I let my friend drive my 1993 protege (MT) and when he parked it he pulled the parking break REALLY hard. This caused the brake to get stuck. This happened to me before (about a year ago) and I just let the car sit for a few hours and it worked it's self out. This time its been nearly a week and the break is STILL stuck.

Any ideas? I believe it does have a new clutch cable (we took it to a mechanic the first time that happened.). I really just need to get it unstuck because I know to be careful with it.

 

Is the Parking Brake still all the way in the up position
and you simply can't get it to go down?

or

Is it down and the parking brake cable won't release?

Best Regards

 

The handle moves up and down but the cable won't release.

Some one told me to try and release it with a rubber mallet but I don't know where the break is? does the parking break engage the same break as the break petal? Also don't I have to take the tire off to do that? how do you jack up a car on one end with the intention or releasing the break w/o turning the break on (so it doesn't roll away)?

 

First things first .... chock the wheels. Place a large block or wedge
under each wheel, to keep it from moving in any direction. That is.....
on the front and back of each tire. Kick them into position, tight.
You don't want the car rolling around if your able to release
the brake.

Of course, you need to be on level ground. In park or
in first gear.

The rear break is engaged by two different methods....

Hydraulically operated wheel cylinders, activated by pressing
brake pedal or parking cable activated by the parking brake in
the cab.

Find the point where the parking brake cable enter the rear
back brake plate on each rear tire. Here you will find the parking
brake operating lever. Position yourself so that you are reaching
around from the front side of the tire, and not in the path of a
rolling wheel. Carfully determine if you can disengage this lever.

 

Are they drum brakes or calipers on the rear of that model?

 

I think they were the drum breaks. I have steel wheels so I can't really look and see easily. Some MR2 mkI parking 2 inches from my rear bumper so I can't get under the car until he moves

A mechanic friend of mine is going to come look at it Saturday. If there's anything interesting Ill post what happened.

 

My friend came over today with a jack and we lifted up the passenger side rear wheel and removed it. With a screwdriver as a lever we were able to un-stick the lever operating the rear break (the lever attached to the break cable) and we lubed it up with some spray lubricant.

All is well.