The emergency brake on our 2007 Accord 4 cylinder 5-speed has stuck twice for us the past two weeks. My wife didn't realize it last week and when she parked the car in the garage I could smell the hot brakes. The handle was in the off position but it had definitely been sticking. Happened again tonight. I was only a mile from my parent's house so I swung in there. The back driver's side rotor was glowing! I had tried pulling the handle off and on a few times, backing up and jumping on the power brakes to try and loosen it up but no go. I went in and asked my dad if I could use his truck to get home and I'd look at it tomorrow after work. I went back out to check the car after I started his truck to warm it up and it had left loose? Is this something I can adjust or fix? I replaced my brake pads about 4 months ago so I wonder if I messed something up? Guess I should be replacing that rotor as it is no doubt warped and may as well get some new brake pads!! Dang it! Any suggestions as to what may be going on or how to fix it?

Thanks,
Scott

 

I think that you would have to inspect the rear calipers to see if the e-brake cable on the caliper has no tension once you release the brake in the car.

If there is no tension, then something is preventing the rear caliper from releasing.

If there is tension, then something between the ebrake handle in the car and the caliper is preventing the cable from retuning.

 

Maybe the most likely thing is corrosion in the cables so they don't release fully. The cable pulls on a lever which YOU can pull back to check how easily the cable slides.

Since you said the rotor was glowing, right now I suspect it's been overheated enough so the handbrake return-spring is weakened.

New brake pads? Were they difficult to insert into the caliper bracket? Sometimes I have to file off the paint so the pads slide nicely in the bracket. In that case the cable will spring back OK but the pads still drag.