I'm starting to experience my e-brake being very weak. So weak that I've had to pull up very high to get it to lock. So high that i've broken the plastic brackets that hold down the e-brake leather boot. What's causing this? & what can I do this remedy this? Thank you & Mahalos.

 

funkdoktor, sounds like one of your e-brakes is binding up. What you will need to do is to pull off the rear wheels and look at the lever that has a steel cable running to it. If you use your hand, one of them should move slightly to the rear of the car and the other one will not. The one that you can move is the caliper that is binding up. You will need to get a new caliper (check out the NAPA over on Mapunapuna road). I got my last caliper through NAPA for $130 ($185 with $55 core charge).

If you jack up the car and then engage the e-brake, you will see that there is a splitting bar. It should be parallel to the bumpers. BUt, if it tilted one way, the side that is closer to the rear bumper is the side that is binding up.

 

thank you thermo. when you say "binding" do you mean its stuck in position?

 

funkdoktor, had same situation with my '03 xtype. It was a piston not retracking in the rear caliper. Years ago we would take out the piston, use a little emory on the cyl. and replace the piston seal if damaged. Now the dealer won't repair, they will only replace the whole caliper. Liability issue they said. Jack

 

funkdoktor, yes, the arm for the e-brake will hold a certain position due to excessive drag. It is something inside of the caliper. I am contemplating finding the rebuild kits and picking up a few and then a junkyard caliper. Then I will take one caliper at a time as needed and rebuild it to get me something that works again.

 

Thermo has helped me with this one too awhile back! I would just like to throw in that if money is a concern, you can buy a used caliper for around $40 shipped to your doorstep. Then, you can take your old, frozen caliper and rebuild it as a side job to have an extra one on hand.