Q: Driving with the hand brake pulled up

asked by on July 29, 2016

I accidentally drove my car with the hand brake pulled up. While I was driving and hit a rock on the road, I could hear a noticeable splashing sound. It seems the noise was coming from under the vehicle. When I realized that it was pulled up, I pulled the hand brake down. How much damage has this caused to the car? Could you give me some advice on what to check?

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Hello. Usually when the E-brake is engaged and the vehicle is driven for a short amount of time, no damage will occur. But it is a possibility that you may have incurred heat damage to the shoes, pads, or rotors. These’s also a possibility that the emergency brake cable have become stretched. The splashing sound is odd, but may not be worrisome unless you continue to hear it. If you want to get it looked at, a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, will easily be able to inspect your braking system and tell you if any components have undergone damage.

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