Parking brake will not disengage (1 Viewer)

[mechanist]

2009 GX470; 97,*** mi.

Seems something is wrong with the parking brake. Any thoughts or insight are greatly appreciated.

Background: Just bought it. Got it home. Called Lexus to schedule baseline of fluids, belts, hoses, and timing belt service. We know the brakes grab HARD with very little foot-pressure on the pedal so will have them look at that.

Next morning as my wife is driving I hear what sounds like a bad u-joint, but there is no play when grabbing and wiggling by hand while lying under the truck. So I let it coast down hill - the intermittent chirping continues while coasting so not the u-joint. Noise increases with brake pressure applied but pads look brand new and Lexus shows brake service just done. Pulled parking brake - no resistance. It's like I'm just pulling a lever with nothing attached to it. Also button stays depressed, but will pop out when handle is tapped; however, still no resistance.

It feels and sounds like we are driving with the parking brake engaged. Vehicle will not move forward or backward under idle - accelerator must be depressed.

Any idea what's going on? What may be causing this? Is this something simple that can be fixed in 5 minutes or should I just let Lexus handle it?

 

[dnp]

Almost sounds like your parking brake shoes got adjusted too tightly AND your e-brake cable snapped. Regarding the button not popping out: I had the same issue on my '04 when I bought it. Seems as if the prior owner had spilled a gallon of soft drink down it, and it was all gummed up. I sprayed WD-40 in it, worked the button, sprayed more, worked it more, etc., and finally it works like it should.

 

[GXO]

they messed it up. If you had brakes done at the dealer that is part of the service. I would just return it for a look.

 

[little_joe]

I'd suggest backing off the parking brake adjusters before driving it again. It's easy enough to do - pull the tire, the adjuster opening will be visible, use a screwdriver to rotate the star wheel.

 

[mechanist]

We bought it locally. The dealer who did the brakes is in south Florida. That said, my local dealer can see the brakes were serviced by Lexus. I'm going to ask if they can have that other dealership cover the repair if it does turn out that the other dealer created the issue.

they messed it up. If you had brakes done at the dealer that is part of the service. I would just return it for a look.

 

[GXO]

little-joe is correct in that you can back them off, but it may be in the adjuster on the lever as well. If you remove the boot there is an adjustment there as well. If they dialed the parking brake too far on tension at the lever it will cause everything you are seeing, including the possible break of the cable. There are lock nuts you can manipulate which you will see once your remove the boot.

 

[Ninja Cruiser100]

I have the opposite problem. New to me 2007 GX470...

Emergency brake lever pulls the cable and engages the brake but does not hold, it just goes back to the neutral(off) position. Seems like the Ratcheting mechanism is not engaging.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[dnp]

I have the opposite problem. New to me 2007 GX470...

Emergency brake lever pulls the cable and engages the brake but does not hold, it just goes back to the neutral(off) position. Seems like the Ratcheting mechanism is not engaging.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Any chance your handle release button is "stiff?" The reason I ask is - try not to laugh - but when my parking brake had the same symptoms, I discovered the PO had spilled enough soda/coffee/name your drink on/around the console that the button had gotten stuck (or at least stiff). Since the button wouldn't come fully out of the handle, it wouldn't allow the release pawl to engage the teeth in the handle.....so it just operated freely and wouldn't catch.

First, see if your button moves in and out of the brake handle completely freely. If it doesn't, spray some sort of interior cleaner into the handle and let it sit a while. Hopefully, like with mine, it will dissolve the sticky stuff and allow the button to move freely again. If not, repeat this procedure several times, while at the same time trying to push the button in and pull it out with your fingers. The more cleaner I was able to work in between the handle and the button, the freer it got. Eventually, it began to work normally.......I'm just relaying the fix for the exact same thing that happened with one of my Land Cruisers.

If your button already moves freely, I'm of no help......

 

[Ninja Cruiser100]

Any chance your handle release button is "stiff?" The reason I ask is - try not to laugh - but when my parking brake had the same symptoms, I discovered the PO had spilled enough soda/coffee/name your drink on/around the console that the button had gotten stuck (or at least stiff). Since the button wouldn't come fully out of the handle, it wouldn't allow the release pawl to engage the teeth in the handle.....so it just operated freely and wouldn't catch.

First, see if your button moves in and out of the brake handle completely freely. If it doesn't, spray some sort of interior cleaner into the handle and let it sit a while. Hopefully, like with mine, it will dissolve the sticky stuff and allow the button to move freely again. If not, repeat this procedure several times, while at the same time trying to push the button in and pull it out with your fingers. The more cleaner I was able to work in between the handle and the button, the freer it got. Eventually, it began to work normally.......I'm just relaying the fix for the exact same thing that happened with one of my Land Cruisers.

If your button already moves freely, I'm of no help......

Dnp. It is stiff, I noticed it when I first tried to engage. I will try your solution this weekend and report back.

I love this place!

 

[dnp]

Dnp. It is stiff, I noticed it when I first tried to engage. I will try your solution this weekend and report back.

I love this place!

Good luck......the free fixes are always my favorites!

 

[Ninja Cruiser100]

The journey continues...with my hand parking lever.

Sprayed the inside of the parking brake handgrip several times with no progress. I was able to take a pliers and grab the end of the thumb button with the brake pulled back and it engaged and held.

When I push the button in to disengage it just stays flat as if the spring is sprung or the ratcheting mechanism is binding with rust or dirty grease/lubricant. To reengage I have to pull it with the pliers.

Any thoughts on what the next step might be? I tried to remove the rubber handgrip, to no avail.

 

[Trainwreck007]

Not to awaken an old evil, but did you ever resolve this issue with the button sticking down? Yep, mine is doing the same.

 

[PhilipJPhry]

I had the issue with mine when I bought it. Same as the other guy - lots of coffee spilled in the center console.

I started with pouring some rubbing alcohol down around the button. That freed it up a little. But I ended up pulling the whole center console to clean up all the coffee. And while I was at it, I removed the entire parking brake handle from my car and ran it under hot water in the bath tub. A bit drastic, but that took care of the issue totally.

 

[fourleggedfish]

I know this is an old thread, but I have some potentially relevant info to add. I had the same stuck button issue with mine. No ratcheting action and parking brake would not stay engaged.

TL;DR - the button will unscrew from the handle. I had to re-stretch the spring behind it to get my parking brake to engage again.


Initially I sprayed brake cleaner and WD40 into the button area to no avail. I finally pulled out the entire parking brake assembly to see if I could tell what the issue was.

There is a pawl near the ratcheting gear that connects to the button via a metal rod and mine would not engage (and the button would not release from the depressed position). I thought perhaps the grease around the pawl was perhaps dried out, preventing movement. I cleaned it out with brake cleaner and regreased it, but no joy still.

I bit the bullet and started looking for an entire replacement parking brake assembly online and found them running about $160. I almost pulled the trigger on one until I noticed the exploded parts diagram for the parking brake. It showed the button separated, then a spring, and then the rest of the assembly.

I went out the garage and put a channel locks on the button to see if I could remove it. Sure enough, it unscrewed and expose the spring. I pulled the spring out and stretched it a bit, reinstalled the spring and button, and voila! It engaged again perfectly. Not sure how long my “fix” will last, but it’s working for now. May have to find a new spring eventually, but this is doing the trick.

Unscrewing the button will also make it easier for those folks who have spilled a Carmel macchiato on the button to clean out the sticky goop that may be preventing the button from returning to the extended position.

Hopefully this saves a few people from pulling the whole assembly like I did.