Now that really cold weather has it, I've run into an unusual emergency brake issue. While the interior is really cold, the brake handle tends to float up a bit. By this I mean it tends to rise a half inch or so above the normal disengaged position, mostly it seems due to cold stiffness. Obviously this lights up the brake light on my dash, until things warm up and it stays down. Now mind you, its not actually engaging the brake, it's just mostly causing a dash light to be on. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Yup - had it happen leaving work last night. Gave it a smack and all was well!

BTW, that technique works on many items!

 

I've had the light go on before, but i just pushed it down. What you're describing sounds like the fluid in the line is contracting because it's cold outside and possibly pulling the handle up a little at your end, then when it warms and expands, allows the handle to go back down. I wouldn't worry about it

 

Same thing happened to me for the first time yesterday. I managed to get it to stay down by holding it down a couple of times. Once the car was warm inside , it was fine. It was very, very cold here yesterday (-15C, +5F) in the afternoon, but even colder in the morning.

 

There is another thread that addresses this as well. It is referring to the loud pop/parking brake. This is mainly due to the reduced strength of the return springs in the system. The there is a spring in the hand brake assembly as well as the rubber/plastic sheath...the rubber is obviously very hard when cold, and it doesn't really allow for free movement. It is enough to illuminate the brake light, but not enough to actuate the rear brakes. Fear not.

 

Mine does the same thing.. Maybe it's just excited

 

How could it not be? :D

It's a happy car

 

Yup...had the car for 3 days and the same thing happened to me last night. I didnt drive it long enough to warm up the interior though. Good to know I'm not the only one....

 

Must be the cold exciting it. Woohoo! Well good to know I'm not the only one this happens to. 5 degrees F this morning. Brrrrr.

 

Cold weather makes cars do stuff like that. 11 degrees here in d.c. on monday! 12-20-04

 

Happens to me now that it's getting below 20 degrees here at night. It's good to see that is not an issue. Anyone else having a popping noise when you first move when it's cold?

 

yup, happens to me here too in the cold of dc now that winter has officially arrived. I just pull it up, disengage about 2x and it normally keeps it down

 

Ditto here. I park with the car in gear these past few days so that the brakes wouldn't get stuck. This morning, I got in the car and pulled the handbrake up before I put the gear in neutral. As soon as I pulled it, I heard a crack and realized that I have broken the brittle sheath (the piece that covers the groove and internals under the lever) that somehow got stuck due to the cold. So, be warned. The consolation is that the handbrake feels less rubbery now without that sheath.

 

Looks like another member observed the same thing on this earlier thread: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=662843

 

LOL, I love this forum. Every time I fear it's JUST ME, it takes a quick search to prove otherwise.

Happened to me this morning too. The lever has been a bit stubborn staying down lately... but this morning was the worst (and coldest morning for me) so far. It took a couple attempts to get it to stay down far enough to just BARELY shut off the warning light.

The only thing that concerns me is I swear I noticed the plastic cover of the tunnel in front of the lever bowing up a bit when I pulled back on the brake (I tried moving it up and down a few times). I dunno if that's the same plastic trim prob others have mentioned. Once warmed up though, all was well again.

 

its -3 degrees Fahrenheit here...and I was too damn cold to notice! :p

 

Heheh, It's a brisk 60F at the moment here :p

I don't use the ebrake if it's really cold. I seem to remember stories back in the day(a whole year ago:D) of the handles breaking off.

 

What kinda cheap-*** handles were those?

 

One instance

 

I noticed the same thing in mine just last night. When I pulled the brake, the entire tunnel cover bowed out. At first, I thought something was stuck in there with the brake. After the car warmed up, just like yours, all was well again. Does seem kind of strange, though. If things are contracting in the tunnel, what would bulge out enough to cause the plastic cover, which shouldn't shrink enough to be too tight against the e-brake, to bow out like that?

-djb

 

Happens to me every time the temp gets close to freezing. Glad to know I am not the only one!