Ok, so the other day I took off my rear rotors and pads and replaced them. However, I just learned today that my e-brake isn't working. I pull up on the lever all the way and my car moves like nothings there. Before my brake job it was working.

What can I do to fix this? I've read it up on the .org but was unable to find concise instructions. I've read about tightening the cable, but don't know where or how to accomplish that. Also, could I have messed something up by moving the rear calipers doing the replacement?

 

you can take off e-brake boot and tighten there with a 10mm i believe. check cable behind the caliper and you can feel if it is loose there.

 

You took off the clip that holds the parking brake cable off then you removed the parking break cable from the bracket ...

You probably did not put the cable back on the bracket???


So take off the rear wheel and check to see if you put the clip and the cable back on the bracket?

 

If I'm correct, I think your talking about the 10mm connected to the end of the cable inside the car on the lever. Lol, sorry, I'm only 17 and have never had an e-brake do this to me before.

When I took off the caliper I didn't remove anything but. I'm not quite sure what you mean by clip, but I'll check. I'll start my way from removing the wheels and inspecting the e-brake from there back.

Thanks both of you, hopefully it's a simple fix.

 

Hey there.. look at this vid ... Most importantly at around 0.43 seconds where he takes of the clip!

 

Ok, so I took my car to my school's autoshop and found the problem. The right rear caliper is beyond seized (The part in the video from 1:10-1:15), the part at least for the parking brake, so I need to replace it. The problem is I don't know where to get one.

I'm not sure about getting a used one at a junkyard and I refuse to go to the stealership to get a new one. My teacher recommended that I go to Napa and get a rebuilt one for $30, but I don't know if thats right. Anyone got any ideas about how I can go about this and provide me links possibly? O'Reilly's, NAPA, etc.?

 

Then, do what the teacher says and pay $30 for a rebuilt one from Napa...unless you cannot budget that right now.

 

O'Reilly's or autozone will prolly have them

 

Napa ftw
Your teacher is a teacher for a reason.

 

^^^^+1

 

I had the same problem a few years ago. I live in British Columbia and parts are more expensive here than in the US. I doubt you can get a rebuilt caliper for $30. See if there is a core charge, if so you will have to give them the old caliper.

The rear brakes are hydraulic. If you are going with a rebuilt caliper you will have to replace both sides or you may experience uneven braking. Do not replace just one caliper. Don't chintz out on this repair. These are brakes we are talklng about, not a brake light. My caliper seized because I didn't use the emergency brake very often. There is a piston that goes in and out that seized.

 

how did you compress the the rear piston in on the caliper if it siezed?

 

Yea, I checked and at NAPA they want $80 for a new caliper. At O'Reilly it is $50 for the core charge, $70 if I don't give it back. I knew $30 didn't sound right, but the piston in the caliper is fine. The hydraulic piston for the brakes work, but the manual lever on the caliper for the handbrake is seized.

I'm afraid I will have to "chintz" out on this repair because I haven't the money to replace both sides. The only valid solution is to forget about the handbrake until I have the funds to fix it or un-seize the handbrake on the caliper. Will taking a torch to the lever on the caliper un-seize it?

 

I got the rebuilt calipers and Raybestos pads wholesale and had a shop do the job, bleed the brakes and replace the brake fluid.

 

Can you even turn the right rear wheel? I couldn't turn mine before the job.

If the caliper is truly seized and you can't turn the wheel by hand, you will screw up your rotor big time by continuing to drive the car.

Borrow the money from your parents or park the frigging car until you can afford both sides.

 

The wheel itself turns freely, I tested this when I was diagnosing my car at school, the normal brakes are fine. I'm not stupid enough to drive a car with one of the wheels locked up. My teacher said to get the caliper replaced because the thing that makes the handbrake engage is seized even though the piston for the pads are fine. I want to know if its possible to get it un-seized because then only the handbrake holds the left wheel as of now.

 

your auto shop teacher should be able to rebuild the caliper..

When i took autoshop in school that what the teacher made us do.. Rebuild instead of replace.

 

Turns out upon further inspection that the caliper itself is not seized, but the cable. I'm tired of my Maxi-pad acting up on me, how do I either replace it or unseize it?

 

u can try wd-40 but it prolly wont work just buy a new one from nissan

 

Yea, I guess I'll have to do that, hope its not too costly. Looks like I'll have to buy a new one because un-seizing it isn't likely. Thank you to everyone who gave feedback to help me.