XC90 Failed MOT on Parking Brake - Page 5

RoyMacDonald · Jan 20th, 2012, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzypicture

Points to check.

1 - make sure the updated adjuster has been fitted. Easy to check, pull of the tunnel trim on passenger side, you should be able to locate the cable and a cylinder about 4 inches long. If its a straight cable, it will need replacing with the modified part.

2- you say it is hard to press, with mine it was the front section of the handbrake cable, the inner sleeve had pulled through. Found this out after replacing both rear cables!

3 - as others have said, shoes, discs etc.

If your handy with a spanner, you can replace the whole parking brake system, shoes,discs,rear cables and front cable, its not that difficult.
Volvo recommend a special tool for adjusting the handbrake, you can make your own from a set of long pliers (b&q 7.99) which work just as well.

Joe

listerdude......There is a pictorial a few posts back on adjusting with the updated adjuster.

listerdude · Jan 21st, 2012, 18:11

Thanks everyone.
It passed the MOT yesterday but only just. I think the pass rate for effiency on the parking brake is ony 16% last time it failed at 14% but Friday it passed at 18%! and thats after changing the shoes and running them in for a few days..the parking brake realy is bad on these.
Thanks for the tips I'll look into changing the cables etc. over the next year to improve things next year.

FoxyR · Jan 22nd, 2012, 00:31

Hi guys, i am new to to Volvo xc90, got a car a couple of months ago from a non dealer garage and straight away i found that the foot brake is not really holding as you can drive away with it on. I did an MOT history check and it showed up that the level of handbreake was **dengerous** and obviously needed sorted in order to pass an mot, however, how do i know that the job was done well? The rear break pads are very worn and need replaced together with discs and i am wondering whether we should change shoes at the same time in order to try & fix this handbreake issue or shall we just leave it in the meentime? Roxy

chb · Jan 22nd, 2012, 14:01

My reckoning is that you should change the handbrake shoes every second set of pads. Delamination is what kills them, not wear. I reckon the discs will see two sets of pads too.

RoyMacDonald · Jan 23rd, 2012, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Analoskor

Hi guys, i am new to to Volvo xc90, got a car a couple of months ago from a non dealer garage and straight away i found that the foot brake is not really holding as you can drive away with it on. I did an MOT history check and it showed up that the level of handbreake was **dengerous** and obviously needed sorted in order to pass an mot, however, how do i know that the job was done well? The rear break pads are very worn and need replaced together with discs and i am wondering whether we should change shoes at the same time in order to try & fix this handbreake issue or shall we just leave it in the meentime? Roxy

As far as I know it's always been possible to drive away with the handbrake on. An alarm should come on when you get to about 20mph so Volvo must have known it was possible from the initial design.

chb · Jan 23rd, 2012, 18:30

No alarm comes on with my car when speed it above 20mph. I know this as I very occaisionally apply the handbrake when coming to a junction (only on one local road and with no traffic behind). I do this to stop the inside of the drum from rusting up.
Never tried going from 0 to >20mph, so it could be that he alarm only works if setting off with handbrake on.

listerdude · Jan 23rd, 2012, 19:45

The alarm will come on with mine..not sure if it's come up at 20mph but it does sound when I leave the parking brake on for a little while when driving.

RoyMacDonald · Jan 24th, 2012, 11:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by listerdude

The alarm will come on with mine..not sure if it's come up at 20mph but it does sound when I leave the parking brake on for a little while when driving.

Same here with my 03 XC. I guessed the speed as I was looking for what was causing the alarm not the speedo, so it may not be exactly 20 mph. but faster than 10 mph I would say. It doesn't come on straight away. I was able to turn out of the drive and go a way down the road before it started to sound.

asahartz · Feb 24th, 2012, 20:03

It's always been possible to drive off with the parking brake on mine - the MOT last year was a bit iffy I suspect as it was done by the used car dealer I bought the car from; and since they replaced an illegal tyre with a part-worn...

Anyway I replaced my discs this week; handbrake shoes were in good condition though some idiot had replaced the pads on just one side! Why for god's sake?

I adjusted the parking brake a bit quickly without the special tool, and of course it failed the MOT. I'll make a suitable tool and do it properly over the weekend.

It really is a rubbish design - I used to have one on a Merc and that was almost as bad. Glad it's an auto 'cos I've no idea how you'd do a hill start in a manual with one!

asahartz · Feb 26th, 2012, 20:14

I made my own version of an adjustment tool. I notched 8mm slots into a couple of pieces of galvanised brick tie that I had in my garage, then welded them to an old pair of crimping pliers. By using them cross-handed it was no problem to push the adjustment right out. The notches make it impossible to slip off. They're now in my "special tools" drawer!

Just to make sure it's good to pass the MOT I removed the centre console and inserted a couple of small strips of car body steel into the loops of the rear cables where they hook on the compensator to the front cable. That's given me an extra mm of pull on the cable. The parking brake now is so good that it's difficult to drive off with it on!

Jan 22nd, 2012, 14:01	#44
chb Master Member Last Online: Dec 22nd, 2023 10:53 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Leeds	My reckoning is that you should change the handbrake shoes every second set of pads. Delamination is what kills them, not wear. I reckon the discs will see two sets of pads too. Last edited by chb; Jan 22nd, 2012 at 14:13.

Jan 21st, 2012, 18:11	#42
listerdude Junior Member Last Online: May 11th, 2014 23:43 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Carmarthen	Thanks everyone. It passed the MOT yesterday but only just. I think the pass rate for effiency on the parking brake is ony 16% last time it failed at 14% but Friday it passed at 18%! and thats after changing the shoes and running them in for a few days..the parking brake realy is bad on these. Thanks for the tips I'll look into changing the cables etc. over the next year to improve things next year.

Jan 22nd, 2012, 00:31	#43
FoxyR Junior Member Last Online: Apr 16th, 2023 21:36 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Perth	Hi guys, i am new to to Volvo xc90, got a car a couple of months ago from a non dealer garage and straight away i found that the foot brake is not really holding as you can drive away with it on. I did an MOT history check and it showed up that the level of handbreake was dengerous and obviously needed sorted in order to pass an mot, however, how do i know that the job was done well? The rear break pads are very worn and need replaced together with discs and i am wondering whether we should change shoes at the same time in order to try & fix this handbreake issue or shall we just leave it in the meentime? Roxy

Jan 23rd, 2012, 18:30	#46
chb Master Member Last Online: Dec 22nd, 2023 10:53 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Leeds	No alarm comes on with my car when speed it above 20mph. I know this as I very occaisionally apply the handbrake when coming to a junction (only on one local road and with no traffic behind). I do this to stop the inside of the drum from rusting up. Never tried going from 0 to >20mph, so it could be that he alarm only works if setting off with handbrake on.

Jan 23rd, 2012, 19:45	#47
listerdude Junior Member Last Online: May 11th, 2014 23:43 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Carmarthen	The alarm will come on with mine..not sure if it's come up at 20mph but it does sound when I leave the parking brake on for a little while when driving.

Feb 24th, 2012, 20:03	#49
asahartz New Member Last Online: Jun 3rd, 2013 17:51 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Mansfield	It's always been possible to drive off with the parking brake on mine - the MOT last year was a bit iffy I suspect as it was done by the used car dealer I bought the car from; and since they replaced an illegal tyre with a part-worn... Anyway I replaced my discs this week; handbrake shoes were in good condition though some idiot had replaced the pads on just one side! Why for god's sake? I adjusted the parking brake a bit quickly without the special tool, and of course it failed the MOT. I'll make a suitable tool and do it properly over the weekend. It really is a rubbish design - I used to have one on a Merc and that was almost as bad. Glad it's an auto 'cos I've no idea how you'd do a hill start in a manual with one!

Feb 26th, 2012, 20:14	#50
asahartz New Member Last Online: Jun 3rd, 2013 17:51 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Mansfield	I made my own version of an adjustment tool. I notched 8mm slots into a couple of pieces of galvanised brick tie that I had in my garage, then welded them to an old pair of crimping pliers. By using them cross-handed it was no problem to push the adjustment right out. The notches make it impossible to slip off. They're now in my "special tools" drawer! Just to make sure it's good to pass the MOT I removed the centre console and inserted a couple of small strips of car body steel into the loops of the rear cables where they hook on the compensator to the front cable. That's given me an extra mm of pull on the cable. The parking brake now is so good that it's difficult to drive off with it on!

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