Tech Tip - Adjusting the Hand Brake
By Andrew Gajewski
Note: The procedure in official manual may vary. This is what worked
for
me. Please check the manuals for detailed instructions. Copyright ©
Andrew Gajewski
Most of us use the hand brake while our cars are parked. Some of us, up
here in the great white north, use the hand brake to have some fun in the
snow. Lock up the rear wheels in a turn, the back end goes out, and you
are either having a ball driving sideways (looking through you side
window) or praying that you will not hit that curb on the other side. No
matter what you use the hand brake for, the cables will strech over time and
you will notice that pulling the hand brake lever may have no effect
until a certain point. Well, you can restore your hand brake to showroom
condition by simply tightening the hand brake cables. Here is what you
need and how you do it.
Need: A philips screw driver with short and long handle and 2 adjustable
wrenches.
- Park the car on a flat surface in 1st gear and/or place wheel stoppers
to prevent the car from rolling (logs, bricks)
- Take off the plastic hand brake handle by pusing on a little button
under the handle and pulling off the metal lever.
- take out the rear ashtray
- lift up the rear seat dividor (where the first aid kit goes)
- Undo the 4 screws that hold it in place
- Undo the screw pointing towards the front of the car in the space where
the ashtray used to be. Might have to squat your head to find the screw.
- Undo the screw under the metal hand brake lever (don't drop the screw)
- Unscrew (with fingers) the 4 plastic caps (2 on each side) at the
bottom of the middle console (They are located where the plastic console
meets the carpet by the seats)
- Lift up and forward the plastic cover over the hand brake lever. You
should now see 2 cables attached to a plate. The plate is attached to the
hand brake lever.
- Lower the hand brake lever all the way and tighten the screws on the
cables, making sure that the plate is relatively striaght, until the play
in the lever is gone.
- Reassamble the platic trim, ashtray, rear seat dividor and handle.
