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How do you fix an emergency brake?
I’m wondering how to fix an emergency brake and if it’s something I can do myself. I’ve changed brake pads and stuff before. Is this much harder than that?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
We love it when car owners aren’t afraid to try a new DIY project! The short answer is that yes, you can probably handle an emergency brake repair yourself. It’s considered a moderate repair and doesn’t require too many special tools.
For this repair, you’ll need some tools you might already have, including a floor jack and stands, pliers, wire cutters, a flathead screwdriver, and a socket wrench set. A flashlight is handy, too.
Here are the steps to fix your emergency brake. Please consult a repair manual for your specific make, model, and year of car to make sure it’s all the same!
- Jack your car up and onto the stands.
- Disconnect and remove the emergency brake cable from the car, from the rear axle to the front of the car. You’ll need to disconnect clips or clamps along the way.
- Connect the new cable. You’ll need to be patient and delicate here, guiding the cable through tight spaces. Use a screwdriver to pry open the cable clips where necessary.
- Make the emergency brake cable taut, getting rid of as much slack as you can.
- Engage the parking brake and see if the tension is firm. You’ll almost always end up making minor adjustments to get it right.
Your emergency brake pedal, handle, or button pulls on a cable that runs under your car and firms up your rear brake pads or shoes, effectively locking them up so the car doesn’t roll.
Some newer cars even have a dedicated, secondary set of drum brakes, alongside the regular disc brakes, to serve as emergency brakes. This is to prevent the pads or rotors from taking damage if you drive with the emergency brake engaged.
Learning how to fix an emergency brake is a great way to save some money, and as car repairs go it’s moderately simple, too. But it won’t save you nearly as much money as shopping for
car insurance
using the Jerry
app!Jerry will compare personalized quotes from more than 50 top insurance providers in minutes, saving the average user $887 per year. Download it and check it out today. You’ll be surprised to see how much you can and should be saving!
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- Gregory R.
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