Hey! So I took the car for it's yearly check (the first time since I bought the car 8 months back) and they tell me that the parking break is pretty much dead and I need to fix that. Is the parking brake tied to any of the normal brakes or is that independant? Any links or tuts or videos to fix it would be most appreciated. Thanks!
In gen 2 the parking brake uses the same rear brake shoes as the service brakes. Regular use of the parking brake is necessary to work the adjuster mechanisms that keep the rear shoe clearance correct for both the parking brakes and the service brakes. Those adjuster mechanisms can get sticky or seized and fail to keep up with the wear of the shoes. Disuse of the parking brake can contribute to that. Excessive brake shoe clearance is a problem the service brakes can sort of mask for a long time (because a computer controls them and can just keep sending brake fluid back until braking happens), but is noticeable with the parking brake (and will also be noticeable in the service brakes' fail-safe mode, if that ever comes into play). Generally, checking the condition and adjustment of the brake shoes would be my first move here.
While the drums are off clean out the accumulated dust. The adjuster's on our 2007 seemed to work better once they were not coated with a thick layer of brake dust.
