Parking brake up and locked

[Antilles Engineering <antilles@madriver.com>]

Dear Audiphiles,

With our 1990 200 tqw yesterday, we parked a steep hill.  The emergency
brake cable has been rather slack (putting that off, of course) and I
agressively pulled up the handle.  Whoops--came up but would not go back
down (only about half way).  No "ratcheting sound now. Rear brakes dragging
but not locked up hard.   Went home at 2mph, cooling off the brakes every
hundred yards.  No damage except that a kid on a motorized skate board
passed me laughing like hell and yelling I should get a Ford!

Using Bentley Fig. 46.18, got the center console off and parking brake hand
grip off.  I'm guessing but it "feels"  like the pawl that ratchets along
the . . er. . .ratchet, somehow kicked over center and won't come back.
(My only thought is that the German engineers who designed the pawl said,
"Ach!, if some stupid owner allows their cable to get too slack and then
tries to pull it nearly verticle, the brake handle will lock up in my
special safe position and then they will be forced to seek a proper German
Audi Mechanic mit the proper tools und der proper parts.  Heh-heh.)

 Anyone had this experience before.  Two paths of enlightened engineering
seem likely

1.  Grind out the pivot bolt that holds the pawl.  (This is the only way I
can see what's going on in there. . .or

2.  Remove circlip from Pivot Bolt around which the brake lever rotates
around to do a more in-depth autopsy.

Anyone BTDT???  Comments (including those from the engineer that designed
the pawl) will be appreciated.

Doug

200 qtw not goin' nowhere