Cadillac Repair: emergengy brake stuck down, 1990 cadillac fleetwood, cadillac fleetwood

Question
My aunt has a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood- her emergency brake is stuck down-usually releases when you put it in gear but won't know- how do I fix this? any help would be great,thank you.  

Answer
Hi Jennifer,

        What Cadillac has is a vacuum solinoid that releases the brake pedal when the shifter is moved from park. Vacuum from the engine goes to a resevior next to the brake booster/master cylinder. From there it goes into the car to a switch at the base of the steering column above the brake pedal area. Then on to the release solinoid on the parking brake.

      2 common  things that go bad are a vacuum hose falls off the vacuum tank or the release solinoid diaphram gets a hole in it and has to be replaced.

      Check the tank hose first. Then remove the vacuum hose from the release solinoid and start the engine. Have a helper put their foot on the brake and shift into R or OD and see if you get vacuum. If you do then replaceing the solinoid is a matter of removeing a 7mm bolt from the bracket and then it can be changed.

      If you don't get any vacuum when shifting then maybe the switch on the steering column is bad. Reach up and disconnect the vacuum hose and see if you get vacuum on one side with the engine running. If you do the replace the switch. If not then find out where the hose is open...it could be anywhere in the engine compartment...and repair it as needed.

     They do have a release lever on the solinoid that by pushing up on it you can manually release the parking brake. The first few times I had to find it I used a flashlight.

     Hope that explains things. Let me know if I can be anymore help. Bill