# Stuck Emergency Brake

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/stuck-emergency-brake/41221>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** sephia, kia\
**Created:** [December 24, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stuck-emergency-brake/41221 "2009-12-24T06:32:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ltldvl76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@ltldvl76](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ltldvl76)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stuck-emergency-brake/41221/1 "2009-12-24T06:32:12Z")

</div>

What do I do to fix this? Please Help.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 8:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stuck-emergency-brake/41221/2 "2009-12-24T08:31:48Z")

</div>

Where are you located? What’s the weather like (in particular, the outside temp) when the e-brake misbehaves? Do you park it outside?

I’m asking because one of the BIG causes of a stuck e-brake is icing of the cable to its housing. Given the fact that much of the eastern US just got a bunch of snow, it seems likely this might be the problem…but answering those questions will help pin it down.

(Also make+model is helpful generally.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/stuck-emergency-brake/41221/3 "2009-12-24T12:00:58Z")

</div>

How you fix it depends on why it’s stuck.

If it’s frozen as a result of snow, slush, or ice in the cable or parking brake mechanism you’ll need to apply some heat to the affected area. A hair dryer might work if you can figure out what’s frozen. The cable is often the culprit.

If the brake is stuck because of some mechanical problem someone will have to determine the location of the faulty component and repair or replace it.

I’m betting on ice.