Since I have an auto I never really need to use the E-brake, but I noticed that if I pull it as high as I can, I can actually push the car when it's in neutral. If I yank it it going 30mph it'll come to stop in probably 30 seconds, there's barely any stopping power to it, and it just seems terribly weak. I have never changed the rear brake pads and am wondering if those are in any way related to the E-brake's operation.

...gay?

 

nope..mine is weak too...when i park in my drive way (barely can tell that it is sloped)...i can push it down the drive way in neutral of course. but i was always taught to put both the ebrake on and put it in 1st or 2nd gear.

when i drive my buddy's car when he needs a dd his ebrake holds his car on the first click. retarded.

 

On my car, the first couple of clicks it really doesn't do too much. With it all the way up, it don't budge.

 

Maybe it doesn't do anything because you yank it at 30mph...
/2 cents

..I've actually considering re-routing the e-brake to just hold the front tires to act like a cheap t-lok, but I'll probably never actually do anything in regards to that.

 

pull the ebrake boot and see if there are adjustment provisions in there.

 

SN95+ cars have self-adjusting e-brakes. Just cycle the e-brake a few times. Also, your pads can have something to do w/ it. I remember when I went from OEM to Satisfied GS6 pads, one click would hold the car down very well, while I now need 2 or more clicks.

 

so do BMWs...and they have adjustment provisions at the ebrake handle under the ebrake boot. That what made me think of it in the first place.

 

Well.. It's technically a parking brake, not an emergency brake. I wouldn't trust one in a emergency, since that is not what they are made for.

 

It may be strechted out as well, because when I got my car that's the first or one of things I noticed right away. I had my mechanic tighten it and he said he did the best he could do. Then he said that the line/cable from the Brake Lever to the back is streched out. I never got new rotors and brake pads within the whole time I got the car and yet didn't do it. So it has to be the cable.

Another friend said that you can tighten the E-Brake by going in reverse while it's pulled up. LOL

 

pee colas car for the loss again.

 

Pretty sure at least our cars don't have anything, as there's nothing by the equalizer bar and my Haynes manual mentions nothing other than the self-adjusting mechanism when it details how to replace the cables.

 

so theres no way to adust the e-brake to make it tight as you possibly can?

 

As I said, cycle it, since that enables the self-adjuster to adjust. For bet results, it would probably be best to pull the equalizer bar rearward and then to slowly pull up on the e-brake a few times until it stops clicking (just like adjusting the clutch).