Brakes: Parking Brake - Almost Non-Existant & dealer issues

[Arianne]

Thank you people....

Again, to be fair to the dealership, the service team receptionist offered to arrange an appointment with John Cleland. So we're meeting him between 4pm - 5pm.

My Husband & I will try and keep calm and focused but it's not easy. How can they allow their brand to suffer like this, it beats me as my Husband's company would have 'done the deal' by now and covered the reputational risk.

The really rotten thing is that we're currently saving up for an XC60 D5 R-design. If things go badly then we'll have to find another marque as I won't be repeating this experience.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Arianne

[RoyMacDonald]

I seem to remember someone on the forum having the cable go slack and it was because it had slipped out or off a pulley and was quite a simple fix if I'm remembering the details correctly.

I would doubt there is enough movement in use to cause wear or tear to the cable. It's not like the cable on a throttle or clutch for instance where they are subject to constant movement and so do wear eventually. Relative to that situation the cable hardley moves at all.

I did have a main dealer replace the wrong component on a 345 once when they were curing an oil leak, I took the car straight back and they were apologetic and did the correct repair without further charge. (Which involved removing the engine and sending it to a specialist to have blanked off oilway re-plugged.)

I would also remind the garage about it being given an MOT certificate and being returned with a non functioning hand brake that you had been charged for fixing.

Personally I feel they have disturbed the cable so that it is not able to work correctly and should be a simple fix to sort out and I really don't feel you should be asked to pay for fixing the handbrake again.

Good luck.

Roy

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Thank you people....

Again, to be fair to the dealership, the service team receptionist offered to arrange an appointment with John Cleland. So we're meeting him between 4pm - 5pm.

My Husband & I will try and keep calm and focused but it's not easy. How can they allow their brand to suffer like this, it beats me as my Husband's company would have 'done the deal' by now and covered the reputational risk.

The really rotten thing is that we're currently saving up for an XC60 D5 R-design. If things go badly then we'll have to find another marque as I won't be repeating this experience.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Arianne

Arianne,

Don't let the service (or lack of it) from a single dealer put off, there are some fantastic dealers out there only more than willing to help. Find your next nearest Volvo dealer and they may well be far better for any future purchases.

I find my dealer very helpful for many things, if I have the car in for a service I always arrange a replacement car. They will allow me to drop my car off the night before (picking up relacement car) and pick it not the next day but the day after, only charging me for 1 days replacement car charge of £10.

If I actually wanted they would also pick the car up and drop it off for me but I need another car for work when mine is away for service.

[Arianne]

Ok, we met the dealer principal & owner this afternoon - John Cleland.

This is a guy that clearly cares about his business, its reputation and (I want to believe) his clients.

I think it's only right & proper to press 'pause' on this thread for the moment. Our XC90 remains with the dealer but something close to a 'forensic' investigation of what's occured will be taking place on Monday.

In the meantime, Mr Cleland has personally done all we could reasonably expect at this point in time. Everyone gets a few days to do some reflective thinking, the dealer can do their investigations on Monday and then we'll see what the final outturn of this sad affair will prove to be.

Me (David's typing this post) & Arianne would like to thank everyone that's contributed to this thread, had something constructive to say and taken their precious time to say it. It gave us the confidence & belief to make our case.

I really, really so want Clelands' to come up trumps next week but it's in their hands. The early indications are now promising - let's hope.

Best wishes to 'the community'.

David

[RoyMacDonald]

Here is the link to the post about a missaligned footbrake cable I mentioned. http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showpo...55&postcount=1

hope it's of some use.

All the best.

Roy

[SonyVaio]

I do hope they at least offered the use of a replacement vehicle in the mean time??

It certainly sounds like a good step in the right direction. They will already know themself (especially after being highlighted to them) that your vehicle should never have got through an MOT with the handbrake in, not only its previous state but its currrent state. This is a very big faux pas for them. They certainly wont want this going to either Volvo UK nor VOSA.

I'm sure they will want to do their investigation and I'll be flabbergasted if the outcome is not in your favour.

Fingers crossed, please let us know what happens.

[Arianne]

Yes, a courtesy car was offered immediately by them. And they have covered the insurance fully without any paperwork needing to be signed-off etc. As I said, I think the principal has done all that can reasonably be expected as at this point in time.

Best wishes, David (off to five-aside footie now at Jedburgh to get it out of my system).

[Arianne]

Roy, thanks for the hyperlink which I've had a look at.

I don't think ours is quite the same. I presume that, if the cable has pinged off of the ratchet, the parking brake pedal wouldn't be stiff to apply and we'd have absolutely no braking whatsoever.

Our situation is that the parking brake pedal clicks 5-6 clicks. The pedal travel is pretty stiff and that last click requires almost 'bum lifting out of driver's seat' pressure & strength to apply.

And, even then, that last click is almost useless - it still rolls backwards or forwards unless it's left in gear.

I think the dealer is now going to ask an important question: "how common is it for XC90's to need a complete cable refit". I haven't read anything about this on this forum and so perhaps they'll consider the situation more carefully before telling us what needs doing next - who knows.

Bye....but thank you for your help.

David

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Roy, thanks for the hyperlink which I've had a look at.

I don't think ours is quite the same. I presume that, if the cable has pinged off of the ratchet, the parking brake pedal wouldn't be stiff to apply and we'd have absolutely no braking whatsoever.

Our situation is that the parking brake pedal clicks 5-6 clicks. The pedal travel is pretty stiff and that last click requires almost 'bum lifting out of driver's seat' pressure & strength to apply.

And, even then, that last click is almost useless - it still rolls backwards or forwards unless it's left in gear.

I think the dealer is now going to ask an important question: "how common is it for XC90's to need a complete cable refit". I haven't read anything about this on this forum and so perhaps they'll consider the situation more carefully before telling us what needs doing next - who knows.

Bye....but thank you for your help.

David

Sorry David I think I misunderstood what Arianne was saying.

Clicks.....from memory earlier this evening I would say about 5-6 clicks, but there's no affect whatsoever until the last one. And that last click has only the slightest tension, although it's very marginal. And to get to that stage needs plenty of left-foot pressure just to get there.

If it's got normal resistance it doesn't sound like a cable problem. More a simple adjustment issue. I do wonder about the drums though because welding was mentioned.

When you had the shoes replaced initially the parking brake should have been excellent afterwards. From my own experience and reading the thread on others experiences the parking brake is excellent after having new shoes fitted provided the cable is adjusted correctly.

No one has ever mentioned frayed or broken cables, only disconnected ones that occured after the fitting of new shoes.

VIDA says the full effect of the parking brake should be between 2 and 5 clicks although mine has always been 2 clicks before and after new shoes. It was pretty rubbish before I had the new shoes fitted though.

I hope it turns out to be straightforward. It should be as the parking brake is very simple really.

Good luck.

Roy

[fuzzypicture]

More likely the front section of the cable, from the pedal to the central split under the console has failed, the pedal feels very firm and travels a long way but virtually no movement at the pads. They fail by the inner core pulling through the outer shield. Replacing all cables involved with the handbrake is a max 2 hour job, seats dont need to be removed but the centre console does. Parts shouldn't cost more than 140. The front cable requires the front drivers seat to be loosened and tilted back then the carpet removed which is stuck to a foam mould about 8" thick. Pedal assembly out, new cable threaded and routed, job done. Ask them to check this first before they replace the rear cables (unless they are doing it FOC ;-) ).
Mine went through two dealers before I got fed up and investigated myself, they only ever wanted to change the rear shoes and discs.