Rubbish Handbrake

sarah_elton

Car (2002 Astra) is due for a service and MOT next month.

My handbrake is rubbish. You can quite easily pull away with it on and a couple of times in the Lake District it wasn't strong enough to hold the car while doing hill starts. (And that's with it pulled on to the very top ratchet). It also creaks ominously when I park on a slope and then step out of the car. On the MOT history, the car failed on handbrake efficiency in 2006.

I want the garage to seriously tighten it up, and I'll say as much when I book it in.

Just wondering - is this something they can do on the car without replacing parts, or will I need parts and is it an expensive job? I just want a rough idea before I speak to them.

Ta!

Ebe_Scrooge

Depends exactly on what's causing the problem. Assuming the brakes themselves are OK, then it's *usually* just a case of adjusting the handbrake mechanism itself - no parts, and a 15 minute job for a garage. Some cars ( sorry, not sure about yours in particular ) have an automatic adjustment mechanism, this can sometimes either break down or just get gunged up and need a good clean.

So, hopefully it's a few minutes with a spanner to adjust it, but if you speak to the garage before hand they should know the most common cause before they even look at it ( they should know common problems with a car like an Astra ). But either way it'll have to be fixed, as it's an MOT failure if it's not holding properly.

( P.S. in the meantime, make sure you leave the car in gear whenever you park it, that will hold the car steady if the handbrake should fail completely ).

sarah_elton

Thanks! The brakes are pretty good so touch wood they don't need work. Luckily I live in Essex so very rarely park on anything other than the flat.

hewhoisnotintheknow

how long has it been iffy for

jeannieblue

May just need adjustment, which would be part of the service. Or it could need new handbrake cables - it could need a number of things. Recommend you book it in in advance of the MOT - just in case.

daveyjp

So you are knowlingly driving a car with defective brakes? Never wait for an MOT to find out what's wrong. Get it into a reputable garage tomorrow and get it sorted out.

As a starter when was the brake fluid last changed?

jeannieblue

daveyjp wrote: »

So you are knowlingly driving a car with defective brakes? Never wait for an MOT to find out what's wrong. Get it into a reputable garage tomorrow and get it sorted out.

As a starter when was the brake fluid last changed?

It probably would be better to ask - when did you last check the level of the brake fluid. Think that could be a better starter.

Meanwhile OP - take it that its booked soon for service and MOT.

Same county as me......... not coming to see us are you?? !!!

goldspanners

this wont be done as part of your MOT. when you call to book your MOT ask them if they would check and adjust the parking brake as required.

if the parking brake isnt holding then adjusting without removing wheels and drums ( if it has them) wouldnt be the best idea.
i would want the rear wheels taken off, rear brake drum taken off, the shoes and drums cleaned and adjusted ( unless the shoes are needing replaced of course).

this is the best way to see exactly whats wrong. theres no point in adjusting shoes from the outside that have no friction material left on them is there?

also as someone else said the self adjusting mechanism may be seized, its quite common, nobody ever lubricates them properly,well garages anyway.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

daveyjp wrote: »

So you are knowlingly driving a car with defective brakes? Never wait for an MOT to find out what's wrong. Get it into a reputable garage tomorrow and get it sorted out.

As a starter when was the brake fluid last changed?

What does the brake fluid have to do with the parking mechanism, apart from nothing at all?

sarah_elton

I am NOT driving with defective brakes and never would!! The brakes are fine (bought the car in May 2008, had a problem within a few weeks with the rear brakes, got it fixed, no problems since).

The parking brake (hand brake) is just a bit weak. Seriously, it's only on extremely steep slopes that it's caused a problem so it's not an issue normally. I'd just like it fixed.

To answer an earlier question - I think it's been that way since I bought the car. Like I said, it was only really noticeable when driving around the Lake District, and it was minor enough that I thought I'd just leave it till I got the service/MOT done this year.

The garage I bought it from MOTd it when I bought it, so I had a new MOT, and it passed, so it can't be *that* bad. (Although I realised the other day they did the MOT when I bought it only six months after its previous MOT so they messed up its anniversary which I didn't think was allowed, hey-ho).

Thanks goldspanners - now I should know what they're talking about a bit better.

Jeannieblue - I was planning to have the service (it's due its 90,000 mile one and keeps saying "INSP" at me for a couple of seconds on the mileometer readout when I start the engine which I assume means "I'm due a service") and MOT done at the same time to get a discount. I'll have a chat with the garage.

Inactive

sarah_elton wrote: »

I am NOT driving with defective brakes and never would!! The brakes are fine (bought the car in May 2008, had a problem within a few weeks with the rear brakes, got it fixed, no problems since).

The parking brake (hand brake) is just a bit weak. Seriously, it's only on extremely steep slopes that it's caused a problem so it's not an issue normally. I'd just like it fixed.
.

If your handbrake will not hold the vehicle on a steep incline, then I'm afraid that you are driving a car with defective brakes, it could arguably roll away and kill somebody.

It would be an MOT fail, no doubt.