How many click on hand brake
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Red Estate
- New Member
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:26 am
- Location: LONDON
How many click on hand brake
Hi, MOT failed the car on ' Parking brake lever has no reserve travel'. How many click should i adjust it to sir?. Now i adjust it down to 6 click. One more thing, The head light alignment on the N/S is aim too hight and i do not have a MOT passed car to copy a light aim on the wall. As some said move the car close to the wall and mark the light aim and then move back but how far back sir?
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DLM
- Our Trim Guru
- Posts: 1620
- Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 6:41 pm
- Location: Gosport, Hampshire, UK
- My Cars: Historically, lots of BX hatches/estates in the 90s/00s - 16/19i/17td/19d
Recent scruffy diesel n/a estate - "The Red Shed" - is no longer mine. - x 9
The handbrake mechanism on a BX is self-adjusting - but a little action from you is needed to bring the self-adjustment into action.
The handbrake works on the front wheels (not all mechanics realise this): if your front brake pads and discs are not worn badly it should be easy to make them adjust correctly.
NOTE: If the two handbrake cables are not the same length, the brake pads are worn on one side only, or if the cables were not adjusted properly at the calipers, then the auto-adjustment will not work properly.
Firstly, with the car's engine on, apply the footbrake very firmly, and keep your foot firmly pressed down on the pedal.
Secondly, pull the handbrake lever back many times for several clicks, and you should feel increased resistance each time. Your foot must be kept pressing down on the brake pedal while you do this.
Now take your foot off the brake pedal, and try the handbrake again. It should "bite" before it reaches the end of its travel backwards. Repeat the procedure and check until the handbrake lever moves only 5 or 6 clicks up before stopping.
If the procedure doesn't work, consult your Haynes manual - they describe how the brakes and cables should be adjusted.
Adjust headlight aim by turning the threaded nuts behind the headlight. Why not align the "high" headlight at the same height as your other headlight? If anyone can make a better suggestion, please do, as my kindly MOT garage adjusts the headlight aim themselves if only a small adjustment is needed. NOTE: sometimes headlight aim is high because the headlight has not been properly seated on the bottom adjuster screw. Do be careful if removing or moving the headlamp unit: the glass lens sometimes falls off the reflector/bulb part of the unit because the silicone seal around it has rotted. This can be a disaster if you break the glass and don't have a spare unit, but the glass is easily stuck back on using silicone sealant.
Good luck!
The handbrake works on the front wheels (not all mechanics realise this): if your front brake pads and discs are not worn badly it should be easy to make them adjust correctly.
NOTE: If the two handbrake cables are not the same length, the brake pads are worn on one side only, or if the cables were not adjusted properly at the calipers, then the auto-adjustment will not work properly.
Firstly, with the car's engine on, apply the footbrake very firmly, and keep your foot firmly pressed down on the pedal.
Secondly, pull the handbrake lever back many times for several clicks, and you should feel increased resistance each time. Your foot must be kept pressing down on the brake pedal while you do this.
Now take your foot off the brake pedal, and try the handbrake again. It should "bite" before it reaches the end of its travel backwards. Repeat the procedure and check until the handbrake lever moves only 5 or 6 clicks up before stopping.
If the procedure doesn't work, consult your Haynes manual - they describe how the brakes and cables should be adjusted.
Adjust headlight aim by turning the threaded nuts behind the headlight. Why not align the "high" headlight at the same height as your other headlight? If anyone can make a better suggestion, please do, as my kindly MOT garage adjusts the headlight aim themselves if only a small adjustment is needed. NOTE: sometimes headlight aim is high because the headlight has not been properly seated on the bottom adjuster screw. Do be careful if removing or moving the headlamp unit: the glass lens sometimes falls off the reflector/bulb part of the unit because the silicone seal around it has rotted. This can be a disaster if you break the glass and don't have a spare unit, but the glass is easily stuck back on using silicone sealant.
Good luck!
Back on two wheels and pedal power for the moment.