Well, a rather interesting yet disturbing issue has come up this evening and I'm wondering if anyone has some insight they may be willing to part with.

This morning I departed on my way to work and as I went to pull out of my parking space I shifted into reverse and released my E-Brake. As I started moving I hear a audible thud from the rear of the car. Thinking nothing of it I went on with the rest of my work day.

After work, I went to leave. I started the car and let it warm up for a few minutes considering it was around 20 degrees. As I was ready to leave I released my e-brake and started to go forward only to realize that I wasn't going any where. A quick check of things and I realized that my e-brake was released but the light on the insturment cluster was still on and then my ABS light makes an appearance. So I tried to go again with the same results. My e-brake was locked into position even though I released it.

So me, being the person I am, pushed on the gas pedal a little harder and started dragging my car around hoping that it would pop loose. After limping around over two speed bumps and 300 feet of mall parking lot, I realized that I had a problem. My rear wheels were locked. I started in by doing a few reverse and forward movements to no avail. Finally I went all out and floored it producing a small but rather pathetic burnout in the parking lot but the e-brake still held. I tried one more reverse forward combo and finally I heard a thud and my car finally started moving on all four wheels. I went around the parking lot a few times and retested the e-brake and all was well.

Has anyone had any issues with their e-brake freezing into the locked position and is this something I should have a dealership look at? At the moment I am not using the e-brake and only parking by leaving the car in gear.

 

Yes, don't wait call the dealership like now.


Why are you still reading this? Call now.
No seriously. It might be nothing, or your breaks could just stop working/lock up when your on a major road at 60+ mph. Then something bad would happen.

 

Uber, what did the dealer say????

 

dont mention the stuff you did to the dealer.

 

I'm going to take it in to the dealer tomorrow.

I think the weather has had a lot to do with the problem. Saturday it was pouring and it was in the 50's Sunday in snowed and it was in the teens. I did about 100 miles worth of traveling on Saturday so the chances are water got in to a few places and things froze the next day.

 

That doesn't sound right...it sounds possible, just not right...

Keep us posted, it might get cold here too...

 

My brake has frozen only once. My solution was to crawl under the car and beat the hell out of the drum (this didn't work) then consult my service manual to find the brake cables. The cables themselves were the problem; from memory, I believe they run parallel to the exhaust for part of the way, then branch off to go to each wheel. I crawled around under the car in 10 inches of snow to find the cables, then after burning the hell out of myself on the hot exhaust, knocked whatever loose and was almost run over by my own car, which was running and not in gear. Please learn from my mistake.

To prevent this from happening again, I don't use my parking brake unless I have to, and not at all when the weather has fluctuated between wet and freezing. This was undoubtedly what led to the problem: Rain one day, then ~20 degrees the next.

Try to park it for a few days in a heated garage to melt away the ice from the undercarriage, then don't use the brake again when it's been below freezing; that's worked for me so far. Hope this helps!

 

wounder how much damage being ran over by a parked xA would do?

But yea, lines freeze up on all cars, dont sweat it

 

Thanks for the input guys. I haven't had an issue with the e-brake since so things are fine. I will change my procedures when it comes to parking in below freezing conditions. The weather in the Northeast has been a bit freaky lately, one day it sunny with a high of 54 the next it's snowing with a high of 12, go figure.

 

godda like those cold snaps really ruins most of the week

 

This has been a problem on all cars with cable brakes, and cold wet weather from the first cold snap that happened to Karl Benz. It happens and in over 100 years there really hasn't been a solution. If you find one you could be a millionaire.