How to Adjust the Emergency Brake on a 1995 Saturn

You can adjust the emergency brake on your 1995 Saturn right from your home garage, saving you money if not also time. The emergency brake -- also known as an e-brake, a parking brake or a hand brake -- is operated via a lever in the cabin. The lever is attached to a cable that runs to a rear drum. Adjusting the emergency brake is a matter of taking up slack in the parking brake cable. It's time to do the adjustment when you park your Saturn on a downhill slant and the emergency brake won't keep the vehicle from slipping.

Instructions

1

Find the center console cover between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat. Remove the cover by unlatching the side hooks and lifting up on the cover. Release the hand brake.

2

Move the adjuster nut using pliers. The adjuster nut is on the rod sticking out of the console. You want to move the adjuster nut toward the end of the rod.

3

Put wheel chocks in front of and behind the front wheels of the Saturn. Loosen but do not remove the lug nuts on both rear wheels, using your lug nut wrench. Raise the rear of the car with a jack. Slide jack stands under the frame rails forward of the rear wheels, and lower the car onto the stands. Remove the rear wheel lug nuts, then remove the rear wheels from the wheel hubs.

4

Lift up the parking brake lever one click. Further tighten the adjuster nut with the pliers. This will cause the the rear drums in the wheel wells to move slightly. Release the hand brake.

5

Turn the rear brake drums and make sure they turn freely. Put the wheels back on the car and tighten the lug nuts.

6

Raise the Saturn enough to remove the jack stands, lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the wheel chocks. Tighten the lug nuts all the way using the lug nut wrench.