Help! Handbrake stuck on

Just done a 75 mile round trip, parked on my friends steep drive to go and feed their bloody cat and now the handbrake won't come off. I left it facing down and in 1st gear (the drive is that steep). The handbrake lever goes down as normal but the car won't budge.

I need it for work in the morning!

Any ideas what's wrong?

Darren.

Did you drive through lots of water? It tends to stick if so, and you might be abel to budge it within reason by just trying to drive off. Mine always used to stick when wet and facing down the steep hill i live on, it would then just sauddenly go with a clunk and all OK (Don't overdo it!) - alternatively a big hammer might loosten it but mind out, if it's on a steep hill that may be a bad idea! Get it on the flat if you can!

I've drove through lots of water today but not in the last 3 hours (apart from the rain). Where would I hit with a hammer?

What damage could I do if I try to drive somewhere flat?

If you can move it then chances are that will release it sticking and all will be ok again. It may well have stuck on because it;s on a steep hill which means effectively the weight of the car on the hill is keeping it on - have you tried reversing out of it (although take care as when it "goes" it will be sudden, and i doubt yer mate will be best pleased with a big landy shaped dent in his garage door!) - might be worth trying the reversing trick in low ratio, but don't overdo it!

Sounds like yer gonna have to eventually do wot i did and strip the handbrake mechanism down and lubricate it all, get someone to sit in and cover the footbrake, take it out of first gear and lean under from the pasenger side and hit the handbrake drum on the bottom wi a hammer and that should release it but make sure yer mate hits the brake pedal soon as it starts to roll

odenne said:

If you can move it then chances are that will release it sticking and all will be ok again. It may well have stuck on because it;s on a steep hill which means effectively the weight of the car on the hill is keeping it on - have you tried reversing out of it (although take care as when it "goes" it will be sudden, and i doubt yer mate will be best pleased with a big landy shaped dent in his garage door!) - might be worth trying the reversing trick in low ratio, but don't overdo it!

Click to expand...

Cheers odenne, I did try reversing but the drive is so steep it just stalled. I was reluctant to put in low ratio as I've never used it and didn't want to make things worse .

Obviously I'm reluctant to get underneath at the moment. If I drag down onto the flat road, where should I clonk with my hammer?

Darren.

Try and wellie the bottom of the handbrake drum to release it (i would still recommend persevering with reversing out of it - low ratio will be fine but a bit jerky!) - but if youre gonna belt it from underneath PLEASE do it safely as it will likely cause the car to move suddenly when it goes off!

I think coz the whole weigt of the car is on it, it will be unlikely that there will be enought force to disengage it with a hammer blow.

Where abouts is you??? Have you dun it.....I can give your a pull if your desperate or I can phone a friend

50/50?

FFS the one day you go out and act like you have a life someone round here needs help.....thas it I aint going out again ever

Turn yer injun off put it in gear then get underneath an hit things an waggle things, but make sure yer phone dunt fall out of yer pocket while yer underneath cos when you drive off you'll run ovver it!!!! Then try to remember not to use yer handbrake till you get it sorted, the phone bit an the remembering bit are the hardest.

Mine only ever did it when it had got wet (ie a lot of rain) and parked on a steep hill and driving off in first with lots of revs sorted it (with a big jolt and a klonk) but i'm sure it's stuck on by the car's own weight, if there's nowt behind you then my money's on low reverse sorting it out (but you gotta be brave!)

Why don't you try starting it in gear with the handbrake off and see if that "breaks" it off?

Mine stuck on after i foolishly left it parked with the handbrake on hard for a month. I put it in 1st low, and pulled away with lots of revs. It threw itself off, and scared a lot of people standing around when it lurched forwards. I can't see you will damage anything by pulling away hard. Reversing is also a good idea, just try hard enough and it should throw itself off.

have a big ommer here if ya need it

Thanks for the offer Sirus, I'm in Stourbridge, West Mid's. and thanks for the advice everyone.

I've managed to limp home in low gear. I've tried reversing but no joy. One thing I did notice when I initially put the handbrake on was that it seemed to come up one more click than normal (not that I count them).

Looks like an early start in the morning

Im in stourbridge too and drippys just up the road..gis a yell if you need help

If you managed to make it drive... Something which i found out while my handbrake was jamming for a while, not really a text book way to fix it but works, if you pull away, and when the LR is doing little more than walking/running pace, apply the handbrake sharply BUT NOT all the way on - just enough to take it up to where it bites, and then release it straight away again. Used to throw it off for me almost every time. I then sprayed the cable in WD40 and it hasn't stuck since, didn' have to take anything apart either.

Sirus said:

Where abouts is you??? Have you dun it.....I can give your a pull if your desperate or I can phone a friend

Click to expand...

i,m changin me number

Thanks again guys. I'm off to bed to dream that it's heat related and will have cooled down and be fine in the morning! (I did say dream)

I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

Darren.