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Autopapyrus · Kia Optima (4th generation, JF)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/kia/optima/parking-brake-cable-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Kia Optima (4th generation, JF): Parking Brake Cable Replacement

The cable runs from the lever or equalizer in the cabin and tunnel to the shoe or caliper actuating lever at each rear wheel. It is replaced when it breaks, seizes inside its housing, or stretches to the point where adjustment no longer helps. Some JF cars have an electric parking brake (a button on the console). In that case there is no mechanical cable at the rear caliper, and the actuation comes from an electric motor on the caliper. The procedure described here applies to the version with mechanical actuation.

Difficulty: Medium Time: 1.5-3 hours (both cables, including adjustment) Steps: 12 Tools: Lift or jack with jack stands, lug wrench, socket and wrench set 10-17 mm, screwdriver, pliers, puller or drift for spring retaining clips, copper grease (for sliding surfaces), brake cleaner, and if needed a scan tool or the EPB service mode.

Part

  • 🔩 Rear parking brake cable, left and right (separate parts). For the 2019 model year, catalogs list Kia 59760C1000 (left, driver side) and 59770C1000 (right). Verify by VIN, because the design differs between markets and trim levels. If a cable breaks or seizes, buy both and replace them as a pair
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes and 4 more. See manuals →

Step by step

12 steps
  1. Confirm which system you have. If there is a lever between the seats, it is mechanical and this guide applies. If there is a button instead, you do not need a cable, and the fault must be traced to the caliper motor, which requires scan tool diagnostics. For the mechanical version, park the car on level ground in gear (in P on an automatic) and chock the front wheels.
  2. Loosen the rear lug nuts, raise the rear of the car, support it on jack stands, and remove the wheels. Lower the parking brake lever fully so the cable is slack.
  3. Inside the cabin, remove the trim cover on the center console around the lever: pry it up with a plastic trim tool and disconnect the wiring connectors (backlight, lever position sensor). This is needed to reach the adjusting nut and the equalizer.
  4. Loosen the adjusting nut on the equalizer rod enough to free both cables, and disconnect the cable ends from the equalizer.
  5. Under the car, disconnect the cable from the mounting brackets on the body and suspension. These are usually plastic clips or small 10 mm bolts, plus a holder on the lower control arm. Note the cable routing: the new cable must follow the same path as the old one.
  6. Remove the rear brake caliper: unscrew the two caliper guide bolts, remove the caliper, and hang it from a wire so it does not put load on the brake hose. Remove the pads and the brake rotor. If the rotor is stuck, tap it lightly with a rubber mallet.
  7. If your car has a drum-type parking brake inside the rotor (typical for rear disc brakes with a "hat"), remove the parking brake shoes and springs. If the actuation is by a lever on the caliper, remove the cable housing from the bracket clip and pull the cable end out of the caliper lever (by hand or with pliers).
  8. Pull the cable out toward the wheel and draw it out of the guides on the body. Compare the new cable with the old one for length and end fitting shape.
  9. Install the new cable in reverse order: route it along the path, secure it in the brackets, insert the end fitting and housing into the caliper or backing plate, and make sure the boots and retaining clips are seated. Lightly coat the sliding surfaces of the end fitting with copper grease. Grease must not get on friction surfaces.
  10. Reassemble the brake: rotor, pads, caliper. Tighten the caliper bolts to the manufacturer's specification (for this model, roughly 20-30 N·m (15-22 lb-ft) for the guide bolts, but verify the exact value). Wipe the rotor with brake cleaner.
  11. Connect the cable ends to the equalizer in the cabin and tighten the adjusting nut. With the lever down, the wheels must turn freely. When the lever is raised about 5-7 clicks (4-8 if needed, follow the specification), the rear wheels should brake evenly. If only one wheel brakes, adjust the cable lengths separately.
  12. Install the console trim and the wheels, and tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern to the manufacturer's specification. Lower the car and test the parking brake on a slope: the car must hold firmly facing both uphill and downhill. Pump the brake pedal several times until it feels firm.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • This job involves the brake system. If you have no experience, leave it to a repair shop, because incorrect adjustment is dangerous. Do not spill brake fluid on the body or on the rotors. Do not leave the caliper hanging by the brake hose. After the replacement, be sure to test the brakes at low speed in a safe area before driving in traffic. If your car has an electric parking brake, put the system into service mode (via a scan tool or the button sequence in the owner's manual) before any work on the rear calipers, or the actuator may be damaged.
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