97 Parking Brake - Need Help Please

[Avalon97]

I owned this car a couple of months back then. Now it's for the first time to do safety inspection due in July. I suspected the parking brake (what should I call it? Emergency Brake, Hand Brake or Foot Brake? I used my foot to apply parking brake) not quite good, I guessed. When the parking brake is applied, the pedal going down all the way to the floor. I measure it's about 6 inch displacement. Is it OK? All brake pads are good shape, I can say. Anyone please help me how to adjust it? The cable or Parking Brake Pad?

I very appreciate for your big help...

Danny

[toyomoho]

Not sure what your problem is.

Does the car have a foot powered emergency brake on the drivers side or pull up hand brake in the center console?

You put your foot on the emergency brake and it goes to the floor?

Does this car have 4 wheel disk brakes, if so the rear rotors also include a drum having brake shoes for the emergency brake. The shoes could need replacement or the cables running to them need adjustment.

[swiftjustice]

The parking brake is simple system, not much can go wrong. It's either shoes/pads or the cable.

If you can actually engage it via the foot pedal but the pedal travel is long, then its the cable that likely has stretched with age. The adjustment nut is under the arm rest in the center console, there is a little plastic access door in the floor of the center console that you can remove to get access to it, or just remove the whole console. If the brake is not engaging at all even after attempts at adjusting the cable, the cable is either broken or the pads/shoes need replacement. Adjusting nut looks like below:

[Avalon97]

Wow.. I must edit this to thank swiftjustice because he posted his answer before I posted this...

Thanks Toyomoho,

"Does the car have a foot powered emergency brake on the drivers side"
-Yes, foot brake, but not sure power or not (how to tell?).

"You put your foot on the emergency brake and it goes to the floor?"
-Yes, actually I parked my car and hit the brake with foot. The pedal goes down 6 inch distance to the floor and stop, it brakes the car well at this point.

"Does this car have 4 wheel disk brakes, if so the rear rotors also include a drum having brake shoes for the emergency brake. The shoes could need replacement or the cables running to them need adjustment."
-Yes, 4 whell disc brakes.

Now, please show in general how to see the parking brake shoes inside the rear disc. How to adjust the cable or how to replace it.. I installed the disc/drum brakes many times by myself on my cars, so I have no problem to take it aparts. But this is the first time on this Avalon. I want to learn before trying...

Thank you for your help.

Danny

[aigochamaloh]

I don't see a problem with the foot brake going all the way to the floor. Mine does and it holds the car well. I think it's fine.

[Avalon97]

Originally Posted by aigochamaloh

I don't see a problem with the foot brake going all the way to the floor. Mine does and it holds the car well. I think it's fine.

Actually I don't use it much (like many people don't) but I don't want to take a chance if the machanic fails it for states safety inspection. I'm living in Virginia, car must passed inspection yearly.

swiftjustice, your pictures are different from my car, my is 97 with column shift right behind the steering wheel. The front seats look like a bench for 3 seaters, no floor console. I will take closer look and have pictures later on..

Danny

[Avalon97]

I did it..Thank to swiftjustice and others who gave me an initial idea...

As in my picture, I used a steak nife to pry the plastic cover, starting at the red arrow. Use 2 12mm-wrench-keys..

Danny

[96AvalonReec]

This is the first time that I have been to this website. I was having an issue with my e-brake as well. It took me all of 10 minutes after reading this solution to fix my problem! Unbelievable!
Many, many thanks.

96AvalonReec

Originally Posted by Avalon97

I did it..Thank to swiftjustice and others who gave me an initial idea...

As in my picture, I used a steak nife to pry the plastic cover, starting at the red arrow. Use 2 12mm-wrench-keys..

Danny