Parking Brake Stuck On (Page 1/1)
Godhydra AUG 14, 04:05 PM
For a while now I've been trying to figure this one out. The car has sat with its parking brake engaged, but when I try and disengage it, it absolutely refuses to do so. I've taken off the parking brake boot to expose the mechanism and the lever can engage the ratcheting thing when the button is pressed down, but it will not budge. Comparing the mechanism to a picture in the Hayne's manual I have, something looks bent as well (can try to provide pictures later). I've tried fiddling with the equalizer, but it's mighty filthy and didn't want to try loosening anything before cleaning it off (let alone loosen it and mess something up). Any advice would be appreciated!
Patrick AUG 14, 05:14 PM

quote
Originally posted by Godhydra:

I've taken off the parking brake boot to expose the mechanism and the lever can engage the ratcheting thing when the button is pressed down, but it will not budge.



Are you pulling the lever back as hard as you can (to take tension off the ratchet mechanism) while pressing the button?

Read This.

I posted a link to this video that I found online in a recent thread. It shows how the mechanism releases.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 08-14-2022).]

Godhydra AUG 14, 11:00 PM
Thank you! That video proved especially helpful, it was hard to see and understand what was going on from just looking roughly from above. I had to manually depress that little lever that the button would normally do with my finger, and I could disengage the handbrake. After that I could engage and disengage the handbrake. Comparing the mechanism on my car to the one in the video, the ratchet looks like its bent way out, and something else looks pretty out of shape as well (the curved bit of metal to the left of the ratcheting mechanism). Will have to get that stuff sorted out, but now the parking brake lever is disengaged.



However, my rear brakes still seem to be stuck on a bit. I can rotate the brakes with some effort, but the pads still look like they're engaged with the rotor. The arms behind the caliper aren't bottomed out by the looks of it
Cliff Pennock AUG 16, 08:25 AM
The e-brake cables will get stuck if not used regularly. Only solution is to replace them. Fortunately, they are still readily available at the Fiero Store for instance.
RotrexFiero AUG 16, 09:12 AM
Yep, Cliff is right.....those cables will bind and stick. I replaced mine and it is so smooth I felt it was not engaging. Now I can pull it up with one finger. World of difference.
theogre AUG 16, 11:43 AM
Above damage is often cause by users w/o a clue how they work... In short:
If Off, Pull Handle Only to Activate. (Should be On when lever clicks 3 min to 8-9 times. Too low or high means P-brake w/ problems in calipers, cables or both.)
If On, Pull Handle Up Tight Then Push Button. Then let cable tension to pull the lever down while holding the button. (If Cable Tension fails to turn off Brake Light, then system has same problems as above.)

⚠️ If you push the button before the handle is up tight first then button tries to Force the cable release and that can bend the small part like in above pic.

Thin film of Silicon or permatex brake grease can help too.
But note GM and others install many parking brake levels/pedals nearly or completely dry because any grease can hold a lot of dirt cause problems too. so don't use lube everywhere there.
Don't grease the spot where button "rod" hits the small arm like above. May make easier to bend because not traction there where they meet..
Can grease some slots or other moving parts.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 08-16-2022).]