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St00pid E-Brake

G

Goonz SVT

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
3,058
Location
Boston, MA
I believe this problem started last Friday when I drove home in the nor'easter blizzard we had in which we got like a foot of snow. Everything was fine except the next day when I had to move my car to clean the driveway. It appeared the e-brake was stuck. Upon easing the e-brake handle down, it felt weird because it went down but it felt as if nothing happened and the handle didn't really do much. I went back to inspect and sure enough the caliper was seized right on the rotor. I lifted my e-brake to re-engage it and upon lifting it, there was a lot of force felt while pulling so it didn't seem right. But when I let it go, after 4-6 seconds, I heard a pop the brakes released and my car started rolling back.

I figured maybe you know it was cold and we did have freezing rain and all that prolly froze up. But in the next days it was doing the same! The e-brake seems sticky and is not engaging/dis-engaging properly! I know last summer I had a seized passenger side rear caliper and had to replace it, but the calipers seem fine to me. Could this be linkage issues? or the handle itself? :help:
 
The E-brake line itself can get water in it and freeze in cold temperatures. The only way to really fix the problem is to replace the brake line itself or so according to Bill Jenkins. Mine does the same thing and I havn't gotten around to replacing it yet. I've just kept in in reverse all winter. I'll be ordering the cables which I actually still have the part number from Bill.

That comes as a kit, with all cables and some extra release springs. I had
the same problem in my 96 Mystique. (Bill)

F6RZ-2A635-AA List $59.33 Inet $44.18
S&H is $6
 
cable(s) maybe a lil rusty, if its not that, then your handle may be binding, but by your description of what happened, Id say rusty/debri in cable as my top possible. final answer
 
+1. I have the same problem. Happened last winter for the first time. So this winter, when I know it will be below freezing, I always leave the car in gear and I do not use the e-brake. Like someone already said, it freezes, due to water getting in the cable...i think.
 
I just stopped using the e-brake on very cold days this winter. This is the first year it really started acting up. Replacement is on my huge order from Ford coming soon.
 
27 bucks a per side at Napa for Cables by my area. it was like $54 total. I waited too long for the swap. It really does wonders, and its soooo easy.
 
I know my passenger rear doesn't release all the way... when my car went (and failed :mad:) inspection, it was doing 60% of the braking.

Felt like it was dragging a bit, plus I need new rotors since they're warped a bit, so I might as well do all new rear brakes with the revised e-brake setup.

Our Opel Vivaro in Germany does the loud "POP" when you're backing up after it sat all night with the e-brake on... someone that drives it for the first time always think that they broke/hit something. Pretty amusing to me.
 
Well, that's better than having the handle just pop down randomly!! The teeth on the ratchet on mine don't have a positive lock anymore. I'll be replacing it with a Cougar one when she comes out for the season.
 
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