To prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your transmission, and to ensure that it doesn’t slip out of park and roll when you’re parked on an incline, your vehicle is equipped with a parking brake. Engaging the parking brake activates the rear brakes, and ensures that the car won’t roll, even on a relatively steep incline. However, if your parking brake won’t hold the car, there’s a problem that must be addressed for your safety (and that of others). Parking brake systems vary drastically from one automaker to another, and even on different makes and models. Some have a supplemental set of shoes inside a built-in drum on the rear rotors (disc brakes). Some use the rear shoes of the primary drum system as the parking brake. However, all of them should be able to hold the car on an incline. When you activate the parking brake, either by pulling up the handle between the front seats or pushing the parking brake pedal under the dash, a cable that runs to the rear of the vehicle is pulled taut. This engages the parking brake. When you disengage the pedal or lower the handle, release springs in the rear return the brake system to its normal configuration and you’re able to drive. Over time and through (lack of) normal use, your parking brake system might shift out of adjustment.

A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office to inspect the parking brake, including the adjustment of the rear brakes, the condition of the cable and other components. The mechanic will then provide a detailed inspection report that includes the scope and cost of the necessary repairs. The mechanic will need to inspect the entire parking brake system, including the handle, the cable, return springs, shoes and more. It’s likely that the mechanic will have to remove both rear wheels, as well as the drums in order to inspect the shoes and adjust the brakes if necessary.

If your parking brake won’t hold the car, then parking on even a slight incline can be very dangerous. Even an automatic transmission can slip out of park, and if you’re driving a stick shift, it can also slip out of gear. When this happens, the car will roll down the incline, impacting anything in its way. One of our professional mechanics can inspect and repair your parking brake to ensure safety at all times.