Why Has My Parking Brakes Stopped Working?

Planning a trip requires effort, and when it is a road trip, the hard work becomes double. After all, we need to have a proper, well-functioning, and highly maintained vehicle. Initiating a journey is good, but what if you need to stop your car midway through the terrain and came to know that your parking failed? Even trying a lot, you are unable to find a solution. Then, no need to take tension as our article would help you know why parking brakes stopped working. It would also help you deal with such problems beginning from the basics, and soon you will reach your destination smoothly.

What Do You Mean By Parking Brake?

The parking brake is also known as an emergency brake or handbrake. Its purpose is to keep the vehicle securely motionless when parked. The parking brake controls the rear brakes and is a separate system from your vehicle’s regular brakes. So, when you park a car, whether it is manual or automatic and the terrain is hilly or flat, you must always use the parking brake every time you park as this prevents the car from moving when it is parked. A parking brake is meant for your safety and the people around you. Also used as the emergency brake to stop the vehicle suddenly when your main hydraulic brakes fail.

The parking brakes usually are of four types:

  1. Stick Lever – found in the old vehicle or older models and are located under the instrumental panel.
  2.  Center Lever – located between the front seats and seen in various new models.
  3. Pedal – located on the floor to the left of the other pedals.
  4. Electric Or Push Button – located on the console with other controls

Signs Of The Faulty Emergency Brakes

Brakes servicing is one of the routine maintenance that we cannot ignore. However, the vehicles provided specific signs that fortunately help us identify and signal that your brakes are not suitable or are due. Among these signs, a few common symptoms include:

  1.  The parking brakes will not move or observe any movement when it is in place. I do not move or are not engaged. There are chances that your parking brake release cable may break.
  2. Whenever you observe drag in a vehicle, there are chances of the failure of parking brakes.
  3. If your parking brake is not holding the vehicle correctly or in position, there might be failure chances. Also, the light of the parking brake is seen over the dashboard.
  4. If the parking brake cable snaps or breaks, it will disable the brake and not function; thus, the pedal or the lever may lose.

Reasons Behind The Failure Of Parking Breaks

There could be various reasons and factors behind the failure of the emergency brake or the parking brakes, for example:

* The cable may be cut or stretched. As a result, no longer tight to deliver the pressure needed to work drum brake shoes. Hence, the vehicle could not stand back or hold in position when required.

* Sometimes, there are chances that the emergency brake pads are worn out. The worn-out pads can not provide sufficient grip to keep the vehicle in place.

We can easily find out the cause of the failed parking brakes by inspecting the vehicle’s brake in various ways, and thus, we would know what’s wrong with our brakes. The three most common techniques include:

  1. Parking lever or pedal
  2. Parking brake cable
  3. Rear drum shoes or brake pads

What To Do When Parking Brakes Stopped Working?

The parking brake or the emergency brake, a regular pedal, stopped the vehicle and prevented moving across the parked point. The brakes generally function with the hand-operated lever located between the driver and the passenger seat.

The parking brake can be easily corrected, or one can get rid of its failure smoothy just by following the whole troubleshooting process, which includes various steps:

1. Investigate The Cable For Any Bumps Or Twists

The most common cause or the problem we often face in the faulty emergency brake is that the cable begins to twist or bump from various places. This is because we cannot use the parking brake, and thus its failure results in a mishap.Hence, to avoid such uneven conditions, we must first examine the whole cable from the hand lever to the wheel drums to prevent unstable conditions. It should sort as soon as possible because of the failure of parking brakes, not a matter to ignore or postponed for some other day.

2. Repair Or Replace

The failure of emergency brakes can also arise or develop when one drives over the terrain or on bumpy roads. It may lead the cable to get out of its alignment and thus interfering with the braking system. The only thing one can do in this condition is to put the cable back in position to regain its alignment again and thus save the vehicle from such issues. However, the emergency brake still faces the problem repeatedly, and it must be replaced very soon, as no alternative is left to deal with it anyway.

3. Clean Out The Brake Drums

The dirty brake drums are also responsible for the brake failure. It usually causes the dust particle to blend with the oil resulting in the choking of the brakes. The cleaning of the braking system is the only option available here; thus, dirt and oil all need to be cleaned. The expert’s assistance while dealing with such circumstances helps you to get better advice.

Bonus Tips

Watch the below video to help you fix a stuck parking brake:

How Much Does It Cost To Fix The Brake?

The average cost of the fixed parking brake ranges between $400 to $500. The replacement lies between $250 to $290, the labor cost is approximately $130 to $170, and the parts are priced at $120. These values do not include any taxes and are not exact ranges as they might vary depending on the vehicle and the place you live.

For What Reason Did My Stopping Brakes Stop Working?

Need to Adjust Brake Shoes: The absolute most normal explanation your stopping brake will not connect with is a need to change the brake shoes. This requires eliminating the back tires, eliminating the drum, and afterward changing the wheel to spread the shoes separated. The two sides ought to be changed.

How Would I Reset My Stopping Brake?

This is the way to reset it;
Change the start to the ON position and change the gear switch in PARK. …
Pull and deliver the EPB button to enact the electric stopping brake.
Pull and hold the EPB button until you hear a mechanical sound, then discharge the button.

Is It Costly To Fix A Stopping Slow Down?

It, as a rule, will cost between $250 to $290 to fix your leaving brake contingent upon your vehicle. You ought to do this straight away on the off chance that you notice an issue. Indications of bombing stopping brake incorporate the accompanying: The switch is a lot simpler to pull or push than expected.

Where Is Stopping Brake Switch Found?

Assuming you have a foot-style stopping brake, the switch is under the scramble mounted to or behind the switch. Assuming you have a hand-style stopping brake, the switch is mounted under the mid-control area get together on or beneath the switch.

Conclusion

We hope that now, whenever your parking brakes stopped working, you are ready with all your answers and would not face any problems or issues anymore. If your doubts persist, comment below, and we’ll answer them as soon as possible.