Parking Brake & Gear Shift

Have 2 new issues
1> Parking brake is on, move the shift level down to disengage. Brake pedal pops up, can hear it disengage but park brake light stays on. What's wrong?

2> gear shift indicator is out of align; Move shift lever and indicator does not line up, indicator says neutral but actually is in drive, someone told me that there is a spring in the steering wheel assembly that is broken and the part is no longer available. is there a fix?

 

One possible cause.....stick your toe under the pedal and raise it up all the way. If the light goes out, there is too much slack in your cable adjustment. Cure=tighten cable adjustor under the car.

 

It might help to know year, make, and model...

 

Joe thanks,
1985 Colony Park LS, 302 Windsor, 60,000 miles

 

The indicator should be adjustable on the column; block the rear wheels, then count three positions on the shifter, it should be in OD, so take the covers off the column, loosen the bolt holding the end to the column and slide it till the indicator is centered. Lock it down.
As for the brake indicator, before adjusting the cable, adjust the rear brake shoes, then pump the brake pedal. This will ensure the proportioning valve is centered. Then check and adjust the p-brake cable.

 

Oh, and if the shift indicator cable is broken, there's no fixing them except replacement. No adhesives will stick to the nylon the sheath and brackets are cast from.

 

Lift up on parking brake pedal. Does light go off? If so the return spring is likely worn out and the pedal isn't returning as high as it needs to. If not, then either there's an imbalance in the system\adjustment issue (as described above) or the switch that turns off the indicator on the parking brake assembly is bad\misadjusted\finicky.

 

On my '91 there is a threaded thumb wheel adjuster on the shift indicator cable itself.


I think the earlier cars had what STH is talking about. Sorry I couldn't find any pictures of that version. I would be careful with it as I hear they are very prone to breaking due to age. Your best bet is to just take the covers off and see what you have to work with.

 

Ok jiggled the parking brake pedal lifted it as high as it go, light still on, took it around the neighborhood yesterday, seems to me that I have to exert more pressure on the brake pedal to get it to react, and the pedal seems to go to the floor,
could it be I have a hydraulic problem ? master cylinder seals shot? nothing is leaking

 

Start the car, pump up the brakes and then just sit there with medium pressure on the pedal. If it sinks to the floor, your master is bad. That could trigger the proportioning valve and set your light. If the valve is triggered, you are only running on half your brakes.

 

When was the last time the brakes were bled? If the answer is "never as long as I have owned the car" then it's time to do so. Cruddy brake fluid that has absorbed water will result in rusty internals and damage to the master cylinder seals and calipers. I just went through this on an '89 GM car I bought that hadn't seen maintenance in 12 years.

 

Car passed VA state inspection in January, but have not driven it more than 80 miles since then, can not garage the car - won't fit. so it is left out in the cold, just turned 60,000 miles. I know a car just sitting is not good, so please no lectures.

I saw the car 4 years ago in NJ and it had 54,000 miles on it, I am sure no one has ever looked at the master cylinder.

 

Then go ahead and start with a brake flush and bleed. I would have recommended this first if I had known there were pedal problems. I just replaced the prop valve in Babe because it had sat for about 13 or 14 of the 18 years since I got it, and I hadn't changed the fluid since '09.

 

You get no lectures or judgment here. Just saying that's the first place to start and it's easy. Gravity bleed and keep topping off the reservoir until the fluid is clean and clear. If you can crack open the bleeders and they aren't blocked by rust or dirt you're already ahead of the battle. I like doing a yearly bleed on my brakes just to keep the fluid moving.

The master cylinder & pedal sag test is next, do it after you've flushed and bled the system.

 

Sorry, I disagree. If the master is bad and the valve is popped, why have to bleed twice. Fix the problem then bleed everything.