Pulled E-brake to park car and...
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 732
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From: OHIO
Pulled E-brake to park car and... Went to park my 99 SS and pulled the E-brake handle...and the handle feels like theres no resistance. Now the handle is straight up and no brakes! I did a search but didn't come up with much other than adjustment must be out from new rotors, but my brakes are the originals, thats right, the originals (i only have 29k on the clock). To me it feels like maybe a cable broke but I was wondering how common this is; I don't yank on the handle like Im tryn to pull it off!
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 749
Likes: 1
From: Spokane, WA
If you never heard a cable snap that's probably not it, but its easy enough to get under the car and check. The cable is right in plain view up in the tranny/driveshaft tunnel. Not to be captain obvious, but did you try just letting it down and pulling it up again? I've had mine do what you describe before and it was just something screwy with the self adjuster. All I had to do was put the handle back down and pull it again, just like after you put on new pads or change the cable or anything else that would cause it to have to readjust.
The only way for the handle to go all the way up is if:
- The rear rotors were changed and the brakes not adjusted to them
- The parking brakes were left on at some point and burned out
- Something's broken
If you look under the rear, you should be able to see the cables and confirm their status. A good way to check the mechanism is to actuate the lever that sticks out of the back of the drum, where the cables attach. With the parking brake off (be sure to block the front wheels before you get under there with the brake off!) move the lever by hand in the direction the cable pulls. It should move freely and not a far distance. If something is broken, you should be able to feel it.
- The rear rotors were changed and the brakes not adjusted to them
- The parking brakes were left on at some point and burned out
- Something's broken
If you look under the rear, you should be able to see the cables and confirm their status. A good way to check the mechanism is to actuate the lever that sticks out of the back of the drum, where the cables attach. With the parking brake off (be sure to block the front wheels before you get under there with the brake off!) move the lever by hand in the direction the cable pulls. It should move freely and not a far distance. If something is broken, you should be able to feel it.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Do a search in the maintenance and repair section and you'll find some helpful threads. It can be caused by the spring on the ratcheting mechanism on the lever. My M6 car does it if I pull it up too high. Then if I lower and raise it again a couple of times it will catch and hold.
