PaulG

There is a burning smell really sour coming from both sides in the rear. It is a hot smell that smells like a mixture of plastic/metal burning.

Today was the first day I used the emergency brake because I had the car on ramps.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul G.

underdog928

It could be your emergency brake stuck "on". The emergency brake is a small set of shoes inside a drum that is part of your rear disk rotor. When you smell that hot smell, "carefully" touch your rear disk brake rotors and see they are really hot. If so, that's your problem. The brakes may losen up a bit by wacking the rotors with a hammer. Make sure you hit the part of the rotor where the drum is. That's what you want to losen up.

The permanent solution is to pull the rotors and fix the problem.

I never use my emergency brake for just that reason.

69gaugeman

Either always use your emergency brake or never use it. I always use mine.

Edit Jan 19 2010: This should read parking brake, not emergency brake. I was younger and more foolish all these years ago..... lol

Mrmerlin

I think that you may have a binding E brake cable either way jack up the car and try to turn the rear wheels see if they are dragging, if they are then you might have to figure out where the E brake cable is being held or possibly the E brakes them selves may need to be unadjusted by about 2 or 3 clicks this is done with the wheels removed and using a long wide tipped screwdriver, wind the adjusteras till then are tight and the wheel wont turn then undo the adjuster by 2 or 3 clicks this should free up the wheel to turn , if you have further issues then you will have to remove the calipers and investigate the E brake shoes, by removing the calipers. And always use jack stands . Goodluck Stan

Rod Handsfield

'Fired up my '88 5 speed last night and attempted to back out of the garage. The engine stalled and it took 3500 rpms to back out to the street - 'drove around the block and realized I have a problem with my emergency brake. The car is low mileage < 25 K miles and I think this issue (and some others like intermittent switches) can likely be attributed to under use. What is the consensus on: 1. whether to use the E brake routinely, 2. How to prevent this in the future, 3. How to fix it right now. Happy New Year, Rodney

Mrmerlin

there is no reason to not be able to use the E brake, anyone thats not using it due to the possibility of it dragging needs to turn in their keys.
The E brakes are a reliable and secure system and once the complete system has been serviced will provide a long time of secure rear wheel stoppage. The best thing to do is start at the wheels and remove the rotors, this exposes the E brake shoes, inspect them for shoe thickness and the that they both have a hold down spring fitted, also it would be wise to remove the shoes from the backing plate and lubricate the adjuster and the backing plate and the fulcrum.
When you refit the hold down springs make sure to verify that the hook springs are infact hooked to the round bars on the backside of the plate, they can fall off and damage the shoes if this part is not followed.
Also its wise to have a helper pull up on the E handle to test the cable.
Once the cable function is verified then refit the rotors, adjust the star adjusters so that the rotor wont turn the back it off 3 clicks do both hubs the same way.
Moving into the cabin pull up on the handle and check that both rotors are locked, release it then make sure the rotors will turn.
Now adjust the handle you should have about 3 clicks to set the brakes.
If its more than this then remove the rear E brake handle cover and adjust the cable till 3 clicks .
refit the covers and the wheels and roadtest use the IR gun and drive the car a few miles and check to see that the rear rotors are both the same temps if one is hot then it indicates a dragging E brake. then you may have to undo the star adjuster another click

mark kibort

its highjack time! sorry,

Mine goes full max at the handle to only set the car from rolling, but no real e-brake force. how do you adjust, if the handle is maxed out? the little thumbwheel nut on the ebrake hub?? this is a replacement ebrake cable (used) but my old ebrake was kind the same way, but a little more ebrake force, but also the cable wasnt maxed out like this is now.

Back on topic, it is not that uncommon that the little spring in the ebrake system comes undone or breaks. If so, it will make a clicking noise that you will definitely notice. to fix it, you need to remove the rear rotors to get into the ebrake system.

mk

Mrmerlin

MK you probably need new E brake shoes, a set that has been driven on while set will quickly overheat and the friction material will peel off . The result is that lots of extra pull is needed to effect a stop.
If you have good e brake shoes then you need to adjust the star adjusters as outlined above, then adjust the cable

Tails

Rodney,
I would suggest that you read up on the "stall test procedure" for the torque converter, as I would suggest that you exceed the maximum criteria as recommended by Porsche.
To get up to 3500rpm to get the car moving after it has stalled should have registered that something was amiss!

I have not commented on the hand brake operation except to give a +1 to Mrmerlin.

Tails 1990 928S4 Auto

69gaugeman

Happy new you year to you as well!

Nothing like resurrecting an old thread. lol. Should be noted that it is not an emergency brake, but a parking brake.

Not sure where the stall procedure comes into play in my post, but what ever. Time to educate me?