Handbrake Button - Parking brake handle button

[Justice of MN]

I thought AZ was Arizona. haha

[Number6]

Originally Posted by EarlyMR

The "button" on my parking brake handle popped off the other day (03/27/2006), releasing my parking brake. Luckily I was not on a steep hill and the transmission was in gear, otherwise the car would have rolled away. It’s hard to believe that such a tiny piece of "plastic" is all that holds the parking brake in place.

Actually, the car would not roll away; the brake would stay engaged. I have the same problem, I will describe my solution in a moment, but I was concerned about what you said and decided to test it out. With the parking brake pulled up, if I pull out the button and spring, the brake stays locked. If it did not, I would certainly agree with you that there should be a safety recall.

Until I find a replacement button, I've solved the problem with things that were laying around in the car: I have a modestly strong zip-lock baggie (that some auto part came in) placed over the end of the parking brake handle and rubber banded to the handle. I suppose we could call this solution 'the parking brake condom'. The button wants to pop out, but can't get very far, and at any rate doesn't fly off and disappear. Does this win me some kind of cheapskate award?

[Locutus]

Same thing just happened to me on my 95 SW1. Seems like there are 2 different designs for this lever. I found a replacement for $12 + ship at this store:
milehighoutlet.ecrater.com

There are 2 designs listed so check the pics.

[t.hoek]

Find the components that popped off.

Remove the plastic boot covering the handle. There is a fillips head screw on the passenger side near the base of the handle.

Pull the boot off.

Remove the white plastic part that is in the metal handle.

Put the black thumb knob back on the white plastic extension.

Drill a 1/16" dia hole in the good plastic above the 'break' through both pieces.

Remove the black knob.

Place the spring on the white plastic holder.

Put the black thumb knob back on the white plastic extension.

Thread a paper clip through the hole you just drilled.

Cut the paperclip to length and bend over the ends so it can't come out.

Assemble as you took apart.

Takes longer to find the tools than it does to complete the work.

[jack2578]

does anyone know where I can buy this piece. Some one posted AZ in this blog, so I'm assuming he ment auto zone, but I looked on auto zones online store and can't find it.

[jjoepr]

Well my 97 sl2's button also flew out of the emergency brake handle. I got frustrated when i saw how much they wanted for the parts to get it fixed. But the solution was as close as my tool box. I found a forgotten tube of 5 ton epoxy resin. And since i didn't feel like spending $100,00 i took the cover off the emergency brake put epoxy gel inside the broken button put the spring on and put the plastic piece in place put on and held the button down for 10 minutes with my bare hands until set to usable strength and now it works perfectly.

[simkid5614]

You just revived a 4 -1 year old thread.,Good job. Lets throw you a party.

[scnorris]

Ok, my ebrake handle button popped off this morning when I stopped for gas after church. The force with which it and the spring flew to the windshield was highly amusing at that point but as the day wore on, it has been increasingly more difficult to get the brake to engage which as the original poster mentioned, is a bit of a problem as this is a manual transmission car and I also live where I have to park on a steep hill!

Once I get the replacement button, will it simply pop into place and then work beautifully like before?

Thanks so much for your help!

[caveeagle]

I have not seen the replacement buttons. We have a U-Pull yard near me that always has several S-series cars.

When mine broke, I just picked up a replacement there for 1 or 2 bucks. Its pretty easy to replace. Only tool needed is a philips screwdriver to remove the rubber boot.

To get the white arm out, you have to push it all the way in and then rotate it downward. Pretty easy once you figure it out. To reinstall it, there is a little metal thingy that you have to flip downward to get the white rod to lock in place.

I pulled mine from an Auto car of the same generation. I figure that auto cars will tend to use the e-brake less often, so it will have less use/abuse.

[Mike67]

Originally Posted by EarlyMR

LOL, thanks! I thought AZ was short for a Saturn Specialty Website that is common knowledge around the forum.

I'll be heading over there after work.

Thanks again.

I imagine that since this post came from 2009 and now it's 2022 that Auto Zone no longer offers this part. Same for the post for this part found in Columbus, so anyone know if any of the aftermarket parts places still offer the fix?

[alordofchaos]

Originally Posted by Mike67

I imagine that since this post came from 2009 and now it's 2022

It's 2022! That means Saturn parts are hard to find.

It also means you can print your own (what a time to be alive!)

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2119090

(I don't have a 3D printer but turns out that colleges, community colleges, and some high schools do - if you know a student, it is cheap/free)

[KevinVarnes]

Originally Posted by Mike67

I imagine that since this post came from 2009 and now it's 2022 that Auto Zone no longer offers this part. Same for the post for this part found in Columbus, so anyone know if any of the aftermarket parts places still offer the fix?

You can use two part epoxy as mentioned earlier in this thread. The e-brake button on my wife's '98 did the same thing not long after I bought it a couple of years ago. Epoxy works fine and is easy to do.