The Premier Garage in Round Rock to Fix a Faulty Parking Brake in Your Car

Parking brakes, also called hand brakes or emergency brakes, are an integral part of any car’s safety feature. It works independently of your regular braking system. If this brake malfunctions, it could be quite dangerous. This article will address issues that can occur with parking brakes and how you can mitigate them.

Types of Parking Brakes

The two main types of parking brakes are as follows:

Mechanical Parking Brake: This system uses pedals, levers, or cables to engage the parking mechanism.
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB): In this system, the parking mechanism is controlled electronically with an actuator.

Both types bypass the main braking system and work independently to help your car to stop.

Why You Should Always Engage Your Parking Brakes

The parking or emergency brakes have two significant roles:

Parking: The parking brake keeps the car from rolling while it is stopped. This is especially critical when you’re parked on a hill or any slope, even your driveway.
Emergency: The other important job of the parking brake is to be able to stop your moving car immediately if the regular or primary braking system fails. Hence, the name emergency brakes.

3 Symptoms of a Problematic Parking Brake

Here are some tell-tale signs that your parking or emergency brakes might be malfunctioning.

Trouble Engaging or Disengaging: If you notice it is difficult to engage or disengage your parking brake, that should raise flags that the brake is failing.
Lever is Hard to Move: If the lever feels too stiff or too loose, make sure you get the emergency brake checked out.
Parking Brake Light On: If the brake light on your dashboard remains on after you have disengaged it, you should definitely have a professional mechanic inspect it to see what is going on. Driving with a partially engaged parking brake can cause severe damage to your car.

What Causes Parking Brake Issues?

Frayed Cables: The cables in the parking brake system become frayed and worn due to time and wear.
Incorrect Tensions: The cables in the parking brake system may become loose and need adjusting.
Shoe, Pad, or Caliper Issues: If any of the brake components, such as the caliper, shoe, or pad, has a problem, like degradation or corrosion, it will affect the proper function of the parking brake.
Brake Fluid Leakage: A leak in the brake fluid system can cause low pressure, which would be detrimental to the parking brake system.
Driving With the Parking Brake On: This is a huge no-no. When you drive with the parking brake engaged, it prematurely wears out parts. In the long run, that can cause irreparable damage, especially to your transmission.
Electrical Errors: A malfunction in the electrical system can cause the parking brake to stick or cause other issues.
Defective Sensors and Actuators: A faulty sensor or actuator can definitely lead to problems with the parking brake.

Steps to Take in Case You Have a Malfunctioning Parking Brake

The only responsible step to take is to get your parking brake repaired. It is best to bring your car to a professional mechanic, as the repair process can be a bit tricky unless you are a mechanic yourself. Here are some things that might need to be done:

You may need to replace the parking brake cable or actuator. This is usually a straightforward task for a licensed mechanic.
You may need to replace the brake pads or shoes. This is a bit more involved, as you will need to remove the wheels and the calipers.
For an EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) system, the repair process is much more technical. You will need specialized diagnostic tools to read and identify the error codes.

Prevention is the Best Approach

The best way to keep your car in good working condition is to put it on a regular maintenance schedule. We can help you with that. Many car-related problems, when caught early, are relatively simple to fix.

At Adair and Sons, we can certainly help you with your car’s parking/emergency brake issue. Of course, we can do much more. Our highly trained mechanics work on both imported and domestic vehicles. We are your go-to car mechanics. Call us to book an appointment and stop by to visit us. You’ll find us in Round Rock, Texas.