Parking brake won't engage

[Lamar]

OK, so here's the deal.

On my Bonneville ('01 SLE), I've been unable to engage the parking brake since I got the car. I don't know if there's anything wrong with the cables or anything...

...but what I have found is that there's some kind of obstruction that keeps the pedal from traveling at all... almost like it was disassembled and then put back together wrong.

Look at the uploaded picture... the piece right in the middle is what's blocked from traveling anywhere by the metal piece right behind it. (Sorry I don't have any more technical terms other than "piece")

Has anyone (on a Bonnie or Park Avenue) seen something like this before? How might I go about remedying this?

[Sixty8panther]

I hate foot-pedal P-brakes on modern cars.

Somehow, a 45 year old classic GM with

rusty/crusty cables can function 99% but

often times a 5 or 10 year old gently

used GM car from the 1990s can't function

at all... I've had terrible luck with modern

car's Foot-actuated Parking Brakes.

Surprisingly the Mercees' 204,000 and the

Suburban's 187,000 miles have not

rendered either's foot-p-brake useless.

Sorry I can't help, picture REAL blurry.

You have Macro mode on your camera?

[Lamar]

I hate foot-pedal P-brakes on modern cars.

This is the only time in which I've had a problem.

Sorry I can't help, picture REAL blurry.

You have Macro mode on your camera?

Sorry the picture's blurry; I took it at night. Just pointed, clicked, and hoped for the best. I'll try a better one soon.

My camera's not phosisticated enough for macro mode either. ... or if it is, I haven't figured out how to use it.

[Intrepidation]

Only had a parking brake issue when the actual cables rotted out..pretty sure that's a problem regardless of where the brake engagement takes place. Let's not turn this into yet another "omg modern (and somehow throw in FWD) cars suck) thread.

But I agree with Sxity8, try to get a more clear picture...that might help.

[SAmadei]

Only had a parking brake issue when the actual cables rotted out..pretty sure that's a problem regardless of where the brake engagement takes place. Let's not turn this into yet another "omg modern (and somehow throw in FWD) cars suck) thread.

My parking brake complaint is the little tiny drum brakes some cars have... they do not have a slot to adjust the star wheel. A lot of the newer cars seem to have rear brake adjustment problems, unknown to the owner because the fronts are so effective, and then the parking brake ends up useless... regardless of foot or hand actuated.

As far as the problem at hand... my '99 is likely like yours, in that you push down on the pedal to engage it, then push down on the pedal a second time to disengage it. The thing you are seeing in the picture is likely part of the ratchet/release mechanism. I haven't looked at mine lately, so I'm not sure by your picture if it is assembled wrong. Since the assembly looks unitized in your picture, I doubt anyone would disassemble it, as it would likely be replaced whole.

Another thought... my '99 P-brake is really hard to engage... you have to step on it like you mean it. I assume this is to override the release mechanism.

Just for kicks, I would check the under car routing of the cable to ensure its not crimped, crushed or hung up somewhere.

If you haven't, you may want to post the problem at BonnevilleForums.com. I'd be surprised if nobody there hasn't pulled one of these apart.

I would pull some diagrams from my '99 Bonne factory service manual, but I have them at my other home.

[SAmadei]

I hate foot-pedal P-brakes on modern cars.

Somehow, a 45 year old classic GM with

rusty/crusty cables can function 99% but

often times a 5 or 10 year old gently

used GM car from the 1990s can't function

at all... I've had terrible luck with modern

car's Foot-actuated Parking Brakes.

Thinking more about this, the 45-year old P-brake cables didn't run in sheaths like modern cars. Bare cables are less likely to rust and seize up.