anyone know of a how to

 

The parking brake should not need adjustment very often unless something breaks or slips out of position. You have to first ensure that all is well at the brake assembly at each rear wheel. Remove the brake rotors and inspect. There is an adjustment "star wheel" within the mechanism on each side that will allow tightening or loosening of the emergency brake shoes. You need to set the shoes so that there is only a small clearance between the shoes and the rotor. If you adjust the shoes make sure there is no drag. Also, if the shoe material is glazed, you have to sand the shoes with sandpaper or emery cloth. This is all pretty simple, not as hard as it sounds if you know how to remove the rotors. The emergency brake shoes should last the life of the vehicle unless someone unwittingly drives a great distance with the brake applied.

 

thanks jim.....i was just thinking after 3 years that it seems as though i have to pull up a little extra to get the parking brake to hold the car on a hill....i usually set the brake in neutral and let the car rest before putting it into park....

 

its underneath the center storage bin.

a steel cable and a nut keep it taut.
righty tighty lefty loosey.
tighten up the nut to pick up the slack in the steel cable.

 

Theoretically there should not be any wear on the emergency brake shoes or the "drum" part of the rotor where they operate since nothing moves when the brake is on. I think the adjustment that Justn mentioned is a fine tuning thing for cases where the cable may stretch. It's conceivable that if you use it all the time and pull hard on it that the cable could stretch a little although I think that's rather unlikely. The emergency brake setup on newer vehicles is pretty well designed for the life of the vehicle although they used to be a complete PITA on older vehicles. BTW, as you probably know, the emergency brake usually works better to prevent the car from moving forward and is not quite as effective to prevent backwards movement. Different vehicles have a variety of emergency brake designs. Some have separate "shoes" or pads for the emergency brake, like TL, some just operate the regular brake shoes (e.g. Integra, etc.)

 

For the do it your-selfers, 4G Acura TL parking brake inspection and adjustment instructions OEM Service Manual.

 

don't adjust only from the center console! That is the fine adjustment! You need to click the brake up 5-7 clicks and then adjust the brake from the rear hub. Take off the rim and turn the gear up or down to adjust. Adjust until the wheel can not move. Release the brake and verify that the wheel can freely spin. If not, back off the adjuster gear.

 

Sorry to bring up an old thread... when I apply my parking brake I can hear the springs behind the rotors making noise. I just replaced my rotors so I am wondering if I need to adjust my parking brake at all? I didn't loosen them at all when I replaced my rotors.. I just made sure to release the parking brake before removing the rotors, for obvious reasons. Until I replaced my rotors I had never heard the springs before.

 

New rotors (SHOULD) have the same inside diameter service brake drum, as the OEM drum. Some, DON"T! After you installed the new rotors, did you notice, if, when applying the service brake, it required MORE travel, to fully engage? If so, there could be MORE free travel, in the service brake mechanism, which may account for the noise, you hear now. If, the service brake requires the same amount of travel, as before installing the replacement rotors, than, perhaps the noise, the springs are making, was there before, but now, your just more aware of it. Applying the service brake, a little past half way, should fully lock the rear wheels. If the service brake has to be applied, almost all the way to the limit of it's travel, than, the shoes need to be adjusted/tightened. If, the service brake, fully engages, after only two, or three (CLICKS), the shoes, probably need to be loosened.

 

How do I access it?

 

Go through the inside of the center console storage area (armrest), pull up a small rubber mat that lines the bottom (there's a tab to help you pull it up), and there's a plastic cover under that that pops out with a flathead screwdriver.

Adjustment nut is just in front of the opening, you won't easily see it looking straight down.

 

Here's the guide for it:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7...VFWM25SODY5MTA

 

I just adjusted my shoes and the parking lever still has too much travel for my liking. I'm going to try the "fine" adjustment inside the rear console. Hopefully that does the trick.

 

 

Update
So the left rear bearing is definately gone, after removing i could see and feel how it had failed.