Parking Brake 96 LT1
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Parking Brake 96 LT1
The parking brake on my 96 LT1 works (it will stop the car, well, slowly stop the car), but when I use it as a parking brake it wont stay engaged. I do not hear any ratcheting and the brake light comes on when I lift it, but once I lower it, the brake light shuts off and the parking brake is disengaged. Where should I start? Any ideas of what it may be? It has not worked since I got the car almost a year ago, but I dont park on hills so it was not a big deal. Everything on the car works perfectly (knock on wood), except this parking brake and I want to fix it...
Thanks!
Thanks!
#2
Drifting
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes
on
5 Posts
Sounds like the rachet stop mechanism is stuck.
The way the parking brake mechanism works is there is a spring loaded 'stopper', which is normally engaged, but when the button (on the forward end of the pull-arm) is depressed, it disengages the 'stopper'.
Normally, to engage the parking brake is to pull-up the arm with a mild amount of force, without depressing the button (and then lower the arm, without depressing the button, to get it out of the way so that the driver can exit the car -- should not feel any spring tension).
And to disengage, depress the button while pulling-up a bit more, and then while still depressing the button, lower the arm (should feel spring tension pulling the arm down).
If when you pull up the arm, without depressing the button, it does not stay 'engaged', either the button is somehow staying depressed, or the metal-bar from the button to the 'stopper' is damaged, or the 'stopper' is rusted or needs to be lubed, or, it was 'pinned' to stay open (technique when servicing the parking brake).
To inspect, there are 2-3 screws which hold the trim-cover onto the mechanism (may need to move the seat all the way back, or might be easiest to just remove the seat -- 4 bolts and a couple of electrical connectors).
The way the parking brake mechanism works is there is a spring loaded 'stopper', which is normally engaged, but when the button (on the forward end of the pull-arm) is depressed, it disengages the 'stopper'.
Normally, to engage the parking brake is to pull-up the arm with a mild amount of force, without depressing the button (and then lower the arm, without depressing the button, to get it out of the way so that the driver can exit the car -- should not feel any spring tension).
And to disengage, depress the button while pulling-up a bit more, and then while still depressing the button, lower the arm (should feel spring tension pulling the arm down).
If when you pull up the arm, without depressing the button, it does not stay 'engaged', either the button is somehow staying depressed, or the metal-bar from the button to the 'stopper' is damaged, or the 'stopper' is rusted or needs to be lubed, or, it was 'pinned' to stay open (technique when servicing the parking brake).
To inspect, there are 2-3 screws which hold the trim-cover onto the mechanism (may need to move the seat all the way back, or might be easiest to just remove the seat -- 4 bolts and a couple of electrical connectors).
#3
Le Mans Master
My LT4 had this problem when I first acquired it. The grease that the factory applied to the ratchet pawl mechanism had hardened up a bit, and the ratchet would not reliably engage. I removed the bottom seat cushion from the frame for ease of access (did not remove the seat frame from the car), then removed the plastic cover from the brake mechanism. I then applied a drop of light oil to the sticky pivot point, and all was well again. This was two years ago, and the problem has just now begun to reoccur. I'm sure another drop of oil will solve it once again. This is very likely what's going on with yours, too.
Live well,
SJW
Live well,
SJW
#4
Heel & Toe
Member Since: Apr 2007
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My LT4 had this problem when I first acquired it. The grease that the factory applied to the ratchet pawl mechanism had hardened up a bit, and the ratchet would not reliably engage. I removed the bottom seat cushion from the frame for ease of access (did not remove the seat frame from the car), then removed the plastic cover from the brake mechanism. I then applied a drop of light oil to the sticky pivot point, and all was well again. This was two years ago, and the problem has just now begun to reoccur. I'm sure another drop of oil will solve it once again. This is very likely what's going on with yours, too.
Live well,
SJW
Live well,
SJW
-pete
#5
Thanks Guys
I just bought my second C4, a 90 convert. The previous owner told me that the parking brake just didn't work, and he just left it in gear. Not good.
Long story short, disassembly and a couple of shots of Kroil, and manually freeing up stuff that looked like it was supposed to move, viola !
Now I've got a parking brake that works perfectly.
What a nice surprise. I never would have thought it was so simple 'til I read this post.
I just bought my second C4, a 90 convert. The previous owner told me that the parking brake just didn't work, and he just left it in gear. Not good.
Long story short, disassembly and a couple of shots of Kroil, and manually freeing up stuff that looked like it was supposed to move, viola !
Now I've got a parking brake that works perfectly.
What a nice surprise. I never would have thought it was so simple 'til I read this post.
#7
Le Mans Master
Live well,
SJW
#8
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Thanks!!!! I fixed it!!!! Its amazing how something so simple can cause the parking brake from holding!!! A little WD40 and it works perfectly now!
#10
Drifting
The parking brake on my 96 LT1 works (it will stop the car, well, slowly stop the car), but when I use it as a parking brake it wont stay engaged. I do not hear any ratcheting and the brake light comes on when I lift it, but once I lower it, the brake light shuts off and the parking brake is disengaged. Where should I start? Any ideas of what it may be? It has not worked since I got the car almost a year ago, but I dont park on hills so it was not a big deal. Everything on the car works perfectly (knock on wood), except this parking brake and I want to fix it...
Thanks!
Thanks!
#11
Hi SJW - I have this problem with my 96 vette. How did you get the screws out w/o removing the whole seat? I see no way to do this as the screw locations are (of course) blocked by the frame.
#12
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Just move the seat forward or back depending on what you need and use a small screw driver or a ratchet and Philips bit...Let me know if this works for ya!
#13
The trick is to make sure you raise or lower the seat to get to the screws. Thanks!
After some fiddling around, I found that the only place you really need to clean is the ratchet mechanism which moves with the button on the handle. This is located at the front/left part of the e-brake. The ratchet looks like a small lever that pivots up and down. Mine would not move until I pressed on it a few times. Just wiggle it a little then get in there with a little WD-40 and a toothbrush and hit the ratchet, pivot point and the little gear below that engages the brake.
Raiise and lower the e-brake handle several times so you can get the WD40 into all areas around the pivot and the ring rear. You will soon start to hear the ratchet catch on the gear after a thorough cleaning and voila! You really don't need to clean anywhere else as the rest of the mechanism should not affect the catching of the brake. I did a light coat of WD 40 on the whole thing just for old times sake.
Now, since I did do this by simply removing the seat cushion as previously described, you might know that I discovered something in the process. When I bought the car, I was missing a PKE so I ended up buying one after the original went belly up. The owner and I looked all over for it, but I just figured it disappeared in the ether. Well, you can guess - it was under the cushion. So, this little job turned out to be pretty good. Now, i just have to see if the original PKE works with a new battery!
After some fiddling around, I found that the only place you really need to clean is the ratchet mechanism which moves with the button on the handle. This is located at the front/left part of the e-brake. The ratchet looks like a small lever that pivots up and down. Mine would not move until I pressed on it a few times. Just wiggle it a little then get in there with a little WD-40 and a toothbrush and hit the ratchet, pivot point and the little gear below that engages the brake.
Raiise and lower the e-brake handle several times so you can get the WD40 into all areas around the pivot and the ring rear. You will soon start to hear the ratchet catch on the gear after a thorough cleaning and voila! You really don't need to clean anywhere else as the rest of the mechanism should not affect the catching of the brake. I did a light coat of WD 40 on the whole thing just for old times sake.
Now, since I did do this by simply removing the seat cushion as previously described, you might know that I discovered something in the process. When I bought the car, I was missing a PKE so I ended up buying one after the original went belly up. The owner and I looked all over for it, but I just figured it disappeared in the ether. Well, you can guess - it was under the cushion. So, this little job turned out to be pretty good. Now, i just have to see if the original PKE works with a new battery!
Last edited by ameribrit; 01-10-2010 at 08:17 PM.