Broken Parking Brake?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 926
Likes: 12
From: Lutz FL
Broken Parking Brake?
I've done searches and can't find what I'm looking for, though I'm sure I'm not the first...
I experienced resistance this morning while trying to disengage the parking brake. It was fine until about 3/4 of the way down. It just didn't go all the way down. So I pulled it back to the top and tried to bring it back down again - again it stopped before it got all the way down... like something was in the way. I looked around at the handle and didn't see anything in the way, so I tried it again - raise it up, bring it down and this time it went all the way down - I didn't force it, I just gently raised it up and put it down.
Now it won't stay engaged, there is no traditional "clicking" sound as it goes up. I can raise it to the normal stopping point, but when I let go it just drops all the way down and the brake doesn't stay engaged. When I hold it in place the car doesn't move, so the brake is working correctly.
I've searched around the forum and found that others have had problems, but no descriptions of the fix.... any help would be great.
Thanks,
Eric
I experienced resistance this morning while trying to disengage the parking brake. It was fine until about 3/4 of the way down. It just didn't go all the way down. So I pulled it back to the top and tried to bring it back down again - again it stopped before it got all the way down... like something was in the way. I looked around at the handle and didn't see anything in the way, so I tried it again - raise it up, bring it down and this time it went all the way down - I didn't force it, I just gently raised it up and put it down.
Now it won't stay engaged, there is no traditional "clicking" sound as it goes up. I can raise it to the normal stopping point, but when I let go it just drops all the way down and the brake doesn't stay engaged. When I hold it in place the car doesn't move, so the brake is working correctly.
I've searched around the forum and found that others have had problems, but no descriptions of the fix.... any help would be great.
Thanks,
Eric
Racer
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 452
Likes: 2
From: Lynnfield MA
Inside the console there is a metal "bridge" that three cable ends
slip into, the two from the rear wheels, facing forward, and the one
from the handle, facing rearward.
Every once in a great while I have seen a cable jump out of the
metal bridge. This could possibly explain your problem. If you
remove the armrest, you should be able to see the EBrake handle
operating, and it might even be obvious what is wrong.
slip into, the two from the rear wheels, facing forward, and the one
from the handle, facing rearward.
Every once in a great while I have seen a cable jump out of the
metal bridge. This could possibly explain your problem. If you
remove the armrest, you should be able to see the EBrake handle
operating, and it might even be obvious what is wrong.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
take a look at this link ot a CF member's web site.
On some early C5's the grease ages and solidifies preventing the free movement of the pawl. If that is your problem, this members site shows his DIY fix for it.
http://www.ronjpics.com/Corvettestuff.htm#parkbrakepawl
On some early C5's the grease ages and solidifies preventing the free movement of the pawl. If that is your problem, this members site shows his DIY fix for it.
http://www.ronjpics.com/Corvettestuff.htm#parkbrakepawl
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 926
Likes: 12
From: Lutz FL
okay, so i'm getting into it and I think I''ve found the problem, but I don't know how to fix it.
On the underside of the lever there is a steel piece that moves onto and away from a gear-like mechanism.
I'm pointing to that small steel piece in this picture:
That piece, when I press on it, goes into the lever and presses against the gear - and ends up looking like this:
...from the side, like this:
It seems like it should be pressed in all the time, except when the button on the top of the lever is pressed, thus moving this piece away from the gear, allowing the lever to retract.
Unless someone knows better, it seems like this handle is sealed, and there's no realy way to fix this problem. It also seems like replacing this with a new one is a dealer-only thing as it appears that it requires specific tools to remove and replace it (where the steel cable attatches). I really don't want to pay a dealer to do this, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU!!!
On the underside of the lever there is a steel piece that moves onto and away from a gear-like mechanism.
I'm pointing to that small steel piece in this picture:
That piece, when I press on it, goes into the lever and presses against the gear - and ends up looking like this:
...from the side, like this:
It seems like it should be pressed in all the time, except when the button on the top of the lever is pressed, thus moving this piece away from the gear, allowing the lever to retract.
Unless someone knows better, it seems like this handle is sealed, and there's no realy way to fix this problem. It also seems like replacing this with a new one is a dealer-only thing as it appears that it requires specific tools to remove and replace it (where the steel cable attatches). I really don't want to pay a dealer to do this, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU!!!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 926
Likes: 12
From: Lutz FL
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 18
From: DuBois PA
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
It's a true penetrating lubricant, unlike WD-40. Most people think that WD-40 is NOT a penetrating oil at all... PB Blaster is the best stuff I've used for loosening stuck bolts and the like... 
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5th Gear
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Montvale, New Jersey
I had the problem, here's the scoop
When I purchased my 2000 FRC last December, the parking brake handle would not stay up. The first thing I did was remove it from the car, heres how: After removing the 3 bolts holding it to the body, look at the rotating plate with the torsion spring and ratchet teeth that the cable attaches to. Directly opposite the point where the cable ferrule attaches you will see a small hole, about 3/16" dia. There is another matching hole on the main handle assembly. Rotate the plate by hand against the spring until the 2 holes line up and insert a nail or screw through both holes which will now hold the plate in that position. there is a small tab on the plate that is bent over the cable to keep it from coming out of the groove, bend this up just enough to force the cable out of the groove. Now rotate the cable towards the front of the car until the round cable ferrule can be lifted out of the rotating plate. Unplug the wire from the brake switch and the assembly is now free to be removed. It is actually simpler than it sounds and is quick and easy to do.
The problem is the release button is connected to a long rod made out of a flimsy 1/8" diameter wire. The wire has numerous bends where it snakes down through the handle and ends in a U shaped bend that straddles the top of that pawl you point to in your picture. I believe what happens is that if you try to press the release button before you lift up on the handle to release the pressure on the ratchet, then you bend that wire out of shape and eventually the pawl falls out of the U bend in the wire and just flops around.
I tried reforming the bend on mine and it worked for a few times before it failed again. My final solution was to buy a good used handle assembly from Ebay and have not had a problem since. I am very careful now to pull up on the handle before pressing the release button. The Ebay vendor I purchased the handle from had a couple of them at the time. He has an Ebay store "Cleveland Pick-A-Part", you might give him a try, mine was a good experience at $103.00, dealer price = $250.00.
Hope this helps, Good Luck,
Denis
The problem is the release button is connected to a long rod made out of a flimsy 1/8" diameter wire. The wire has numerous bends where it snakes down through the handle and ends in a U shaped bend that straddles the top of that pawl you point to in your picture. I believe what happens is that if you try to press the release button before you lift up on the handle to release the pressure on the ratchet, then you bend that wire out of shape and eventually the pawl falls out of the U bend in the wire and just flops around.
I tried reforming the bend on mine and it worked for a few times before it failed again. My final solution was to buy a good used handle assembly from Ebay and have not had a problem since. I am very careful now to pull up on the handle before pressing the release button. The Ebay vendor I purchased the handle from had a couple of them at the time. He has an Ebay store "Cleveland Pick-A-Part", you might give him a try, mine was a good experience at $103.00, dealer price = $250.00.
Hope this helps, Good Luck,
Denis
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 926
Likes: 12
From: Lutz FL
When I purchased my 2000 FRC last December, the parking brake handle would not stay up. The first thing I did was remove it from the car, heres how: After removing the 3 bolts holding it to the body, look at the rotating plate with the torsion spring and ratchet teeth that the cable attaches to. Directly opposite the point where the cable ferrule attaches you will see a small hole, about 3/16" dia. There is another matching hole on the main handle assembly. Rotate the plate by hand against the spring until the 2 holes line up and insert a nail or screw through both holes which will now hold the plate in that position. there is a small tab on the plate that is bent over the cable to keep it from coming out of the groove, bend this up just enough to force the cable out of the groove. Now rotate the cable towards the front of the car until the round cable ferrule can be lifted out of the rotating plate. Unplug the wire from the brake switch and the assembly is now free to be removed. It is actually simpler than it sounds and is quick and easy to do.
The problem is the release button is connected to a long rod made out of a flimsy 1/8" diameter wire. The wire has numerous bends where it snakes down through the handle and ends in a U shaped bend that straddles the top of that pawl you point to in your picture. I believe what happens is that if you try to press the release button before you lift up on the handle to release the pressure on the ratchet, then you bend that wire out of shape and eventually the pawl falls out of the U bend in the wire and just flops around.
I tried reforming the bend on mine and it worked for a few times before it failed again. My final solution was to buy a good used handle assembly from Ebay and have not had a problem since. I am very careful now to pull up on the handle before pressing the release button. The Ebay vendor I purchased the handle from had a couple of them at the time. He has an Ebay store "Cleveland Pick-A-Part", you might give him a try, mine was a good experience at $103.00, dealer price = $250.00.
Hope this helps, Good Luck,
Denis
The problem is the release button is connected to a long rod made out of a flimsy 1/8" diameter wire. The wire has numerous bends where it snakes down through the handle and ends in a U shaped bend that straddles the top of that pawl you point to in your picture. I believe what happens is that if you try to press the release button before you lift up on the handle to release the pressure on the ratchet, then you bend that wire out of shape and eventually the pawl falls out of the U bend in the wire and just flops around.
I tried reforming the bend on mine and it worked for a few times before it failed again. My final solution was to buy a good used handle assembly from Ebay and have not had a problem since. I am very careful now to pull up on the handle before pressing the release button. The Ebay vendor I purchased the handle from had a couple of them at the time. He has an Ebay store "Cleveland Pick-A-Part", you might give him a try, mine was a good experience at $103.00, dealer price = $250.00.
Hope this helps, Good Luck,
Denis
I guess I'll have to look into buying a replacement....
Thanks for your help!!
