ok spanners in hand go to the rear wheels jack up and support the car PUT a chock infront and behind the front wheels, let the hand brake off get on your back looking up at the rear brakes you will see the brake pipe bolted on to the back plate, next to that you will see a 14mm plug remove this plug and using a 4mm allen key which fits into the adjuster turn it clock wise and at the same time rotate the wheel unitl it locks up, then turn the allen key anti-clockwise until you can just move the wheel under the weight of your arm do this for the other side and you should have no more than 4 notches on the hand brake which should be enough to pass the test, bearing in mind the pads are ok and they are not seized in the caliper you will have check these also but it would appear that the pads are ok as it passed on the foot brake know go to it best of luck with the mot
Thanks for that Alan, however I have already adjusted the handbrakes on the calipers as you describe, done when I fitted new rear pads last weekend (after it had failed the MOT). The best I can currently get it to is about 6 clicks on the handbrake lever before it’s impossible to pull further - any more adjustment on either the calipers or the handbrake lever results the rear brakes binding on and red hot wheels. I’m hoping that the combination of new pads and it all being adjusted up tighter will allow me to get to the 25% pass mark for the retest.
One thing I noticed is that tightening the handbrake lever results in the left rear getting hottest, whereas actually using the handbrake when moving to stop the car results in the right rear getting hottest. I can’t figure out why using the handbrake adjustment screw would pull the opposite side up tighter than applying the handbrake lever? I thought they both adjusted the same cable?
I wonder if the left rear caliper is not working as well as it should, meaning that it only clamps tight and heats up when manually adjusted up too tight so it binds, but is not pulling on tight enough when applying the handbrake via the lever.
One of the cables could be stretching more than the other (left one in this case), so it does not grip as tightly - I’d try that before a new calliper (if need be).
Have you gone to a steep hill, and seen if it can hold it? And as before, apply the footbrake when you apply the handbrake…
Jim I had the same problem a few years ago and it turned out to be the passenger side cable. I tried lubing the cables but there was so much crap inside them that I bought a new one from Autolink, only £25 and saves a lot of hastle
OK, quick update - it passed OK after 3 adjustments, turned out it was my method of adjustment that was wrong rather than any mechanical fault with the callipers / brake cables - I’d forgotten to completely loosen the handbrake lever cable adjust before adjusting up the callipers manual adjustment. Once I’d done that the braking figures more than doubled and it passed at 27% efficiency.
So, note to anyone with handbrake troubles - make sure you completely loosen the handbrake lever before starting!
Lol! - apologies! [;)]
We’ve all done similar… my stupidest thing ever was cleaning a m/cycle chain by spinning back wheel on centre stand and got thumb caught in chain & sprocket and ended up in casualty with hole in my thumb…
Well I once left a piece of gaffertape over the oil strainer pickup on a Zetec (put there during a kit-car build to keep dust out when the sump was off), and we then spent 4 hours trying everything to get oil pressure before finally dropping the sump to be presented with a dripping black piece of tape (still stuck fast to the pickup).
I’ve not been allowed to forget that one, particularly by the mate who was helping me. He had a few choice words to say when the discovery was made…
Jim, I looks like I mis-lead you re the handbrake adj, I have 2003 2.5 5er but did not slacken the handbrake 1st my be this is something I should do in the future where is the adjustment is it in the car or underneath
I think it was my own fault for not checking in enough detail - upon 3rd reading I found that it even mentions slackening the lever in the workshop manual I was using : (
The garage bloke knew what I was doing wrong with the adjustment and says its a problem they see a lot on MX5s and Eunoses.
Well I can beat all, I once removed the front forks from my brothers motor bike and tried to modify them to fit upside down, it was only after cutting the bottom off the alloy fork tubes with a hack saw that I realised that it couldnt be done.
