Hand Brake is stuck?

[nucleardon]

Hey everyone...I drove to dinner the other night, new starter, fresh battery a few weeks ago. When we came out, would not start. Lights worked, turned key, nothing. Fiddled around, noticed the BRAKE light was on, looked at the hand brake, did not set it beacuse was on a flat spot, but the handle was up slightly. Tried to release, but just kept springing back up. Found if I held it down, the truck would start. So, it started, and made it home, barely. It started to feel like the parking brake was engaged, took lots of foot feed to overcome and move. Any ideas???

[roverX]

Crawl underneath and adjust it. And check your fluid in the reservoir.

[nucleardon]

hmmm. so when the hand brake is out of adjustment, and the fluid low, it can make it not start? I guess I need a shop manual for my 98.

[roverX]

Originally Posted by nucleardon

hmmm. so when the hand brake is out of adjustment, and the fluid low, it can make it not start? I guess I need a shop manual for my 98.

PM me your snail mail addy and I will send you a disc...

[roverX]

Just re-read your initial post... sounds like Lucas is doing his thing... Not sure why that would cause your truck not to start. Sometimes my 96 doesn't start when I turn the key but starts if I try it again. How many times did you try to start it before you depressed the hand brake?

[300bhp/ton]

Originally Posted by nucleardon

Hey everyone...I drove to dinner the other night, new starter, fresh battery a few weeks ago. When we came out, would not start. Lights worked, turned key, nothing. Fiddled around, noticed the BRAKE light was on, looked at the hand brake, did not set it beacuse was on a flat spot, but the handle was up slightly. Tried to release, but just kept springing back up. Found if I held it down, the truck would start. So, it started, and made it home, barely. It started to feel like the parking brake was engaged, took lots of foot feed to overcome and move. Any ideas???

This sounds odd, I can't beleive having the hand brake on should stop it starting unless its some strange "safety" thing for the US market. Also the hand brake is cable not hydrolic so fluid shouln't affect it.

Also if the hand brake is sticking don't drive it, LR hand brakes work on the gearbox not on the wheels so forcing it to move with the hand brake on is damaging to the transmission.

[nucleardon]

Originally Posted by roverX

Just re-read your initial post... sounds like Lucas is doing his thing... Not sure why that would cause your truck not to start. Sometimes my 96 doesn't start when I turn the key but starts if I try it again. How many times did you try to start it before you depressed the hand brake?

Tried to start it a couple times, got out the jump start box, tried that and nothing, until happening across the brake lever. It started easily when I maintained downpressure on the handle, as it should with a new starter, so it must be a switch/short in the vicinity of the lever? Thanks, I'll e-mail.

[me.guevara]

At the base of the brake handle (you have to pull the dustcover off to see it), there's a sensor (a switch, really) that turns off the e-brake warning light. Could this cause a problem if it's shorted out?