Auto brake release

G

gbrauch

Registered
Auto emergency brake does not work. Vaccumn motor has been replaced. Vacuumn source is OK. Release works ocassionaly when shift lever is jiggled in the drive position. Have tried ALLDATA for info, no results. Have had this car for 15 years and want to keep everything working. Car has 104000+ miles and has never beeen driven in winter.
Need help!
Can some one tell me where the switch (vaccumn or electrical)actuated by the shift lever that controles the release motor is located?
Have a good day,
;) G
 
RE: Auto brake release

FWIW it apparently is in the steering column. The manual talks of it and diagnoses the switch but for the life of me I could not find the location in the EVTM.

Obtain a park release switch from the dealer and without opening the package go on a scavenger hunt in the steering column area looking for a matching part. Or you may ask an obliging parts counter employee to pinpoint the location for you.

This technique worked for me when I was diagnosing an EGR system on the wife's Sable. Everything pointed to the DPFE sensor. So I picked one up at the dealer and proceeded to change it. Only problem was, I couldn't find it! The manual was no help either. I took the sensor back to the dealer and told him it was the wrong one as I could not find it on the car. A few minutes of checking his terminal and conferring with a technician, he convinced me it was the proper sensor and told me where to look for it. Sure enough, armed with the new found knowledge, I found it and replaced it with no issues. :)
 
RE: Auto brake release

The autorelease valve is bolted to the top side of the steering
column way down low, almost above the brake pedal. It's moon-shaped
to fit over the column and has a groove that part of the shifter
shaft fits into. John is right. Go buy one so you know what it
looks like, and you'll find it. It's in a tight spot. I find a lot
of profanity mumbled under my breath helps it come out easier.

Be careful when you install it. The screws holding it in place go
through slots for adjustment. It has to be put on with the shifter
in neutral and the shifter tab must engage the valve's groove. Some
of them come with an aligning pin that looks like a miniature golf
tee about 3/8" long to hold the inner valve in the correct position
for installation. This MUST be removed before you move the shifter
for the first time or you'll break the new valve instantly!
 
RE: Auto brake release

That was a feature i didn't know i had, until i removed my dashboard to fix a rattle. In the process of reinstalling it, i connected a wire that was previously disconnected, and voila, auto parking brake release. Now it doesn't work anymore, since i had the car apart this winter. I probably messed something up, but now, whenever i think about it, i just put it in drive and floor it, and the concern goes away. :)
 
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