Parking Brake Not Working Correctly

[Embalmer]

Basically I'm on a grade of not more than 5% (my driveway) car is in neutral (6-spd) and the parking brake must be pulled ALL they way up to the last couple of clicks before it works. Otherwise...pulling it up as normal, the brake doesn't hold the car and it rolls back.

Wanted to give you guys a heads up since this can cause major problems. Going to take mine in to get adjusted.

[Supermans]

Originally Posted by Embalmer

Basically I'm on a grade of not more than 5% (my driveway) car is in neutral (6-spd) and the parking brake must be pulled ALL they way up to the last couple of clicks before it works. Otherwise...pulling it up as normal, the brake doesn't hold the car and it rolls back.

Wanted to give you guys a heads up since this can cause major problems. Going to take mine in to get adjusted.

Same thing with mine.. You have to put it in first gear and use the PB when you turn off the car so it doesn't roll back.. I will take mine in though to see what they can do as well since it is annoying.

[PolishMike]

It needs to be adjusted. Take it to the dealer.

[SS4PK]

Nope it doesn't need adjusted, just poor engineering. If the e-brake is up just 4-6 clicks it doesn't hold on a very slight uncline. Oh listen to this. We took it in. They checked it, said it is adjusted correctly, and the way the e-brake works is there is a small drum, yes drum brake that pivots foward when the car is pointed down hill and grips the rotor. I thought it was a poor design, I know I didn't explain it correctly, but he did say drum and piviot. I think it is such a poor design I didn't understand it because I could engineer something better. So I said you mean it grab better if it is pointed nose downhill than nose uphill, yes he said. So I said I guess I can't go to San Francisco. He also said it is the same design as the vettes and it is crap. I think it is f'in retarded and the e-brake is useless, unforntuately we M6 guys need it,

[Show-Me-SS]

I stopped at a ATM one night and wasn't on a very big incline at all. I started to get out to get some cash and my friend said we're rolling. At that point I just shut the car off and got out. I had the brake up almost all the way but there was another 2 clicks left. I just make sure that it's all the way up. It is an uncomfortable feeling not trusting the e-brake. I'm curious to know if the dealer is able to fix the problem.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

[Gentry78]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

+1

[patriotpa]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

That's it! Normal adjustment for hand brake. Probably not necessary if you give it a good tug when you put the brake on. YMMV

[MajikMD]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

+2

little stuff like that I would rather do myself, anyways. E-brake cable adjustment is about as simple a car service as it gets. And the whole "little drum brake" inside the rotor is how most E-brakes have worked for years. Settle down.

I swear I think sometimes people are just looking for a reason to bash GM. It's not a design flaw or a defect. Snug the cable adjuster a tiny bit and be done with it.

[MajikMD]

It frustrates me so much about certain people's attitudes that I just have to post it again. Educate yourself on how a parking brake works, then post. Geez...

[SS4PK]

well it's not bashing GM maybe just the idiot service manager who says it is adjusted correctly

[obe1]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

My 1995 Z28 has a simple system that utilizes the rotor pad as the e-brake.

[Mayhem Matt]

Mine does the same thing almost rolled back into my fiances truck parking on a hill the first week having it... going to take it in asap!

[RickF]

Not GM bashing, love my Camaro... but the parking brake issue could have killed my daughter.

Our driveway is on an incline, and we were washing the car with ebrake pulled up pretty good (but car not in gear)... she was washing the back of the car and I was washing the drivers side.... all of a sudden the brake gives out and the car starts rolling backward down the drive way, almost knocked her down... but she managed to get out of the way, and I was able to jump in the drivers door and step on the brake.

Man, if she would have been in the 3-9 age group, it could have been really bad!

[Embalmer]

Wow I'm really really glad to hear she was OK though!

Yea, I noticed this just by parking in my driveway as well - luckily it started rolling immediately - it wasn't holding.

I JUST took my car into the dealership today to have this - and a laundry list of other things - fixed.....

I'm surprised this isn't a recall/service bulletin by GM yet....

Originally Posted by RickF

Not GM bashing, love my Camaro... but the parking brake issue could have killed my daughter.

Our driveway is on an incline, and we were washing the car with ebrake pulled up pretty good (but car not in gear)... she was washing the back of the car and I was washing the drivers side.... all of a sudden the brake gives out and the car starts rolling backward down the drive way, almost knocked her down... but she managed to get out of the way, and I was able to jump in the drivers door and step on the brake.

Man, if she would have been in the 3-9 age group, it could have been really bad!

[thiggin2]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBfromPeoria

To make an e-brake on a car with four wheel discs, there is usually a drum inside the rotor housing that uses little shoes to engage the inner surface. It would be pretty expensive to make the rotor's pads activate when pulling the handle. It's not a new design.

Why not just crawl under the car and adjust the cable where it splits into two? It is usually just under the transmission tunnel and there should be a nut attached to a long threaded bolt that allows for slack to be taken up. You have to adjust it when the parking brake is not engaged. Just tighten it up a few turns, check the brake and repeat if necessary. Make sure the brake has at least a few clicks until it engages, though, otherwise you may inadvertently drive around dragging the inner brake shoes in the back, heating the holy snot out of them.

John B.

I don't think the cables are adjustable. If adjustment is needed you will need to remove the rear rotors and adjust the adjuster inside.

[LS 1st gen]

I took my car in for adjustment and they tightened it TOO MUCH. I was on my way home doing about 70 on the freeway and whole car started shaking. At first I thought it was the grade of the road, but no...I got out and could smell the brakes cooking.

Drove it back immediatly, had to leave it over night for them to adjust it and guess what....NOW ITS WORSE THAN BEFORE!!

Is this system that hard to figure out???

[RickyTheStorm]

E-Brakes on 4 wheel discs usually suck - but mine as the same issue, not very strong of a hold. Though I have an automatic so not as huge of a deal as it is with manuals but adjusting them is just a pain in the neck.

Most likely if they say it is adjusted it is - they just suck, I have never had a 4 wheel disc brake vehicle that held very well as far as GM and Dodge goes - a friend of mine has a toyota and it sticks so I am thinking just the engineering.

Make note of it - heck take it in and have a record that they say it is adjusted - that way if ANYTHING happens you have proof that you did everything you could regarding it - just in case your own insurance tries to pull a fast one.

LS 1st Gen - Yes, it is a pain in the neck system. Some cars don't even have an adjustment! Ours do - but to get it right almost takes a couple hours as you need to adjust, test, adjust, test, adjust, test - and that includes driving to make sure that you aren't wearing the brakes while driving like you had happen.

[Inuyashas_Brother]

[clg_98ta]

I would never leave a car in neutral and rely on the tiny parking brakes to hold it - especially not on an incline...

[GaryTucker]

Originally Posted by clg_98ta

I would never leave a car in neutral and rely on the tiny parking brakes to hold it - especially not on an incline...

I agree. The reason an automatic is "fixed" in place is the use of a parking pawl that locks the transmission. You can accomplish the same thing on a manual by putting the transmission into gear once the engine is shut off. That was the way I was always taught to leave a manual and still do to this day. It's just safer.

[SlingShot]

Originally Posted by GaryTucker

I agree. The reason an automatic is "fixed" in place is the use of a parking pawl that locks the transmission. You can accomplish the same thing on a manual by putting the transmission into gear once the engine is shut off. That was the way I was always taught to leave a manual and still do to this day. It's just safer.

I really don't understand what some of these people are thinking... ALWAYS leave it in gear when parking, and you don't want to adjust the e-brake to lock up on one or two clicks ...