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Locked Emergency brake?

5K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Dave-Pok 
#1 ·
Recently New Years day I had engaged the parking brake at my brothers slight down hill temp 35’
i was there a couple f hours & could not get parking brake to release, warning light going off so on.
pulling on release it came out of dash even put back in.
so I started down the road once on main road going 45 or so the rear was definitely not happy.
pulled over checked engaging arm it was fully released at pedal release was released.
disc were rather hot, turned around & went back but it had somehow released?

anyone experience this or emergency brake odd symptoms?
 
#2 ·
Had it been wet? snowy? salted roads?
Did you only have to drive forward to go home ( as in, not reverse out of a driveway and then go fwd)

I rarely ever use the parking brake. Only putting the vehicle in Park and turning it off. But, I can certainly how/why a person would do it under some circumstances. I washed our SUV two days ago to get the road salt and grime off, put it away wet, and when I backed out of the garage yesterday, the brakes were a bit sticky. Maybe that could be a quick trick to make sure they unstick?

( I don't have any technical recommendations as far as lubrication or things to double check. )
 
#5 ·
Sounds like the cable to the wheel is stuck in its sheath. Where I grew up you would never put the parking brake on overnight in the winter. You'd see people who could back out of their drive but not go forward as it acts on the leading shoe. It can also happen if the cable gets corroded or pinched in the sheath. If you don't use the brake occasionally it can get "sticky". You can try pumping the pedal hard while holding the release to see if it will free. If not you can try reaching underneath and yanking on the cable sheath. A lubricant spray might help as well. Is it locked on both sides?
 
#7 ·
Initially the warning light would not go off but I got the warning to shut of but brake was still engaged or stuck. Pedal was not stuck it was fully disengaged & up.
I will have a look at the front lubrication points tomorrow.
this was daytime & I had a couple hours drive it did let go just as mysteriously as it locked up.
never happened before, but 2017 vehicle see what I find.
thnx
 
#9 ·
So the front lever pedal all all inside the cab nice dry environment.
the cable continues rearward exiting the cab behind the transmission & forward of rear axle is a
another lever from this lever the cables split off to each brake.
Forward of this level the cable was slack! the lever pin appeared to be stiff.
I soaked with blaster.
so likely better to use brake regular like to move that lever to keep from getting stuck.
 
#11 ·
Hit with blaster again used the brake it does not retract all the way, I can still pull back a inch or so.
which is probably normal but there appears not to be any grease point either.
needs some kind of oil at some interval, seems.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for this above - my 2019 Metris is showing signs of parking brake locking up. Both rear wheels heating up and before I realized what was happening I was driving 50 MPH and it felt like I was on a dirt road. Then suddenly it went away. Both rotors in the rear were HOT and smelling of the usual well cooked brake odor. I rarely used the parking brake and with the tip above I know what I need to look for on the underside.
 
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