[highcomp]

Hey everyone,

I know this site is for VW but I believe the passat and my audi a4 have all the same parts so I figured someone might know what to do here. Ever since I changed my rear pads my handbrake has not worked. When I pull it up I get absolutely no resistance. I took the center console off to inspect what was going on down there and I found this:

The cables are too far out so when I pull that handle it doesnt actually move the cable at all...the cable needs to be pushed back in somehow.

Now I know there are adjusters on the cable line near the back and I'm thinking they are the key to fixing this but I can't quite figure out how they work. I found this section in the bentley manual which I believe is the explanations of what I have to do:

Is that the procedure to bring the cables back "in"? If so could someone explain it to me, I don't understand what they are telling me to do there.

Thanks a lot.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Try pressing the brake and pulling the hand brake 3 times. If you pressed the rear brakes in without turning the brake piston (shouldn't be possible) it could have damaged the self adjusters.

The procedure for adjusting the handbrake length is to basically counterhold the nut on the cable while turning the adjuster.

Worst case scenario the cable has failed and has stretched out. This does not seem as likely if both cables are the same length.

 

[highcomp]

Ok here is what I have done.

I screwed C in all the way which frees the cable from C. I then pushed the cable all the way into C. Then I unscrewed C until the notch was visible. I then pulled the cable all the way out of C, essentially to the maximum I could. This put the cables in a good position.

Now when I pull the hand brake the cable catches at a good spot and I get full tension until I can't pull it anymore, seems good right...wrong.

Now that I have full tension the brake callipers are still not compressing. I watch the spring at the calliper and there is some movement but I guess not enough to pinch the rotor. The cable is as far as I can set it and the pads are relatively new, how do I make the calliper get more movement? Is there a setting on the calliper spring that I need to move?

Note: The last set of pads went all the way to metal on metal so it may be pretty out of wack.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

 

[highcomp]

I just figured out the problem. The spring mechanism on the caliper is so rusted that it got locked in a 95% closed position so when I am pulling on the cable it's not really moving at all. I loosened the cable and manually opened up the mechanism, relocked the cable then pulled the ebrake it worked like a charm. The problem is that the springs only reopens about 40% of the way. I am going to have to take the calliper off and clean and grease the spring mechanism for the hand brake to keep working. I'll do that tomorrow. Thanks everybody for the help.