I agree with the old timer, but lately I've noticed, at least on GM
cars, that you have no control over how tight the e-brake applies
because it has a spring in the mechanism.

Of course, it also has an annoying chime if you do try to drive off with
the e-brake applied.  And the darned thing hasn't worked since the car
was about 6 mos. old anyway.

nate

I'd bet that on most cars that have been in service for a while, the
parking brake's duties are largely ceremonial.  The original poster's
car being quite new, though, it is probably in proper adjustment (or
at least was before this incident!).

The other big factor, of course, is how hard it was set.   Maybe the
car was really laboring to overcome the braking in the rear, and wore
down the brake shoes quite a bit.  Maybe not.

Anyway, the only way to tell is to look at the parking brake shoes...
I think all the 2007 Corollas have rear drums, rather the rear discs
found in the bigger, faster, and more expensive items in their product
line nowadays, so the parking brake arrangement is doubtless pretty
old-school: a way to mechanically set and release the regular rear
brake.  Any mechanic can quickly and easily remove a brake drum for a
look-see.

Cheers,
--Joe

sdlomi2 wrote in message
KhOvh.5807$fC2.480@bignews4.bellsouth.net:

I've never encountered a car yet where the handbrake (British for "emergency
brake" or "parking brake"!) has any noticeable effect on slowing down a car
that is already moving, even when applied hard and suddenly. How people ever
lock the rear wheels to do handbrake turns is a mystery to me. That's even
on a car where the handbrake has recently been adjusted during servicing and
with good pads. Also, first gear on most manual-transmission cars can easily
overcome the handbrake when the car is stationary - the car might be a bit
more sluggish but it will move without any problem. A standard test that
second-hand garages do to check for clutch slippage is to put the handbrake
on and then without your foot on the accelerator lift the clutch gently in
second or third gear: if the car moves, the clutch is OK; if it doesn't, the
clutch is slipping. With my diesel engined Peugeot, the car will take off in
any gear, with no power applied, even up a steep gradient with the handbrake
on, despite the handbrake being adjusted properly so it will hold the car
from running back.

Handbrakes tend to be used much more with manual transmission because they
are the main means of holding the car, given that there's no Park
transmission lock. I only put the car in gear if I'm parked on a steep hill,
and then always so that the car will lurch *uphill* rather than downhill if
I try to start the engine without remembering to press the clutch or taking
it out of gear. Lurching down hill (with gravity helping you) into the car
parked behind you is embarrassing and can be expensive.

Every old wrecks I ever owned before,,, I don't know if the parking
breaks worked or not.I never tried them out before.
cuhulin