Hand break locked up: d while disengaged

[hellohello123]

Can anyone give a list of possible explanations for this, odd issue i had last week.
Have a low km 22/23 GT

Drove the car the week before
Turned engine on, disengage handbreak, felt normal, instrument cluster shows disengaged
Car doesnt move back or forward, feels like hand break still engaged
Called tow company, they tie rope around wheels, pull rope, car appears to have disengaged
I drive the car around the block to test, appears to drive fine except a flapping sound,
Send car to dealer, a day later they call and say we cant find anything wrong with car, we have adjusted the handbreak a bit lower (admittedly i pull up to engage hand break quite hard on habit due to bad experience)
Pickup car, flapping sound gone, car drives normally

Should i just put this due to a random bit of bad luck or a major issue pending?

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[sk47]

Hello; Big question is what sort of hand brake (parking brake) does the car have. If it a true old fashioned sort where you actually pull on a lever to engage the brake, then I have an idea.
Folks with an automatic transmission often do not use the hand brake regurally. They just put the trans into park. Without use the handbrake can (and will) seize up. They are metal sleeves with metal cables inside most often in my experience. Usually iron or steel.
Once rusted the hand lever is stout enough to overcome the grip of the rust and apply the brake. Unfortunately the springs and fittings which release the brake are not usually stout enough to overcome the friction so the handbrake stays locked up.

There are a couple of things to do, maybe three. One is to try to lube the mechanisms & cables. Maybe WD-40??? Maybe some other such. Maybe something used on bicycle cables???

Another is to keep using the hand brake every time you park the car or never use the handbrake at all.

Scenario #2 - may be you set the handbrake after driving in the rain or washing the car with the brake pads & rotors still wet. The brake pads will rust to the rotors if the car sits for hours to days. When that happens some force is needed to pop lose the pads from the rotors. This sounds more like your case. Possibly can-do damage but I have had this happen and did not have damage. I have learned to not apply the handbrake after driving in the rain or after washing my car. I am lucky in having a level garage floor, so i just put it in gear ( it is a manual).
Another thing is to drive the car around to dry it off after washing or driving in the rain.

 

[WayneK]

Also if it is a cable system the levers at the calipers that the cable is attached to stick from rust and the spring is no longer strong enough to release or fully release the brake.

 

[hellohello123]

Hello; Big question is what sort of hand brake (parking brake) does the car have. If it a true old fashioned sort where you actually pull on a lever to engage the brake, then I have an idea.
Folks with an automatic transmission often do not use the hand brake regurally. They just put the trans into park. Without use the handbrake can (and will) seize up. They are metal sleeves with metal cables inside most often in my experience. Usually iron or steel.
Once rusted the hand lever is stout enough to overcome the grip of the rust and apply the brake. Unfortunately the springs and fittings which release the brake are not usually stout enough to overcome the friction so the handbrake stays locked up.

There are a couple of things to do, maybe three. One is to try to lube the mechanisms & cables. Maybe WD-40??? Maybe some other such. Maybe something used on bicycle cables???

Another is to keep using the hand brake every time you park the car or never use the handbrake at all.

Scenario #2 - may be you set the handbrake after driving in the rain or washing the car with the brake pads & rotors still wet. The brake pads will rust to the rotors if the car sits for hours to days. When that happens some force is needed to pop lose the pads from the rotors. This sounds more like your case. Possibly can-do damage but I have had this happen and did not have damage. I have learned to not apply the handbrake after driving in the rain or after washing my car. I am lucky in having a level garage floor, so i just put it in gear ( it is a manual).
Another thing is to drive the car around to dry it off after washing or driving in the rain.

Oops forgot to mention

Its a manual, and when i park ot, i put it on first
Could it be some hand break cable breaking?

 

[sk47]

Oops forgot to mention

Its a manual, and when i park ot, i put it on first
Could it be some hand break cable breaking?

Hello; Braking Breaking (destruction) of parts is possible but so far, I have not had such happen. Being a manual, I more strongly suspect you had a case of the pad sticking to the rotor by way of rust. So far, I have been able to break that rust bond lose with my cars engine and being in reverse. Makes a loud popping noise and the car jerks a lot. This is a violent enough thing I take steps to avoid it.

I drive the car around the block to test, appears to drive fine except a flapping sound,

Send car to dealer, a day later they call and say we cant find anything wrong with car, we have adjusted the handbreak a bit lower (admittedly i pull up to engage hand break quite hard on habit due to bad experience)
Pickup car, flapping sound gone, car drives normally

Hello; The flapping sound very likely is the rust being rubbed off the rotor. After applying the brakes a time or few in normal driving the rust will be rubbed off the rotor. Having learned my lesson, I now do not use the handbrake when I park the car when wet and I will not be driving it for a few days. I put it in gear only. But as said I have a level parking place.

Note- if you drive the car every day this will not likely be an issue. It happens more after the car is parked a few days. If you do park for days at a time and are on a hill it might be better to scotch the wheels with a block or some such.

note- That the mechanics did not find anything wrong is a good sign. Makes me figure my rusted to the rotor theory is likely correct. If nothing actually broke when the tow truck jerked it free, then you are likely OK. I left my car wet with the parking brake on for nearly a week once. Made a big noise when I got it to pop free. Left a rust mark on the surface of the rotor for a while.
If you do not trust the mechanics, then pull the rear wheels and have a look see. The cables ought to be visible. Should be easy to note heavy rust or corrosion. I would look for myself as i do my own work as much as is possible.
good luck

 

[sk47]

Hello; Let me add this. If you have not been in the habit of using the hand brake every time for months or years then refer back to scenario #1 in my first response. without regular use the cables can corrode/rust and seize up. If such is the case then once you get the cables freed up then keep using the hand brake often.

 

[cerbomark]

scenario #2.

 

[Garfy]

Hello; Braking Breaking (destruction) of parts is possible but so far, I have not had such happen. Being a manual, I more strongly suspect you had a case of the pad sticking to the rotor by way of rust. So far, I have been able to break that rust bond lose with my cars engine and being in reverse. Makes a loud popping noise and the car jerks a lot. This is a violent enough thing I take steps to avoid it.



Hello; The flapping sound very likely is the rust being rubbed off the rotor. After applying the brakes a time or few in normal driving the rust will be rubbed off the rotor. Having learned my lesson, I now do not use the handbrake when I park the car when wet and I will not be driving it for a few days. I put it in gear only. But as said I have a level parking place.

Note- if you drive the car every day this will not likely be an issue. It happens more after the car is parked a few days. If you do park for days at a time and are on a hill it might be better to scotch the wheels with a block or some such.

note- That the mechanics did not find anything wrong is a good sign. Makes me figure my rusted to the rotor theory is likely correct. If nothing actually broke when the tow truck jerked it free, then you are likely OK. I left my car wet with the parking brake on for nearly a week once. Made a big noise when I got it to pop free. Left a rust mark on the surface of the rotor for a while.
If you do not trust the mechanics, then pull the rear wheels and have a look see. The cables ought to be visible. Should be easy to note heavy rust or corrosion. I would look for myself as i do my own work as much as is possible.
good luck

The "rust" idea is certainly valid. I've seen new cars on the dealer's lot that sat for weeks on their "display" podium at the corner of the parking lot and the rotors were coated with rust (nice brown color). Yes, if you're going to park it for a long while, don't apply the parking brake as that could be an issue. I used to habitually apply my parking brake on all my cars even when parked in my level garage only because I wanted to make sure the cables were always "free" due to the applying and releasing of the brake. However, on the Mustang I don't except when parked away from home because the nature of the integrated caliper/parking brake they tend to have dragging issues more than drum parking brakes (based on my observation of parking brake systems over my 44+ year career as a Master Tech). By regularly applying and releasing the parking brake you can keep rust or corrosion from building up on the cables. If you don't use them much, I would suggest periodically applying and releasing them a few times every few days to ensure the cables aren't sticking.

 

[TEAsGrabber]

scenario #2.

Yep....... It happens to mine every time I wash it and pull it back into the garage. I rarely drive mine in the rain cause I'm lazy and don't wanna spend 5 hours cleaning.....but the few times I have.....it has done the same thing!

 

[sk47]

However, on the Mustang I don't except when parked away from home because the nature of the integrated caliper/parking brake they tend to have dragging issues more than drum parking brakes (based on my observation of parking brake systems over my 44+ year career as a Master Tech).

Hello; Good points. My Chevy pickup has rear brake rotors for driving but also a shoe & drum setup for the parking brake. So far, 20 years, that parking brake setup has never bound up.

My Nissan Sentra SE has the integrated system which uses the rotor for both driving and the parking brake. I do have to be careful when parking at home long term (days). If I pull into the garage when wet I do not apply the parking brake. The rotors will get a layer of surface rust but the brake will not be stuck on.

 

[hellohello123]

Hello; Braking Breaking (destruction) of parts is possible but so far, I have not had such happen. Being a manual, I more strongly suspect you had a case of the pad sticking to the rotor by way of rust. So far, I have been able to break that rust bond lose with my cars engine and being in reverse. Makes a loud popping noise and the car jerks a lot. This is a violent enough thing I take steps to avoid it.



Hello; The flapping sound very likely is the rust being rubbed off the rotor. After applying the brakes a time or few in normal driving the rust will be rubbed off the rotor. Having learned my lesson, I now do not use the handbrake when I park the car when wet and I will not be driving it for a few days. I put it in gear only. But as said I have a level parking place.

Note- if you drive the car every day this will not likely be an issue. It happens more after the car is parked a few days. If you do park for days at a time and are on a hill it might be better to scotch the wheels with a block or some such.

note- That the mechanics did not find anything wrong is a good sign. Makes me figure my rusted to the rotor theory is likely correct. If nothing actually broke when the tow truck jerked it free, then you are likely OK. I left my car wet with the parking brake on for nearly a week once. Made a big noise when I got it to pop free. Left a rust mark on the surface of the rotor for a while.
If you do not trust the mechanics, then pull the rear wheels and have a look see. The cables ought to be visible. Should be easy to note heavy rust or corrosion. I would look for myself as i do my own work as much as is possible.
good luck

See how much great info is available on forums!

Had the dealers explained to me or even had an idea , all theyve said is "we couldnt find anything wrong"

But yes the cae doesnt get used much, i have no idea how a hand break operates but your scenrario 2 sounds spot on.

I had used it the week before. It locks, tow truck pulls it with a rope , it appears to unlock, drive it round the block, flapping sound, goes to dealer they fiddle with, i get the car back its gone back to normal.

Appreciate everyones input, put my mind at rest bigtime

 

[raptor17GT]

if you normally park on flat or near flat ground just leave the car in gear with the handbrake off. When you are out and about in the car use the handbrake when sitting at stops so to keep the mechanism working and self adjusting. The caliper handbrake system is pretty rubbish but yeah use it when out and about to keep it working.

 

[WItoTX]

Yep....... It happens to mine every time I wash it and pull it back into the garage. I rarely drive mine in the rain cause I'm lazy and don't wanna spend 5 hours cleaning.....but the few times I have.....it has done the same thing!

OP, it is likely this^^^. If the rotors get wet, like after a car wash, all of my pads will be stuck to the rotors. Usually after a wash, my car sits for a week or two, so it's typically a pretty loud pop, then everything is good again. It's likely all 4 of your pads becoming one with the rotor, and nothing to worry about.

 

[sk47]

if you normally park on flat or near flat ground just leave the car in gear with the handbrake off.

If the rotors get wet, like after a car wash, all of my pads will be stuck to the rotors. Usually after a wash, my car sits for a week or two, so it's typically a pretty loud pop,

Hello; There needs to be a bit of judgment calls. To keep the cables and other moving parts of a traditional handbrake/parking brake from rusting solid the system need to be operated often. This movement breaks up the rust. So there are not hard & fast rules. Drive a car every day & use the handbrake every time then I doubt it will ever seize up with rust.
Park a car for long periods with the handbrake on can wind up with the pads sticking to the rotors.
Perhaps the worst scenario is when a parking brake is rarely to never used. Then after months or years someone decides to apply that handbrake. Over the long time the cables tend to rust up a lot. Unfortunately, not always enough to rust up the cable solid. Often the hand lever can have enough leverage to pull the cable enough to apply the brake. But when the hand lever is released, the rust is enough to hold the parking brake on. Then you have a problem difficult to fix. I have known of folks driving with one or even two of the rear parking brakes still on. Brakes get very hot.

Over time manufacturers have improved the cables. Some have lined the cables with plastic and maybe even Teflon. Think motorcycle or bicycle cables.

 

[Mikepol2]

The same thing has happened to me with both the 2018 GT and the 2021 Mach (both manuals). Definitely the pad rusting to the rotor. How do I know? Because it only happens after washing the car and immediately parking it in the garage with the hand brake on; and because one of the times that it happened and I used the engine to break it loose, it literally broke loose - it broke one of the pads in half. Since then, if the rotors are wet, I just park it in 1st gear without using the hand brake and it has never happened again.

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