Parking brake not working

Pretty new face around here but I have an 05 gen 2 and the Parking brake does not currently work. The parking brake light and ABS light have been stuck on for the past couple of months. Had it to a shop and they said it wasn't throwing any codes. Please help

 

You could try adjusting the shoe self adjusters. They don’t self adjust all that well.

 

Well the problem is I can't get the drum cover off. Worried that brakes are stuck on or something. Would that keep it stuck on there?

 

Is it that it's rust welded to the hub or is it stuck on shoes?

 

I believe you can use an M8 bolt to thread in both holes to help remove the drum, tighten a bit on both sides evenly and it will come off, you can take apart and service the breaks and adjust once it’s apart. Search a YouTube how too shouldn’t be a bad job. It’s likely got a bit of a ledge from wear on the drum which will make it difficult to get off that’s where the M8 bolts help work it off. Good luck it’s not too hard a job

 

Back off on the brake adjustment before attempting to remove the drum or you are going to break things....



If the brake light is on either the parking brake switch is on or the brake fluid is low.

Verify the fluid level then remove the drums to inspect the brakes.

 

I just redid my rear brakes the other week. I had to take a sledge hammer to the drum for a good 10 minutes to get them off. You have to smack it HARD without hitting the studs. HARD!

when you get them off, look inside and locate a cord with a spring wrapped around it. This is what is pulled on to activate the parking brake. If it’s disconnected, that’s your issue.

 

When the shoes contact the drum. Well, imagine the drum is a soup bowl. When you pick up the bowl to drink instead of using a spoon, the part your mouth touches, the brim. The shoes don’t touch all the way up to the top of the brim, so there’s a tiny unworn area smaller in diameter than the area the shoes wore bigger. The shoes will sit under the brim ridge. When you try to remove the drum, it’ll get stuck on that smaller diameter area. That is unless you back off the self adjuster first. Not saying you have to back off the adjuster, sometimes you can get it past that brim ridge. If the drum starts to come off and gets stuck on that brim ridge, forcing it off could possibly break the shoe retaining pins.

Or, the drum is rusted to the hub, if it doesn’t move at all, common on Tacomas evidently.

 

I’ll bet a broken rr parking brake cable. Buy only oe replacement

 

Thank you for all the reply’s. I’m thinking something like the cable or spring broken. The rear brakes themselves still work. Would the broken parking brake cause the ABS light to be on too? They came on at the same time

 

If it makes you feel any better I pretty much did “everything” not long ago and it’s all turning to shit. Note to self: buy better shit, next time

 

Check the brake fluid level. The parking brake switch should only light the red brake light and beep as far as I know.

 

So little bit of an update. The parking brake cable still has tension on it making me think it's not broke. Has to be something in the drum then?

 

Here is some info and diagram:
Rear Brake Replacement Tips | Tacoma World

 

If the ABS light is on, it has codes. The shop likely didn't have scanner capability

Like Jimmy said, the red brake warning light is usually either low brake fluid level or parking brake switch broken/out of adjustment

Mechanically, the parking brake should work regardless of those warning lights. Step 1 is getting the drum off and start looking