This morning at my house it was in the teens degree wise, and my fiance went out to her 95 Accord to go to work. She came back in 30 seconds later and told me that her e-brake was stuck. Even though the handle was down, she backed out of the drive way, noticed the car was dragging, pulled it back in the driveway and her rear brakes were RED HOT (as in actually red). She proceeded to take my Rodeo to work. I just went out about an hour ago and drove it and it was fine.

My question is this: Can the freezing cold cause the e-brake to stick, even with the handle down? I have never seen or heard of this before. I even tried to search on it and found nothing.

 

It's a cable operated brake. If it was wet or full of slush when set, it could freeze up and not release. Maybe the heat generated by dragging the car up and down the driveway freed it up.

 

I know it is cable operated, that is why it baffles me. There was no slush or anything around here (Georgia). Could excessive moisture in the fluid cause the brakes to lock down and freeze in the cold? She said the front was making noise, but not sticking like the back was.

 

did she pull the e-brake before...

 

Pull the e-brake before what? Leaving? Yes. As I said in the original post the e-brake handle was down. She's not stupid lol.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BTLFED &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Pull the e-brake before what? Leaving? Yes. As I said in the original post the e-brake handle was down. She's not stupid lol.</TD></TR></TABLE>

read your post you say it was pulled and down

if it was pulled to begin with before she went in that night brakes can freeze i didnt mean did she pull it and then go driving around...try deicer on them..

 

Oh, sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, the e-brake was up when she parked it. The thing that baffles me is that it was freezing cold, but there is no snow or moisture around here, so I don't know where the ice would come from.

BTW-I appreciate the help you are giving me.

 

hmmm..does it usually get that cold in GA?

it could be excessive moisture in the fluid but it sounds more like the calipers..

 

Yeah, depending on the time of year. I was just thinking that if it was the calipers it would have done it when I went out to check it. I am guessing something was just frozen, but the lack of water/snow/ice is what is baffling me, and I don't want it to happen again.

 

if there is moisture in teh cables it can freeze.
souonds like that is what happened.

 

Yes I have hear of that happening before but usually only in really cold weather. (up north not in GA) If the accord is an auto the only thing I can recommend it that she park with the brake down until it gets warmer.

 

I live in colorado and yesterday the high was 16 and the low was negative 11.....I have never had that problem *knock on wood* it may or may not have something to do with the humidity?? just a guess, but thats really weird.

 

Well it is a 5 speed and in the 4 years we have owned it this is the first time it has done this. I am thinking of flushing the brake system. I don't think it has ever been bled.