2003 Ford Windstar Logo
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james Posted on Jun 04, 2015
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Park brakes don't work when i pull them up

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fordexpert

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  • Posted on Jun 05, 2015
fordexpert
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The emergency brakes have an adjustment for slack in the cable, BUT typically the brake shoes for the emergency brakes are very thin and a poor design if you have disk brakes. For the disk design, the Emergency brakes can peel off of the metal shoe and get grinded up inside the hub. The drum surface will pit and rust and unless used constantly, will not provide a clean surface to work against.

For drum brakes, you still have an adjustment connection but each side has adjusters for the service brakes which is meant to put even pressure on each wheel. When the service brakes are properly adjusted, the Emergency brakes will work better as part of the service brakes are used for emergency braking.

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  • Posted on Jun 04, 2015
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If the rear brakes are functioning and adjusted correctly (as inspected by a mechanic), 1 or more of the 3 park brake cables are broke.

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  • Ford Expert 496 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 04, 2015
swede760
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Have your rear brakes inspected for excessive wear and to make sure the E-Brake Cable is not broken.

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My parking brake made a snap sound and now has no tension and goes straight to the floor. 2nd post because I couldn’t reply on the previous. I checked the cables and they don’t seem loose anywhere. I did...
Try and use the 'Comment' link below to reply. Have the cables gone slack even when the brake is in the ON position? Does the parking brake still work? Check these basics first as this will give you some ideas as to where the the problem is. **Be Safe when doing these checks!** You might also need a helper for some of these checks. 1 - Are all the cables connected where they should be? 2 - Do the all cables move when you use the parking brake lever? 3 - Does the equalizer pull evenly on both sides? 4 - Does the lever on the back of the hub stop the drum turning when pulled, (on both wheels)? If the cables are all where they should be and the cables all move freely the problem could be at the wheel end of the system. A lot of vehicles have a self adjusting mechanism inside the rear brake drums. Sometimes the adjuster isn't replaced to save money on a service so it gets old, wears down and then can slip causing the parking brake let go with a metallic snap noise. You will need to get the rear brakes stripped down and checked on both sides.
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The first thing to check is that you have working brake lights. If they are not working then the solenoid that pulls the park pin back to unlock the shifter is not going to get power from the brake light circuit.
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Do you have power going into the headlight switch and the brake light switch ?
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My 1992 lincoln is stuck on park
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Oct 02, 2012 • Cars & Trucks
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My car is stuck in park and I cant get the brake lights to work, this is out of the blue and never had an issue like this ever. I have disconnected the battery cable and pulled the fuse on this, to no...
I don't know for certain on this model and make car but many have a solenoid on the shift lever that holds it in park unless the brake pedal is pressed. Keeps people from dropping in gear without having a foot on the brake to hold the car.

Since your brake lights also don't work I would look into the brake light switch that is under the dash on the brake pedal. There could be one switch that operates both the lights and a solenoid if any.
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Sep 01, 2011 • 2003 Ford Taurus
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My truck will not go into gear from Park position.
In the early 90's, a safety feature was added to keep people from shifting out of park without having their brakes on. This feature runs through the brake lights (in Fords, at least.) I would bet your brake lights don't work, and if they don't then that would be why you're stuck in Park
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Aug 19, 2011 • 2005 Ford F-150
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Hand brake need tightening
Hello, the park/hand brake is suppose to be a "self adjuster" but self is usually the one that ends up making the adjustment. For rear drum brakes pop the rubber plug out of the back of each rear brake cover, and manually adjust the star-wheel with a flat-blade screwdriver to tighten up the brake shoes, don't over adjust, just a few "clicks" at a time on each side.
If you over adjust it will cause the shoes to drag on the drums. The park brake not holding indicates you have brake wear. Now would be a good time to pull the drums and inspect. There is no adjustments for rear disc brakes. Good luck, i hope this helps.
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My parking brake made a snap sound and now has no tension and goes straight to the floor. 2nd post because I couldn’t reply on the previous. I checked the cables and they don’t seem loose anywhere. I did...

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