I use to park my manual transmission 2013 Fit in a 3rd level sub-basement. There was flooding, which reached 2 inches above the floor. Insurance cover remediation by a Honda service centre, which involved replacing the carpet and all electronics at that level. I got the car back in March/April time frame, well after winter.

My city got its real taste of winter last week, with slush and snow. The parking brake line froze, which I don't recall from previous years. It seems to have abated, but I wonder whether it is worth taking a look at to see if it is related to the flooding?

I wouldn't think that the current problem is related to the flooding, given the passage of time since the flood. But I'm not sure how these brake line systems are designed. Maybe it is possible for water to stay in them for so long a time. Are the cables made of rust-proof metals, with water allowed to drain out of the protective sheath, or is the encasement relied upon to be water resistant (and hence, probably water retaining)?

 

Brakes are hydraulic. The lines are filled with hydraulic fluid. Water in the system does not make it's way out. Fluid is hygroscopic. Flushing the fluid is the only way to get water out. Have you ever had the fluid changed?

Only the parking brake is cable actuated.

 

Sorry, I should have clarified in my original post that I am in fact referring to the parking brake. I drive a manual transmission.

 

I see. It was hard to tell from your post.

​​​​​It's possible that it froze. I don't know if it would dry out or not. If I had to guess, it's more likely that it's rusting. I'm surprised your insurance company didn't total the vehicle. Flooding above the floor is enough to cause a whole lot of issues from internal corrosion, electrical problems, etc.

To find out what's happening, you'll probably have to pull the cable to see what condition it's in.

 

Water probably got inside the cable lining when the car got flooded. Now, that water might be causing all sorts of problems.

Have the cable checked

 

That is not an uncommon occurrence. In cold wet weather, be it rain, snow or slush I don't use the E-brake. Leave your car in 1st or reverse when you park it.

 

@sneefy: From this past week, the problem seems to be intermittent, which is consistent with the fact that our current weather fluctuates above and below freezing. So it seems to be a persistent problem, with no indication that it will "dry out".

I did not know if the cable is suppose to be shielded against splashes from normal driving. If so, then the fact that I experience intermittent freezing means that water is trapped in a sheath. Perhaps flooding circumvents to splash shielding, causing water to enter and be trapped -- even over the summer.

Another possibility is that the shielding is compromised, allowing repeated soaking when I drive. In this case the flooding is not the cause.

You mentioned that flooded cars are normally written off. My car had very little mileage when the flood occurred, so the residual value was higher than the remediation cost.
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@carotman: Yes, my gut did tell me that perhaps there is a splash resistant sheath, and flooding got inside and became trapped over the summer, causing freezing problems just now. I just didn't know enough about parking brake cables to gauge the likelihood of that possible explanation. I suspected that there was sheathing, but did not know how it was designed, and the plausibility that flooding would cause water to not only get in, but remain trapped over a period of months. Since this is the first winter I encountered such a problem, I will for it to be checked, and will also ask if the flooding is the likely cause. If so, I hope it can be charged to insurance without another deductible.
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@ashchuckton: It's uncommon for me. I've never had this problem prior to the flooding in February. The remediation took so long that I got the car back in the spring, so if water was trapped in the cable, there would have been no symptoms.

Since I drive a manual transmission, I always park in first, but I also engage the brakes. It's good to use the brakes anyway, just to keep to brake line moving, and to know when it is stuck for whatever reason. Often, at a red light, I have the car in neutral, and the parking brake engaged. While I'm not entirely sure, I suspect that this is not too unusual for a manual transmission.

 

I agree about always using the E-brake when you park. Not using it at all is a recipe for it to seize up & not work at all. You can either replace the cables or refrain from using it in freezing conditions.

 

The person who oversaw the flooding remediation advised that I ask at the service counter to have the cables checked when I get my "B-service" in two weeks. Thanks.