Skid steer brake issue

puller45 · Jun 22, 2014

I'm not sure if I've come to the right place, but here is my issue. I have a 2001 John Deere 240 skid steer that has a brake problem. The parking brake will activate while the machine is moving. I suspect an electrical short or bad connection but have not been able to locate it. Hoping that someone here will have experience that might point me in the right direction to solve my aggravation. The problem occurs frequently enough that the machine is nearly useless.

Timm250 · Jun 22, 2014

Just had a similar problem on my Cat skidsteer. It would either not release until you hit the button several times or it would release & then lock while you were using it & not want to release again.

It was a bad coil on the parking brake valve. I replaced the whole thing for about $90.

Had to order & drove 50 miles to pick it up. They told me the part # & price of $38. When I got there the price was $90. We opened the box & could see it was the wrong part & part #. So they said they could order the right one & ship it to me but now the price was $90. I asked why it was $38 yesterday when I ordered & $90 today. The parts guy I talked to the day before had written down the right part # & price in his notes as $38.

He said the only thing he could figure was it was priced wrong in the system & when he pulled it up to look at it someone caught it & corrected the price.

So I had to pay $90 for it but they had it shipped to me UPS next day at their cost so I wouldn't have to drive the 50 miles again to pick it up.

Took about 15 minutes to change it out & so far no more parking brake problems.

puller45 · Jun 22, 2014

Timm250 said:
Just had a similar problem on my Cat skidsteer. It would either not release until you hit the button several times or it would release & then lock while you were using it & not want to release again.

It was a bad coil on the parking brake valve. I replaced the whole thing for about $90.

Had to order & drove 50 miles to pick it up. They told me the part # & price of $38. When I got there the price was $90. We opened the box & could see it was the wrong part & part #. So they said they could order the right one & ship it to me but now the price was $90. I asked why it was $38 yesterday when I ordered & $90 today. The parts guy I talked to the day before had written down the right part # & price in his notes as $38.

He said the only thing he could figure was it was priced wrong in the system & when he pulled it up to look at it someone caught it & corrected the price.

So I had to pay $90 for it but they had it shipped to me UPS next day at their cost so I wouldn't have to drive the 50 miles again to pick it up.

Took about 15 minutes to change it out & so far no more parking brake problems.

Thanks for the reply, how did you ascertain that the problem was the coil? Did you use some sort of test procedure? My brake will release fine when you push the release button, just locks up randomly while operating.

Timm250 · Jun 22, 2014

I pulled the coil & the valve off made a couple of jumpers to test it on a 12v battery. When I touched the jumpers to the battery it wouldn't shift with the battery showing about 12.5v on the meter. If I put the battery on the charger & it showed 15v on the meter it would shift every time.

Mine would lock when operating it when if first started acting up.

Rustyiron · Jun 22, 2014

I had a 260 and I can't remember if it had the swing down restraint bar. I believe it did and it would activate the the brake. I never had this brake problem, but a bad switch on that restraint bar might activate it randomly also. I believe that it has a spring applied, hydraulically released parking brake system. Something is "kicking in" that spring. I'd give the dealer service counter a call.