Hi everyone -

I just bought a '05 Camry LE. The hand brake is way too loose, it basically points straight up in the air when it's applied. Is there a DIY on how to adjuster this hand brake?

Also the foot brake (main brake paddle) seems too soft. When I push on the foot brake, the paddle almost goes all the way down to the floor to stop the car. The brake fluid reservoir is full and the fluid seems in good condition.

I read on this forum that this seems to be a real common issue and even after replacing the master cylinder, front & rear brakes and bleeding the system 2-3 times does not seem to resolve the issue. This can be true...?

Thanks for the advice!

 

Does the car have rear drum brakes or disk? If drum brakes and the E-brake is adjusted too loose the shoes will be further from the drum requiring more pedal travel.

To adjust the E-brake:
Remove the remove the console panel to expose the area under the handle.
Remove the air duct
Follow the brake cable to a handle bracket. Loosen the lock nut on the cable stud and turn the adjusting nut until the lever travel is correct (3-6 clicks)
Tighten the lock nut
Install the air duct and console panel

 

If you have drum brakes, dont forget to adjust them, before you adjust the e-brake.