Man, my Jeep Patriot will drive forward with the ebrake on if you give it enough gas, and it's a 4banger. I think youre inspector was full of it.

 

I second the motion that you go to another shop. This "inspector" sounds questionable, like she just found a new and exciting (to her) way to fail your vehicle in the interest of public safety.

First of all, you've got a powerful V8 car and the parking brake was never meant to restrain it. Note to inspector: It's a PARKING brake, not an emergency brake! Vehicles with a dash-mounted release have a big "P" inside little brake shoes as the symbol on the handle. The manufacturers want you to know the system is for PARKING, not slowing your vehicle to a stop in the event of a brake system hydraulic failure.

Which, by the way, is almost unheard of since the dreaded hydraulic pressure switch was eliminated from the system in the early 60s and dual piston, split hydraulic systems were mandated by NHTSA for the 1967 model year.

Checking the GM parts book (doesn't anyone else download the pdf file via the link on our site?) it is clear that all 1998-2002 Camaros had the separate parking brake system with the little shoes (in this case a very curved single shoe) that fit inside the rotor "hat" and that setup sure won't hold back a V8 in low gear.

I think the inspector is wrong and needs to be educated.

 

I was going off my '93 which has the braking pads doubling as the parking brake as well. Easier way for me to check things like this is to check the EPC at work which will list whether it has a separate braking system or not.

But thank you for the correction on that for the '98-02 cars.

Where we all agree is the inspector or the shop in general need to inspected by the state themselves.

 

I think the inspector is daft. It is a parking brake, not a service brake. It is supposed to keep a stopped car from rolling down a hill, not to keep it from moving agaist engine power. Find a different inspection station.

 

I am from PA and was an inspection tech and we are required to verify the park brake is in good working order but there is NO test other then is it engaged.

To take it a step further in transmission class we are told that by design a brake system must be stronger then the motor from the factory but we are warned that is the motor has been modified doing a stall test could be dangerous. But there is NOTHING in PA law that says the entire brake system must be stronger then the motor. Only that the brakes should be in good work condition. I can not think of ANY big block car from the 60's that would pass that test.

I would be temped to ask him how much it would cost to fix and which perfecty working part he planing on replacing? Any FWD car will drag locked up back wheels all day long. This test is completely bogus.

Here in PA if an inspection mechainc fails a car for inspection for an invaild reason and trys to sell you a repair the state police will pull his license for 90 days and fine the garage.

 

I'd love to get their license pulled unfortunately they are not a service station. ALL they do is state inspections. They didn't offer to fix it or try to send me somewhere to have it fixed. They just told me I had to get it fixed. Never again will I go to "Sticker Xpress". Express my *** as it took 45 minutes and now I have to spend another $14.50 to have it done elsewhere.

 

Lesson learned...let us know how the re inspection goes.

 

there must be someone you could complain to at the state level. its a public service you have to have some where you could go and have an actual state inspector look at it and say it good and they are wrong at no extra cost to you

 

You could call the state police and just let them know about the trouble. If the car passes at a larger garage it would add a lot of fuel to your complaint. Again all the rules I commet on are in PA.

Inspection mechanic do not require a ton of training. I think the state class is about 16 hours. No other school or cert is required. Because of that the State has the "I don't know why but I don't think it is safe clause" The final part of the the inspection is the test drive after inspection, This clause would only be used by the lowest level mechainc for a issue found on the test drive. At most places the car would then be passed to a more experanced mechanic or the shop owner.

 

I contacted the Texas state Department of Public Safety this morning and was give a number for a local county auditor. According to him the parking brake is not working properly unless it can prevent the car from driving forward with "slight acceleration". I have an appointment with him tomorrow morning at the inspection location to have him do the free re-inspection. Now from what I've read to adjust the cable I have to pull on the parking brake multiple times then release it. Anything anyone else thinks I should/could do to help this thing pass?