergency break never works.... no point in steering now.

Take off, you steer this thing.

[Alan]

Back home safely from my whirlwind trip up to Van, Texas today. I will need to take the car in to get the e-brake fixed. Around Palestine, I stopped to top off the tank and let everyone have a restroom break. After starting the car, the e-brake idiot light stayed on. I drove down about 10 miles, pulled over, and physically touched the calipers and rotors. No heat. Whew! The e-brake wasn't sticking. I stopped the car and restarted it. This time the idiot light went out. On the way home tonight, we stopped once near Chandler to gas up and I encountered no idiot light problems.

However, I will crawl under the car tomorrow and see if I can't do what Logan and vegasmarauder have suggested.

Thanks once again for everyone's help! This site and the people associated with it are AWESOME!