Parking brake doesn't disengage completely!
 

Lately, before I pull out of my driveway, as I try to disengage the parking brake, it'll go down completely and then pop up just a bit, enough to keep the parking break light on by the dash. I have to push down on it quite a few times before it stops to spring back on me. I'm not sure if the frigid weather has anything to do with it but it's been in the single digits and low teens here in Columbus lately. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it anything to be worried about? :confused:

When this happens, do you hear a "pop" when you start moving? Mine occasionally gets slightly stuck after it's been parked overnight, but my brake goes right down. Try to let it down as far as you can, move your car, then try to put it down again. And then drive to your dealer/garage.

!!!
 

I had EXACTLY the same thing happen to me this morning. First time I've driven in weather this cold - it's dropped to about 14F in DC, -1 with wind chill and the parking brake kept engaging and felt a little bit off the bottom. It stopped happening after a few tries at re-engaging it but the odds that it happened to both of us on the first cold day makes me think it's a cold weather thing, not to mention a crappy manufacture thing. I also noticed another thread with someone who broke a piece off their parking brake on a cold day. Anyone else seeing this happen?

The same exact thing happens with my 8. It seems to have started with the cold temps.

if the brake doesn't disengage all the way you may be wearing down your rear pads and rotors faster then need be. it could also affect gas mileage. i would take it to the dealer and see if something needs adjusting or repair. i had work done on my probe and the e brake cable was shortened too much and my car started smoking. i pulled over and climbed under the car and had to disconnect the cable from the driver's side to keep from catching fire.

I also have the same problem and it definitly has to with the cold weather.

Same here - it's the cold.

In the short run - when you park it for the evening, put the car in gear and release the emergency brake.

In the long run - if you're concerned enough, take it by the dealer and see if he can do something about it.

same here ..... cold weather will do that .

I actually pull mine up and the plastic piece in the front of the hand break broke off . I need to get a new HB from mazda. I hope it's covered. :X

Mine has been doing the same thing in the really cold weather. Its warmed up here no and seems to be working correctly. I also found that once the interior warmed up the brake would stay down.

Geesh, your interior actually warms up???

Without seat heaters, I don't think the interior would ever feel warm at the temps we now have in the Northeast. Had a loaner Mazda 6 yesterday that heated up far more than the 8, with half the fan noise in 20 % of time... I almost forgot what a car heater was supposed to do.

a big 'miss' on the car IMHO

The pads are so close to the rotor that there is little room for error. Mine does the same thing after I wash it and put it up. If the moisture creates rust on the rotors they stick to the pad and the brake doesn't want to release. Once you move it a little it clears the restriction and there are no problems. It also does it when it gets really cold, but after you move an inch or so the problem is gone. Of course, I could be wrong and it could be completely different.

moi aussi

I totally agree! I've mentioned this before but nobody else seemed to think the heaters were a problem. My '86 accord heated up way faster than the 8....sad IMO.

Fan noise on anything above "1" is pretty loud, all right. Actual heat output seems OK, although I've had better. Some have suggested partly sealing off the vents underneath the seats, which direct air toward the rear. Have yet to try that.

As I was rooting around under the dashboard the other day (just for the sake of looking) I found the heat outlet - a small(ish) white plastic vent opening. I was tempted to try to find a way to cut it to get more airflow down there, or at least rig something so it points directly at my feet. But I withstood the temptation for now. ;) The heater in my 15-year-old Toyota Celica is far better, with a fraction of the noise. :mad: It's one of the few things I don't like about the 8. Thank God for those seat heaters.

But then again, driving it ROCKS! :D

Same here. It happens to me when the temperature is 25 or below.

Regarding the original topic... I know that everyone has already realized that it's the cold - my only addition is that the manual actually states "Do not use the parking brake in temperatures below 32 (?) degrees - it may freeze".

When I read that I thought - WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR 6 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR THEN?? Then I remembered, it's an RX-8, and is more than deserving of my forgiveness. Then I got over it.

Common problem, actually, and I think I've had this happen with every car I've ever owned at one time or another, except the RX-8 so far. Just have the dealer adjust it. Chances are that you're not actually wearing out the brake while driving, just wearing out the brake light, but if you detect any actual engagement of the brake when it's down, I'd get to the dealer sooner rather than later.

Same thing happened to me, I lowered the brake in about 1 deg weather and the front plastic piece broke off. Does anyone know if this is covered under warranty? What a POS this brake is...

Yes, it is covered under warranty. 93rdcurrent, lensman and myself have replaced ours. There are a few more people seeing this problem recently. You should check out these threads or search for keywords "parking" "brake" "broke":

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=parking+brake
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=parking+brake
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=parking+brake
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/e-brake-issue-48073/

I found that the plastic cover under the lever is poor design. It gets brittle under low temperatures. When pulling the parking brake, it might get caught; otherwise it would seat incorrectly when lowered, causing it to bend under stress and break.

I find it funny that I like the parking brake better when that piece broke off. But I'm concerned about leaving the tunnel exposed for little objects to get caught and jammed inside.

Thanks, I found the other threads after I posted. One thing to note, I never found the piece that broke off, and I suspect it's down there somewhere. Would this be a cause of concern? Hasn't bothered the tranny or shift yet...

I don't leave the parking brake set for long periods when it's below freezing. It's not that uncommon for automobile parking brakes to get stuck in cold weather (and this is mentioned in the RX8 manual, isn't it?)

However, I had to use it a couple months ago when the car was warming up and I had to go back in the house... the little plastic piece in front of the parking brake handle broke when I disengaged it (just as described in the posts and threads above).

It doesn't seem to cause any sort of problem and it's not really noticeable, so I haven't done anything about it... is there any reason to get it fixed other than cosmetics?

I'm not sure how the whole assembly looked like in the inside, but I've been using the parking brake for a couple of weeks with the plastic piece inside without any problems. Ironically, the parking brake worked the best during that time. My only concern was dust and other objects getting lodged in there over time. It's not an urgent matter to fix; but you might want to get it done eventually. The whole lever has to be replaced, so allow some time for the dealer to order the part.

Yeah ....it's the cold weather. The fluid thickens up a bit. I find it is best to disengage the brake and keep your hand holding it down as you back out of the drive or get going for the first few seconds. Then it is fine.

It has happened to me many times especially during the cold weather.