How I Broke My E-Brake Button--And How You're Not Going To
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:03 am
After returning to my car and driving home last night, I parked on my sloped driveway only to discover that the button on my e-brake was missing, only a spring in a hole was there. I found the button in the driver foot well. Looking at the back of the button I could tell it broke off of its bottom half.
For such a little (and plastic!) thing it's rather important, without it handbrake no longer ratchets and can't hold it self up.
How did this happen? Well, my car does have 265,000+ miles on it, however, I think I can attribute this part failure to a recent habit--a habit which you will now avoid. When driving or in traffic I would idly press the button in with my thumb when the e-brake was down, then let go, causing the button to 'snap' out quickly. After about a year of doing this I must have weakened the plastic enough for it to crack, and then tear away under no more than the pressure from the button's return spring.
Now if my adorable kitten would stop walking all over the damn keyboard...
Anyways, I started this habit after my girlfriend rode my e-brake for 4 miles. I would put my hand down to check that the e-brake was down, then push the button in to be sure. Just paranoia really, and from there it became a habit of playing an abusive and deadly game--from the button's point-of-view anyway.
"How did you fix it?"--You ask, naïvely, presuming that I did fix it. Well, I did, but to no degree that would give me confidence in its future operation. Gorilla Glue, applied carefully with a toothpick to the bottom of the button. For the button to contact the shaft to which it was attached, it had to be depressed all the way, which was difficult to hold in because in this state the button it's entirely recessed in the handle. I then came up with the idea of taping a marble to the top of the button, so I could then secure the button all the way with tape over the top of the e-brake handle.
It seems to have worked, but I'll be very gentle with it from now on. I even hold the button in when pulling up to apply the e-brake for fear of the ratcheting vibration unsettling the glue--but maybe I'm just paranoid.
EDIT: Glue alone did not work, see the comments below for my solution that did work for me.
For such a little (and plastic!) thing it's rather important, without it handbrake no longer ratchets and can't hold it self up.
How did this happen? Well, my car does have 265,000+ miles on it, however, I think I can attribute this part failure to a recent habit--a habit which you will now avoid. When driving or in traffic I would idly press the button in with my thumb when the e-brake was down, then let go, causing the button to 'snap' out quickly. After about a year of doing this I must have weakened the plastic enough for it to crack, and then tear away under no more than the pressure from the button's return spring.
Now if my adorable kitten would stop walking all over the damn keyboard...
Anyways, I started this habit after my girlfriend rode my e-brake for 4 miles. I would put my hand down to check that the e-brake was down, then push the button in to be sure. Just paranoia really, and from there it became a habit of playing an abusive and deadly game--from the button's point-of-view anyway.
"How did you fix it?"--You ask, naïvely, presuming that I did fix it. Well, I did, but to no degree that would give me confidence in its future operation. Gorilla Glue, applied carefully with a toothpick to the bottom of the button. For the button to contact the shaft to which it was attached, it had to be depressed all the way, which was difficult to hold in because in this state the button it's entirely recessed in the handle. I then came up with the idea of taping a marble to the top of the button, so I could then secure the button all the way with tape over the top of the e-brake handle.
It seems to have worked, but I'll be very gentle with it from now on. I even hold the button in when pulling up to apply the e-brake for fear of the ratcheting vibration unsettling the glue--but maybe I'm just paranoid.
EDIT: Glue alone did not work, see the comments below for my solution that did work for me.
