550 Handbrake problem-- help??

I let my wife drive my 550 for the 1st time today, so I could hear my new
Cargraphic exhausts....and now the handbrake doesnt engage!
I pull up....nothing happens...maybe something broke..or fell off?? .anybody know where I can look to see if something fell off or???? Is a shop repair my only option?

thanks, Bill

 

hmmmm. Most likely is that the car was driven with the handbrake on, and now the shoes are fried.

Whip a rear wheel off, then caliper and disc and you'll see. If it's bad, you'll see all the dust through the shoe adjuster holes in the disc before you've even removed it.

You can get the shoes re-lined if the Ferrari price/availability is too hard, but I'd recommend fitting new.

 

Howdy Bill,

What I’m about to say, you probably already know…….

The 550 parking brake is VERY finicky to release. Even skilled owners need 2-3 tries, push button in, pull up, drop slowly STRAIGHT down while keeping the button depressed, and hope the light goes off. When I purchased my car, the dealer made a big deal out of this during the “here are this model’s quirks” briefing.

Good luck. I hope you didn’t cook the parking brake as Phil suggested.

Roy

 

I know how to release the brake....i showed my wife...then before she drove
off..asked her if the brake light was off...but i think she maybe didnt see it in
the bright sun...and it is a small light...so I think she drove with the brake on..she drove about 2 miles....but i'm not messing with removing the wheels, pads, etc...so..
can I drive it to the repair shop or does it have to be towed?

 

Just drive it slowly with the window open to listen to things for a few meters. if you cant hear any nasty crunching noises, drive it.

 

Good luck Bill.......

 

Ok...My wife was just mentioning that the light was definitely off when she drove....but when she parked...and pulled up the handbrake...there was a definite "pop"... so maybe something just broke or came apart........ so crossing my fingers it will be a inexpensive fix..

 

I hope so 2, is it making werid noises when you are braking, cause my friend let some girl drive his car once and she drove with the handbrake up and his brakes didnt sound right then he took them to get checked out and needed new pads.

 

By the way, how was the sound of the cargraphic exhaust? Imho the cargraphic is build by Fuchs, right?

 

It is quite common for the linkage rod from the button to the ratchet gear in the base of the handle to fall off. Remove the boot cover and it is fairly easy to reassemble. Often it helps to loosen the cable adjustment (under the car) to give a little slack. To verify that this is the case, operate the button in and out without moving the handle. You should be able to hear and feel the linkage move if it is still in place. Generally it takes a good bit more than 2 miles to wear the e brake pads to the point of no contact. Believe me I have seen quite a number of brite blue rotors where the parking brake still works fine.
Dave

 

The next morning...yesterday...Sunday..the handbrake was normal...go figure!! I parked it on a steep hill to make sure it worked...it's fine..i dont get it...drove it for 2 hours this morning....everything is normal...the Cargraphic exhaust is really cool....not too loud...but throaty enough...the Ferodo brakes dont squeal...what a relief....FYI...Fuchs and Cargraphic shared engineering...but each manufacture there own hardware.

Bill

 

Hi i have had a problem with the 550 handbrake since new on my '99 550M.
i have now disconnected the sensor as it is not working properly, and have to use trial and error to make sure it's disengaged.
i could use some advice on (a) how to adjust the brake, and (b) how to fix the sensor?
thanks