Just purchased a 1993 4WD DLX Xtracab 22RE with 5 speed on Saturday. 147,000 miles, the truck is nice, really nice. However, I noticed the E Brake had a little play in it and that the Brake light wasn't going off. I didn't think too much about it until, while releasing the E Brake today my radio cut out. I tried to start the ignition and nothing... I took off the lower interior panel to investigate. Basically the E Brake Cable had begun to fray, which allowed the The "skewer handle" to come out an inch or so more than it is supposed to. This explains the looseness felt in the handle and the light staying on. Unfortunately at the end of the "skewer" there is a little tab that sticks out to the left and is intended to press a little switch and turn the light off while the brake is disengaged. The extra play allowed by the frayed cable let that tab come out an inch to far and get tangled in the wiring harness bracketed precariously close to the E Brake assembly. When I pushed the E Brake handle in to disengage the brake it caught hold of some wires and tore something loose. Now I have a No Start situation. I am Super frustrated as I have no clue how to go about diagnosing what wire where is causing the trouble.

A word of warning to those of you with play in the E Brake. Drop the $30 on a new cable before this mess unfolds...

Anyone ever hear of this?. Going to have it towed for $200 back to the shop I bought it from tomorrow. The mechanic who owned it previously has agreed to help me figure it out.

 

The $30 is this from the dealer ..

 

I am assuming the price for the part is something like that. I'll be buying one tomorrow so I'll know then.