After several attempts to sort my handbrake , can anyone tell me roughly how strong it is supposed to be, ie SHOULD it be able lock the rear wheels.
Also I changed the alternator because the old one was not putting out any real current. It would match the load on the car but not put out much more. So question 2 is how long should the car be able to stand without the battery having to be jumped? Previously I was getting 4-5 days with plenty of dodgy starts due to the crap alternator.
TIA
The hand brake on both of my 95s will hold the car well on a moderate incline but the power of the engine will easily overcome the hand brake. If your brake warning light ever fails to warn you that your hand brake is still on, you will smell your mistake within a minute.
If you have a good battery, your car should be able to sit for weeks without needing a jump. If you are experiencing a dead battery after only a few days, you should look for a key off power drain. Because the center console doors break off those cheap plastic (rear mount) hinges on virtually every early 4th generation camaro I've ever seen, you should look for the center console light to be potentially staying on after you lay the door back into its cradle. This was my problem and I discovered it by removing the bulb. The battery then quit going dead every few days. I then replaced the console door and hinge pin ($50US). Wouldn't it be nice if someone had come up with a repair or replacement kit for those pathetic toy hinges?
Regards
Thanks for that, I did notice the light whilst i was removing and replacing the centre console ( it came out about 4 times in total), and forgot to disconnect the cable, so i have just pulled the lamp for the time being. It does start so much better now that i think the battery is charching properly. I just need to NOT use it and let it sit for a few days.
Ta very much for the reply, it helps get a perspective on what the problem actually was.
In gear the park brake should kill the engine (standard shift) at 1500 to 2000 RPM. If your car is a automatic It should hold the car or barely creep fore or aft at those same rpm's.
Park brake cables on American cars are prone to siezing. New ones can be had for between $25 to $75 US.
As for the battery, If I can't leave a car or truck sit for a few weeks to a few months, I consider the battery Junk. Charles
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