The emergency brake is the part that plays a key role in protecting you from unnecessary trouble.
This element is utilized to secure the car, so it won’t roll when stationary or parked, especially in emergencies.
The function is particularly crucial when stopping or parking the automobile on hills or inclines, where the car is prone to roll, then placed at threat of a certain accident.
Therefore, the case of an emergency brake not working is quite dangerous if you have not yet found the key root of the parking brake not engaging and fixed it promptly.
This is also why we are here today to unveil the curiosity for you.
Why Is Your Emergency Brake Not Working?
Some common reasons for the emergency brake not holding are frozen brakes, corrosion, loose or broken cable, and wrong position of emergency brake shoes.
Defective locating of brake shoes
The way you position the brake shoes is quite vital.
If the part is situated improperly, they might not offer an appropriate link and keep your emergency brake working properly.
To adjust the element, you need to remove calipers (if you own disc brakes), rotors or drums (if your car has them), and wheels.
Frayed/ Detached/ Broken cable
A problematic brake cable might be a cause of the malfunction.
When inspecting the parking brake not working, you have to ensure that the cable is not separated from both sides or either one.
Also, it’s key that the part is fitted with both rear brakes to bring effectiveness to its function.
Loose cable
If the part has a nut fitted, make sure the part has not come loose. Otherwise, it can result in incompatibility due to slack in this cable.
Corrosion/ Rust
The lever that positions in front of the emergency brake (or they can be called the bell crank) might rust out badly, which might trigger the parking brake to get stuck and fail.
Rain, snow, dew, or other humid conditions can all lead to corrosion on your brake and its parts.
These elements are made of cast iron and steel, all the more reason for rust when being exposed to water.
Frozen brake
Not only bringing rust, wet and cold weather might trigger the emergency brake to freeze and not work.
To explain, when the ambient temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, water and snow will find their way into the brake parts, making the brake fluid freeze and the e-brake to stick.
So remember to flush the brake fluid frequently.
How To Fix Parking Brake That’s Not Working?
Whenever you are stuck with the e brake not working, you might apply the safety tips below: having an inspection on your parking brake, cleaning the brake drums, check the cable for twists or any bumps, and repairing or replacing it.
Having An Inspection On Your E-Brake
Based on the above roots, when you check the e-brake, we have to give a thoughtful inspection of the electric parking brake stuck. In particular, do the following check-ups:
Keep an eye on the cable. Have a once-over on your emergency brake cable to know whether it gets rusted or broken, which can cause the line to malfunction.
Inspect if you disengage the e-brake or not. Occasionally, you forget to take off the brake when driving.
The accident may overload and overheat the e-brake, eroding your braking shoes and pads or even entailing some problems on your wheels.
Inspect whether your brake lever still works well or not. When activated, it should stay in the locked model till you disengage it through the parking lever.
You need to take a look to know if its springs inside get any damage or rust, which might keep your e-brake from releasing or engaging.
Look for a faulty parking brake sensor. You’ve probably noticed the red parking brake light on your dashboard telling you the emergency brake is engaged.
This works thanks to the parking brake sensor. If the sensor fails, your dash light stays illuminated even after you release your brake.
There are many ways to reset the parking brake light, but we recommend performing one by one for the best result.
Clean The Brake Drums Up
Dirty or dusty brake drums are the prevalent issues associated with brake problems. The dirt begins to mix with the engine oil and results in brake choking.
Clean the oil and dirt from brake drums and brake shoes as much as possible to prevent these problematic situations.
Asking for some maintenance advice from mechanics is a wise option in these circumstances.
Check The Cable For Twists or Any Bumps
Check whether the cable is stuck with any bump or twist from any place.
In particular, have a look at the cable from its hand lever to its wheel drums. Look for cuts, bumps, or kinks, and keep the process to find an issue.
Replace or Repair
The problem might arise even after finishing your run, especially on bumpy roads.
These holes push the cable out of the right place and interfere with the e-braking system. If so, you need to position it in its right location and attempt to align it.
Yet, after doing everything but there are still no signs of improvement, you need to consider the replacement.
Parking Brake Doesn’t Work: What Things You To Do To Avoid?
Utilize the emergency brake periodically: Dirt and water can trigger cables to rust with age. Frequent usage might avoid erosion and then minimize e-brake malfunction.
Start your car and then allow it to warm up: If cold/ wet weather has frozen the e-brake, then the simplest step is to turn it on and give it some time to heat up.
This might be an easy yet a bit time-consuming repair.
Don’t yank the brake: Pulling the parking brake too hard might also trigger it to be stuck, then we suggest not utilizing the e-brake degree for stress relief or strength testing.
In case the part gets stuck because of this root, you may attempt to release and set the e-brake a couple of times to check if that disengages the part, then rock the car’s wheel ( if it’s safe to do at that time) or pull its cable under the car.
If you aren’t sure how to carry it out properly or not convenient for getting underneath a car, you need to call your mechanic.
FAQs When The E Brake Doesn’t Work
When Do You Need To Get Your Emergency Brake Inspected?
You have to get your parking brake inspection once every 6 months to prevent any potential issues which can lead to some serious damage and cost your budget more.
Any car that runs on the roads needs to ensure its emergency brake works well in case of emergencies.
The consequence stems from this part that contributes to your safety as well as your family’s journey. So remember to check it on a regular basis.
What Are The Emergency Brake Stuck Symptoms?
There are three most common signs:
The emergency brake doesn’t hold the vehicle properly.
If the emergency brake cable turns excessively stretched or worn, it won’t be able to tug the e-brake as hard.
This can’t seem to manage the weight of this car, which might trigger it to lean or roll, even if the part is fully released.
Sometimes when you drive your car, you suddenly feel sluggish or dragging. This hints at a problematic parking brake, notably the release cable, the brake drum, or both.
The emergency brake doesn’t function well.
Once the cable breaks or snaps, it will deactivate the emergency brake. The part won’t work properly, and the lever or pedal might be loose. Other times, the brake won’t move or disengage at all.
Parking Brake Alarm Light On.
The emergency brake light is illuminated when the brake is all set, which helps the driver not run the car with the parking brake engaged.
If the e-brake light is activated accidentally, even if the brake pedal or brake handle has been disengaged, the issue might reveal a sign that the brake cable could be jammed or stuck.
Thus, the parking brake might not be disengaging properly.
In The Nutshell
Once you still allow your patience to stay with us until the bottom lines, we bet you have reached the thoughtful base of the emergency brake not working.
There are some common causes of the issue, yet you should put more consideration on the parking brake cable.
Emergency brakes are one of the most important parts in a car to keep from serious damage. Thus, don’t ignore the frequent check on your e-brake and how to fix e brake properly.
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