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[gbh]

Handbrake is coming up a bit high and thought i should have a go at adjustment,took the wheel off but for the life of me i can't see that star adjuster is there any chance its been removed/replaced?Same on both wheels i can see spring i think! To remove the disc would i need to back the shoes off because if can't find this adjuster i may have a problem?

[Bigron]

The legendary Serek adjusted mine at the last service, so I cannot advise, but I cannot understand why, on an automatic with Park facility, that the handbrake ever needs any significant amount of adjustment - it hardly ever gets used, si the shoes do not wear down!
Unless you know why?.....

Ron.

[neil74]

I always put my handbrake on and when I'm sure its on properly I then put it into park.
i never leave it in park without the handbrake.

[Bigron]

Understood, Neil, but why does that then cause the brake shoes to wear - they don't go nowhere!

Ron.

P.S. Yes, I know about the lousy grammar!!!

[Doctor Gollum]

Not using it is a guaranteed way to seize it up... Making it ten times harder to adjust

[Bigron]

Ok, I'll use it! But that still doesn't explain why an unused handbreak wears its shoes - is this one of the unsolved mysteries of the known Universe? 

Ron.

[Lazydocker]

Ok, I'll use it! But that still doesn't explain why an unused handbreak wears its shoes - is this one of the unsolved mysteries of the known Universe? 

Ron.

It doesn't, the shoes break down and the cables stretch

[terry paget]

It wears in the MOT test. It also wears when I forget to release it and try to pull away. It also wears on hill starts. All that said, it does not get much wear. What it suffers is neglect and seizing up. If the handbrake is left on for weeks it tends to stick to the drum, then when you pull away the lining is torn off the shoe; that is when you have to replace the shoes.

They all have star wheel adjustment. The star wheel is above the spring, and tricky to spot. I use a head torch in a darkened garage, and peer through the adjustment hole for it, at the top of the brake drum. It can be at either end of the adjuster. When you see it you can work out which way to turn it, as it is a nut on a screw.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Got to do mine soon. Got new shoes to fit, but its one of those jobs I have been putting off. Its also one of the few jobs ive never done on an Omega.
The 190 uses a very similar system, and that needs doing too. I pulled the handbrake up the other day and got out of the car. The car starting slowly rolling down the car park with a panic stricken swmbo still inside. 

[frostbite]

The star wheel is in the 11 or 1 oclock position using the single outer most inspection hole

It will be dark so a good led torch will help

[omega2018]

read this http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=125595.msg1665527#msg1665527

i suggest you only back off the minimum to get free rotation, your handbrake will seem tight but won't need adjusting for many years.

[ronnyd]

I always put my handbrake on and when I'm sure its on properly I then put it into park.
i never leave it in park without the handbrake.

+1

[pauls]

Only drive autos due to foot injury. In all my years of driving never used handbrake and never had a mot fail on it either. I just slap it into park job done.

[TheBoy]

Only drive autos due to foot injury. In all my years of driving never used handbrake and never had a mot fail on it either. I just slap it into park job done.

I used to do that, and everything seizes quite quickly - cables, mechanisms, the shoes.  I think my handbrake woes are a laughing point for many.

So I always, always used it after those hassles, and still do how in other Autos...

[gbh]

Well I sorted it at last I found that by holding the spring down I could see the adjuster with thanks to you all.For infomation driver's side was down and opposite up!!

[TheBoy]

Well I sorted it at last I found that by holding the spring down I could see the adjuster with thanks to you all.For infomation driver's side was down and opposite up!!

But that can vary, as dependent on which way round the adjuster was fitted by the last person on there

[Kevin Wood]

It's also worth mentioning that the wheel adjusters should only ever be touched once the cable has been slackened fully. Once both sides have been done, use the central cable adjuster to give the correct travel on the handbrake lever.

[terry paget]

It's also worth mentioning that the wheel adjusters should only ever be touched once the cable has been slackened fully. Once both sides have been done, use the central cable adjuster to give the correct travel on the handbrake lever.

It's not trivial crawling under the car to fully slacken the cable. I reckon as lnog as the cable is slack on the brake I am adjusting that's slack enough.

[Kevin Wood]

It's also worth mentioning that the wheel adjusters should only ever be touched once the cable has been slackened fully. Once both sides have been done, use the central cable adjuster to give the correct travel on the handbrake lever.

It's not trivial crawling under the car to fully slacken the cable. I reckon as lnog as the cable is slack on the brake I am adjusting that's slack enough.

Yes, that's fine from the point of view of adjusting that brake when the lever travel is fine, but the Op is suffering a long brake lever travel, and that's most likely to be down to the cable having stretched anyway, so most likely it's going to require crawling under it to adjust the central adjuster.

If the adjustment is made only at the wheels, it's likely to either leave them binding or without sufficient travel left at the shoe levers to be effective.

[TheBoy]

Shame that GM put the cable adjuster in such a daft place, as chance of heatshields coming off now and leaving the studs in place...

[omega2018]

sounds like the op managed without touching the cable adjuster.  i know i did, that was over two years ago and it has been fine since. 

the handbrake travel is slightly more than 2 years back but perfect for what i want - i set it then to minimum travel, glad i did.

[TheBoy]

I think I need to adjust cable before MOT on Mrs TB's car.

*sigh*. Its the way she yanks it on.

[Kevin Wood]

Shame that GM put the cable adjuster in such a daft place, as chance of heatshields coming off now and leaving the studs in place...

My heatshields have come off. Couldn't be arsed to put them back on, mind...

[Bigron]

I have an extremely technical solution to handbrake adjustment - I go and see the legendary Serek! 

Ron.

[Nick W]

Shame that GM put the cable adjuster in such a daft place, as chance of heatshields coming off now and leaving the studs in place...

My heatshields have come off. Couldn't be arsed to put them back on, mind...

Mine's the same. Then using a deep 13mm socket on a creative selection of long wobble-drive extensions, adjusting the cable tension is as easy as nailing a jelly to the ceiling. Yet another piece of design that would have been so much better if the engineer had been forced to work on some of his earlier creations.

[Bigron]

I'm reluctant to blame Engineers for some of these seemingly bad decisions and I suspect that there's an accountants hand behind most of them.....

Ron.

[TheBoy]

Shame that GM put the cable adjuster in such a daft place, as chance of heatshields coming off now and leaving the studs in place...

My heatshields have come off. Couldn't be arsed to put them back on, mind...

The bullet's heatshields haven't been on since about 2004, with no ill effects

[TheBoy]

but then the handbrake needed much love on that car.

[terry paget]

It's also worth mentioning that the wheel adjusters should only ever be touched once the cable has been slackened fully. Once both sides have been done, use the central cable adjuster to give the correct travel on the handbrake lever.

It's not trivial crawling under the car to fully slacken the cable. I reckon as lnog as the cable is slack on the brake I am adjusting that's slack enough.

Yes, that's fine from the point of view of adjusting that brake when the lever travel is fine, but the Op is suffering a long brake lever travel, and that's most likely to be down to the cable having stretched anyway, so most likely it's going to require crawling under it to adjust the central adjuster.

If the adjustment is made only at the wheels, it's likely to either leave them binding or without sufficient travel left at the shoe levers to be effective.

Maximum leverage at wheel end is achieved when the brake is hard on with lever at 90 degrees to cable, i.e. adjusted not quite rubbing.  Maximum leverage at cabin end is achieved when driver's arm is at 90 degrees to lever when brake is hard on, i.e. on click 4 or 5. As you say, adjust brake end first, then cable adjuster.

[Sir Tigger KC]

The last time I did mine it was a bright sunny day and I couldn't see anything through the hole. 

So I draped an old blanket over the wheel, put a head torch on, crawled under the blanket and then I could see what I was doing. 

The neighbours must have thought I was mad! 

[tunnie]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

[Nick W]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

[tunnie]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

Ahh yes, but don't forget the DPF will also explode, all glow plugs go bang, turbo failure, injectors and so on.

The negativity on all stuff new is staggering 

It's there to be used, if it fails it fails I'll just replace them.

[Nick W]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

Ahh yes, but don't forget the DPF will also explode, all glow plugs go bang, turbo failure, injectors and so on.

The negativity on all stuff new is staggering 

It's there to be used, if it fails it fails I'll just replace them.

The problem is that they fail ON. Then the only way to move the car is on skates(which the customer ALWAYS refuse to pay for) or to completely dismantle the rear calipers(which the recovery provider won't pay for, and the receiving garage won't reassemble)


Electric handbrake are a complicated solution to a problem that didn't exist. DPFs aren't a long term solution to the particulate problem, a slightly different issue.

[Andy B]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

'Hold' on a Merc is a seperate thing from the hand/parking brake. Anyway, that's what your left foot is for 

[Kevin Wood]

Electric handbrake are a complicated solution to a problem that didn't exist. DPFs aren't a long term solution to the particulate problem, a slightly different issue the wrong fuel.

FTFY. 

[terry paget]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

Ahh yes, but don't forget the DPF will also explode, all glow plugs go bang, turbo failure, injectors and so on.

The negativity on all stuff new is staggering 

It's there to be used, if it fails it fails I'll just replace them.

The problem is that they fail ON. Then the only way to move the car is on skates(which the customer ALWAYS refuse to pay for) or to completely dismantle the rear calipers(which the recovery provider won't pay for, and the receiving garage won't reassemble)


Electric handbrake are a complicated solution to a problem that didn't exist. DPFs aren't a long term solution to the particulate problem, a slightly different issue.

As a frequent of buyer of old Omegas I have bought a couple with poor handbrakes, which on stripping down proved to have the linings torn off the brake shoes. I imagine this to have been caused by the handbrake having been left on for too long, like months, the linings having stuck to the drums, and only having let go when the driver applied lots of torque.
Years ago a friend with a Mini tried this, but the rear wheels simply dragged behind the driven front wheels. On a RWD Omega the driver can apply rear torque.

[Marks DTM Calib]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

'Hold' on a Merc is a seperate thing from the hand/parking brake. Anyway, that's what your left foot is for 

It is on the VAGs to, applies brake pressure via the ABS unit 

The best electric handbrakes use a remote actuator which pulls a standard cable assemble, some others have a motor on the calliper which can fail with interesting results!

[tunnie]

My hand brake is electric, don't need adjusting. 

I really, really like the auto hold to stop it rolling back and day to day driving.

You're in for an expensive surprise. Extensive use of the auto hold will bring it about sooner rather than later.

'Hold' on a Merc is a seperate thing from the hand/parking brake. Anyway, that's what your left foot is for 

It is on the VAGs to, applies brake pressure via the ABS unit 

The best electric handbrakes use a remote actuator which pulls a standard cable assemble, some others have a motor on the calliper which can fail with interesting results!

How does this work exactly? I thought they basically work on a screw mechanism and 'push' the pad into the disc?

When I come to change the rear pads, via VAGCOM I need to activate and 'wind back' the calliper, then I can push it in.

Does the electric part not just push the calliper?

They don't appear that expensive, so I'll continue to use auto-hold 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-VW-Passat-CC-1-4-1-8-2-0-3-6-TDI-TSI-Rear-Wheel-Parking-Brake-Caliper-6-Torx-/252765395463?fits=Car+Make%3AVW%7CModel%3ACC&hash=item3ad9fdda07:g:r~MAAOSwvKtY-2VJ

[Marks DTM Calib]

So hill assist works via the hydraulic circuit, it applies brake fluid pressure to actuate the pistons as the hold capability is much greater and its faster to apply and release.

The handbrake is separate and uses either a motor on the calliper (craper system!) or a remote actuator with a cable to the caliper (the better setup).

If you have the calliper mounted motor then the handbrake slack is taken up by the motor position, to replace pads you have to get the motor to wind back.

On the remote cable system its generally just a standard wind back tool needed.

[tunnie]

So hill assist works via the hydraulic circuit, it applies brake fluid pressure to actuate the pistons as the hold capability is much greater and its faster to apply and release.

The handbrake is separate and uses either a motor on the calliper (craper system!) or a remote actuator with a cable to the caliper (the better setup).

If you have the calliper mounted motor then the handbrake slack is taken up by the motor position, to replace pads you have to get the motor to wind back.

On the remote cable system its generally just a standard wind back tool needed.

Yes this is my setup I think, reading this also confirms when I park and flip the switch outside the car a buzz can be heard as the motor spins. But with auto-hold there is no noise. 

[Marks DTM Calib]

I suspect that you could manually wind them back if you removed the motor and found a suitable socket to attach to the calliper drive (not tried it but it does look possible)

[Doctor Gollum]

The screw part that you wind back on mechanical rather than electric handbrake calipers is simply the self adjuster... keeps the handbrake within tolerance regardless of pad wear

[TheBoy]

That's why the dear lord invented Park.

But I do press my button occasionally to keep the motors and cables moving.

[aaronjb]

That's why the dear lord invented Park.

But I do press my button occasionally to keep the motors and cables moving.

Does the Jag not automatically apply the handbrake when you turn the ignition off? How poverty.. 

[tunnie]

That's why the dear lord invented Park.

But I do press my button occasionally to keep the motors and cables moving.

Does the Jag not automatically apply the handbrake when you turn the ignition off? How poverty.. 

Noticed when I release my seat belt, when stopped, hand brake is applied.

[aaronjb]

I'll try that (mine most likely being the same as yours, given the shared parentage) - I always tend to hit the ignition first and then go for the seatbelt, so I'll switch things up a bit in the name of (pointless) research

[Andy B]

My car automatically goes into Park when I turn the ignition off.

[TheBoy]

That's why the dear lord invented Park.

But I do press my button occasionally to keep the motors and cables moving.

Does the Jag not automatically apply the handbrake when you turn the ignition off? How poverty.. 

I believe, going by the forums, a little man jumps out of the glovebox and deals with all that shit, when you get out


TBH, I have absolutely no idea  , and care even less

[Kevin Wood]

I believe, going by the forums, a little man jumps out of the glovebox and deals with all that shit, when you get out


TBH, I have absolutely no idea  , and care even less

How civilised. Does he stock up the drinks cabinet and the humidor too? 

[TheBoy]

I believe, going by the forums, a little man jumps out of the glovebox and deals with all that shit, when you get out


TBH, I have absolutely no idea  , and care even less

How civilised. Does he stock up the drinks cabinet and the humidor too? 

I believe he should, But I think my little glovebox man must be faulty....