Winterizing Parking Brake

[kevanp]

Has anyone found a solution to the Parking Brake freeze up issue?

The solution I got from my Ford dealer was to not use the E-brake when it's cold out. LOL

My car is stick and my curbless driveway is on a hill. I am hoping that I won't need to carry pieces of firewood in my trunk to chock my wheels.

 

[ski]

The original PB cables froze on my 05 S197 GT approx. 1 year after I bought it(12/04). The dealer replaced them under warranty, and they are still working ok.
Based on that I was thinking the replacements have a new design. But if your 07 had the same problem, then your original cables should also have had the "new" design.

 

[whyask]

If its under warranty still take it to ANOTHER dealer and have them take a look see ! cant hurt if its under warranty ! The "Dont use your Ebrake" is a ****ty excuse caused by some service writer who is just being very lazy !

 

[kevanp]

Unfortunately the car is no longer covered by warranty. Even worse, the dealer I mentioned seems to be the best within a reasonable distance.

 

[TGJ]

What did you do to your parking brake that it is no longer under warranty? How many miles are on your car? You may have voided parts of your warranty but your PB should still be covered...

 

[kevanp]

What did you do to your parking brake that it is no longer under warranty? How many miles are on your car? You may have voided parts of your warranty but your PB should still be covered...

38k, she's my daily driver and gets 100 miles a day

 

[anthony05gt]

It's the rubber seal at the end of the e-brake cable near your brake caliper that rots away to nothing. My car has 13k miles on it and is garage kept. The rubber is rotted. They have to replace the whole cale rather than just the seal because a new seal can't be slid over the cable end. I'd say unless Ford is using better rubber the problem may return.

 

[bigcat]

an inexpensive option may be to try some WD40 or grease on the end of the seal to prevent water from entering the cable. worth a try for a few bucks before you try replacing the cables.

WD40 will displace water, and may be able to keep out enough that it cant freeze enough to prevent the cable from releasing. grease may keep it out all together. I dont recall what the cables look like, or the exact location of the problem seal, so take that into consideration before doing these tips. use your discretion.