Gernby

iTrader: (1)

I took my IS350 in to the shop today to get its annual Texas State Inspection renewed, but my car failed because of the parking brake. The technician says that the parking brake must be able to keep the car stopped while the car is in drive with the engine revved to 1500 RPM's. Even with my parking brake depressed all the way to the floor, it won't keep the car stopped above about 950 RPMs, so they failed it.

On my way home, I decided to apply my parking brake while cruising down the road, and was surprised at how little the parking brake was slowing down the car. I will take my rear wheels off this weekend to inspect my rear pads, but I don't think they are worn out. I don't remember if the 2IS uses a cable for the parking brake, so I don't know if it could be a simple adjustment issue.

Has anyone had this issue?

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

Yes, my parking brake was weak also. My local Lexus dealer adjusted it three times to factory specs, and it was still weak. It would go all the way down to the floor when set, and would not hold the car. I continued to complain about it, and on my last visit a mechanic listened. He felt it was weak also. He adjusted it to out of tolerance (tight), and it felt perfect. However, when I got on the freeway, it was adjusted to tight, and made a roaring sound. I returned to the dealer, and they backed it off a smidge. It's now perfect. A tight pedal, no roaring, and it actually holds the car. My wife's ES never had that problem. The IS must use a different mechanism, because I felt other IS's on the showroom floor, and the pedals went to the floor on all of them. So, bottom line, it's an adjustment issue.

Lou

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

I went to the TX DPS website to look up the requirements, and there was NOTHING about a 1500 RPM test of the parking brake. Here is what it says is required to pass:

When I returned to the shop just a few minutes ago with printout in hand to confront the manager, it became clear that the shop's state certified inspection guy was just a teenager who is probably fresh out of the certification class. When I asked him how he chose 1500 RPMs as a benchmark, he kept referring to what his instructor said was "usual". After about 10 minutes of making a scene, trying to explain that at 1800 RPMs my rear tires would be smoking, the manager convinced the kid to pass it.

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

wow, damn teenagers. Good thing you read the fine print or it would've been a major headache.

AtlantaGuy

Every IS I've been in was the same way, including my own. If you had to rely on this to stop the car in an emergency, I don't think it would.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

With every single Scion/Toyota/Lexus I've owned. The come from the factory very loose. I start with adjusting the shoes in the parking brake on both rear wheels. Tighten until it just drags then back off two clicks. Then adjust the cable so the slack is minimized (remember if you do this on a hot day, it will tighten up as the temperatures get colder, so you need to leave some slack in the system.)

When I got my Supra it took 11 clicks on the hand brake to engage. After adjusting everything, it took 5. Same with all three Scion tCs we've owned. My 350 was terrible, but I never did anything with it - too lazy I guess since I can put it in park and call it a day.

BTW, when throttles were cable operated, I never took delivery of a new Toyota capable of hitting WOT off the showroom floor. Adjusting the throttle was always the first thing I did with a new Toyota.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

This brings up so many questions. Every car that I've owned (no Toyota products) had a cable going to the rear brakes (disk brakes), and only the cable was adjustable (at the hand lever). Your post seems to imply that there might be an entirely separate braking system that I'm unaware of.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Yes, there is.



Note the adjuster on the right hand side. It needs to be adjusted to make the shoes close to the drum and minimize the travel necessary to engage the brake.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Thanks SO MUCH for posting that! I've never heard of such a crazy design! Why would Toyota do such a thing!?!? For people like me that NEVER use the parking brake, and probably wouldn't need to use it until the car had 150K miles by the 4th owner .... how well would they expect a never before used or adjusted brake shoe to perform?