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Parking Brake Malfunction

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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 03:26 PM
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Default Parking Brake Malfunction

Hello, I have let my C5 sit for about two months and before it did sit, the parking brake worked perfectly fine. Two months later now, I go to pull it and it seems as if it is not ratcheting to lock in place at all now. Would I need to buy a whole parking brake assembly or would there be a way to fix the one I have?
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 03:57 PM
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Depends on the issue. You need to inspect the system (cables, the brake lever etc.) to see why it is not ratcheting. Without an inspection, hard to say what's up.
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 04:03 PM
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I believe it is this spring that controls the little block to perform it ratcheting as it looks like a piece of it broke off and is too short now to engage it.

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Old Dec 29, 2025 | 04:15 PM
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For your sake, I hope thats all it is. Parking brakes are no different than anything else. If ya don't use 'em, they go bad. I have an A4 C5, and I've hardly used them because you really don't need them often. Just put the trans in park, and you're set. When I did really want to use them, my lower cables were frozen, especially the right side. So before RA sold out of them on clearance, I bought new Bendix brake shoes, new cables, everything. Now for the rest of the story. Im fortunate to have a 2 post lift in my garage. I get the car up in the air, and WOW-There is no way to access the upper end of either cable. It's easy to get them out down by the wheels. 2 years on, and unless Kent-Moore makes a special pair of 2ft long handled pliers, the only way I can figure to access them is to drop the rear cradle. May be why a shop wanted over $1,200 to change them, IDK. Thats why I hope that is all that's wrong with your setup. It's also why all my parking brake stuff is still NOS in the original box.....
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Old Dec 31, 2025 | 06:40 PM
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Originally Posted by grinder11
May be why a shop wanted over $1,200 to change them,
Does rather sound like they have specific knowledge. Apologies if I’ve missed it here or elsewhere, but does the maintenance manual have words of wisdom on removing the cables?
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