HELP! Parking brake won't disengage!

[BoxyLady]

Hi,

put my S on up the Rhino Ramps, engaged the parking brake, changed the oil.

NOW, the parking brake won't release! I raise the lever slightly to relieve pressure, the press the button, and it will not come down.

there is no obstruction under the brake lever hindering it.

I had not driven the car, so I know the rims where the parking brake shoes grab was not hot

Until I figure this out, I can't get the car off the ramps!

thanks!

[JeTexas]

Can you have someone gently rock the car while you try to disengage the brake?

[BoxyLady]

Can you have someone gently rock the car while you try to disengage the brake?

\

thanks!

I will give that a try. I thought it might be the angle of the car, so I brought it down off the ramps(slowly obviously, with the parking brake being on!)

now it's on level ground and still nothing.

I will try the rocking method

thanks!

[pk2]

Agree with Jtexas, knock it around. I was going to suggest borrowing a floor jack (kragen, auto zone) get it off the ramps , start it up and inch it back and forth. Maybe even jolt it by poping the clutch a little.

Regards, PK

[BoxyLady]

Agree with Jtexas, knock it around. I was going to suggest borrowing a floor jack (kragen, auto zone) get it off the ramps , start it up and inch it back and forth. Maybe even jolt it by poping the clutch a little.

Regards, PK

appreciate the replies and ideas.

I did move it off the Rhino ramps and backed it into the garage, where it is on level ground. tried the rocking technique.

took as much of the parking brake lever apart as I dared, and it appears that the lever that raises off the rachet splines when you push in the button is not coming far enough off the splines to allow it to lower.

I can click the lever up one more position and the button pops out fully, but when I depress the button to release, it moves down just a hair before jamming.

looks like a flatbed tow truck and a couple of hours labor at the Porsche dealer.

And to think.....I changed my own oil 'cause I didn't want to pay the dealer $200.....now I'm going to probably have to pay $200 in labor for this, plus the $70 or so I already paid to do my own oil change

DIY is overrated :-0

[JeTexas]

You can put a cheater bar on the brake arm if you need more leverage to pull it up further. Otherwise you can probably release the tension by unscrewing the adjuster nut at the turnbuckle of the cables.

Not sure what it looks like on Boxster, but here's a link to the 996 DIY for parking brake adjustment.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10733

Releasing the tension on that cable should allow you to unlock you lever. Then you can readjust it to where it won't get stuck again.

[wvicary]

Make sure the park brake handle outer trim hasn't crept up stopping you from being able to fully push in the release button.

[BoxyLady]

Make sure the park brake handle outer trim hasn't crept up stopping you from being able to fully push in the release button.

thanks for the reply.

actually, I slipped off the outer trim, and removed the snap-on area of the console around the parking brake to get a better look. I can see the bottom end of the shaft where the button is pressed, and it is move all the way back to its stop position when the button is pressed.

I put a small mirror down in the console area under the brake handle so I could observe what is going on when I try to operate the parking brake. It looks to me like the lever resting on the splines of the rachet lock is not coming up far enough when the button is pressed to clear the ratchet splines, and clearing the splines while the button is pressed is what allows the brake handle to be lowered....