Parking Brake Locking Up
 

I have experienced something that does not seem right. Here is the scenario:


After washing the car in the garage and letting the car sit for a number days, to then get in the car, fire it up and then release the parking brake (parking brake light goes off), then easing out the clutch, I start to feel the car pull against the brake. As more torque is being released, the brake suddenly releases with almost a popping sound.


My guess is this is caused by water getting into the calipers/pads when I wash the wheel areas with a garden hose. Since the car is not driven immediately after washing, the pads slightly stick to the rotars.


One possible solution is to leave the car in gear, parking brake off when washing if not planning on driving soon after washing.


I was curious if anyone has experienced this issue?

There are lots of threads in C7 general forum about wet brake pads sticking to rotors. The general answer is to drive the car a bit after washing or blow out all of the water. This is a disk brake / pad issue - not the parking brake drum / shoes.

Good luck.

Ron

Thanks, I'm glad it's not the parking brake releasing as it should.

Iron discs + water = sticking.

Happened to me today, washed car on Tuesday, pulled into garage, did not drive till today, has to goose it good to get the brakes to let go, common problem if you don't drive the car after a wash.

It's the parking brake drum and shoes sticking, not the disc brakes pad/rotor. After washing, don't apply parking brake, just leave it in gear and your problem is solved.

The parking brake shoe/drum is unlikely to get wet when washing the car unless he takes the hose, crawls under the car and sprays the backside of the wheels and knuckle. The problem is the pads rusting to the rotor and needing to be broken loose. Not a big issue.

Bill

Every time I've washed my Z06, then set the parking brake, the Drum/Shoes got stuck. Every time I washed it and did not set the parking brake, the pads never got stuck.

Just relaying my experience.

As mine is an automatic and I am not in the habit of setting the Park brake, I know it's not the park brake and must be the main brakes, because it's happened to me after washing the wheels too.

I guess it could be either, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the park brake in my case.

Agree. Not the parking brake.

Happens with every car I wash, not just the vette. Definitely not the parking brake.

:agree: Same for me, no problem ever again!

FWIW, I recently had it happen on just the front wheels; backing up they dragged on the floor until they hit the concrete, then broke free. Since there is no parking brake on the front...

All that proves is it could be both. Doesn't prove it can't be the parking brake though.

So I guess the fix for the steel rotors/pads locking up after a wash is to drive it before parking. It's never happened to me, but it's probably due to the carbon ceramic brakes.

Never had the rotors/pads lock up on my 09Z06 with steel rotors either. Had the parking brake lock up after a wash a few times, so I stopped setting it after a wash and left it in gear.

Wife's AMG GT-S had the parking brake lock up after a wash. It has carbon ceramics as well, but the parking brake is a drum setup like the corvette. Took a lot of throttle to get them to brake free. Seemed weird getting them to unbind due to the DCT.

Yeah.. This is not due to the parking brake.. Generally I've noticed all the cars do that. If it rains hard and your car sits out there for s few days you'll get the same thing.