Frozen rear brakes (197)

[jon_r]

I couldn't get the rear brakes to release this morning (yes I'd left the handbrake on...). The handbrake released, or the lever went down, but nothing moved. 2 jugs of warm water later I was away.

The handbrake lever is now really loose, the handbrake works, but only right at the top of the lever travel. Has a cable snapped, got stuck? Both rear wheels seem to move freely?

Thanks.

#shouldakeptthebmw

 

[MarkCup]

LOL

Sounds like it Jon. I've not once had that though...over the last few days the rears haven't even stuck slightly.

You binned the 320D for a 197?

 

[jon_r]

Yeah. What an idiot!

 

[mark smith87]

The rear pads tend to stick to the discs if left with the handbrake on during a spell of wet weather. I've had that happen several times. Also the linkage gets stiff at the back where the cable comes out of the inner sleeve.
It's a similar set up on the Renault Trafic/Primastar/ Vivaro except a bit bigger. When we had the really cold winter a couple of years ago the handbrake kept freezing up inside the rear cable. It got so bad that I had to get underneath with a hair dryer to warm it otherwise the back wheels were locked solid every time it froze. Bloody nightmare working at night with it. I got stuck a couple of times until it freed itself off.

 

[jon_r]

I think i'm going to leave it off in future and leave the car in gear. I just wondered if the handbrake lever will return to normal when its all got a bit warmer, or if i'd broken something?

 

[Chrisgti6]

Mine was the same this morning, stupidly left it on last night!

I didn't have the time to free them off so just drove to the bottom of my road, the heat generated soon released them! lol

 

[Pedro19]

Mine was the same this morning, stupidly left it on last night!

I didn't have the time to free them off so just drove to the bottom of my road, the heat generated soon released them! lol

Lad points for you! ha!

 

[Advikaz]

Mine occasionally sticks if it's been raining for instance... But I rarely use the H-Brake usually just leave it in gear tbh.

 

[jon_r]

I tried to drive off, but I couldn't get it to the top of our driveway to the flat bit. Bad times!

I'm going to check it at lunch, I suspect that if the handbrake lever is still loose then i've snapped a cable - though i'm not sure how!

 

[Chrisgti6]

My driveway is quite steep so not using the handbrake is quite difficult! Last night I parked ont he road though, gettting off my drive with frozen brakes would have been a challenge!

 

[jon_r]

Handbrake still isn't working properly when i popped out for lunch (have to pull the lever on a lot to get it to bite). I guess it snapped a cable.

 

[jon_r]

Clio197.net owners advising me to carry out a yearly strip down and rebuild of brakes and also not to use the handbrake when parking. LOL.

I don't think the suggestion of 'the rear brakes aren't fit for purpose' went down well.

 

[JoedotwasT5phy]

Sounds a load of s**t mate! have you checked if the brake is applying both sides?

 

[Chrisgti6]

Clio197.net owners advising me to carry out a yearly strip down and rebuild of brakes and also not to use the handbrake when parking. LOL.

I don't think the suggestion of 'the rear brakes aren't fit for purpose' went down well.

Well that would mean that the 197 isn't the best car ever made, and that simply isn't possible.


My rear brakes were stripped and cleaned with new pads added and few months ago and it still froze today. I don't think strip/clean will fix it on this occasion. It's a simple case of they were wet, it froze. Whilst I agree with what you're saying about not being able to use the handbrake, it would appear 'not fit for purpose', I have experienced this on many cars over the years, it's not just issolated to mk3 clios.

 

[JoedotwasT5phy]

i haven't had rear brakes freeze on since my 1989 fiesta! i would hope renault have moved on a bit since then!!

JR - FYI the Volvo was just fine.

 

[jon_r]

#shouldakeptthebmw

I need to check it's operating both sides. I suspect not, which would be why the lever dents the roof now. I guess it's whether the cable has come loose, stretched or clean snapped. It'll be dark when i'm home but i'll take a look with a torch. That'll be fun.

Chris, they do seem to love their cars! lol.

 

[JoedotwasT5phy]

#shouldhaveboughtavolvo

i wouldn't think it would stretch that much on one use (assuming it was ok before?)

snapped cable would seem logical - but if it freezes and snaps, maybe you made the wrong car choice for t'up north

#shouldvestayedsouth

 

[Dan519]

I've seen the cables seize inside the sleeve a number of times recently, rather than snap. Has a very similar end effect to a snapped cable.
all mk3 calipers are prone to sticking, but no worse than mk2 calipers are prone to being chocolate fireguards

 

[Advikaz]

TRW's finest

 

[jon_r]

I've seen the cables seize inside the sleeve a number of times recently, rather than snap. Has a very similar end effect to a snapped cable.
all mk3 calipers are prone to sticking, but no worse than mk2 calipers are prone to being chocolate fireguards

Dan, if you are suggesting it's seized then should it free itself up as it gets warmer? I've taken the car out twice now and it's still not right.

 

[Dan519]

nope, I was suggesting change the cables

 

[jon_r]

Bloody hell. I've not even owned the sodding thing a week yet.

 

[jon_r]

Luckily the cable had come away from the back of the lever!

 

[Drafting]

I'm glad it wasn't just me cursing my car this morning! Was 6am, de-iced the car...jumped in to reverse up my drive as its on a slope...more revs,more noise and less movement. Still...I think all of my neighbours enjoyed their wake up call from my straight through system!
Just drove it and it free'd off, lesson learnt of not to use the hand brake!!

 

[brownin]

I was just about to text/message you to see if you were getting on well with the car aswel :/ how was drive home?

 

[Advikaz]

Mine where slightly sticky this morning after sitting around for 3 days in the pissing rain (usually garaged)

They free'd off easily enough (handbrake wasn't even used).... very odd

 

[jon_r]

SO i don't use the handbrake anymore, but I leave it in gear instead.

This morning it had snowed, so i started the car, but obviously this necessetated taking the car out of gear and applying the handbrake...FAIL. In the time i took to remove the snow from the front 3 windows (2 mins?) the handbrake had locked on. The lever has gone limp again, so i'll be connecting it all back up again later.

 

[Kris Dark]

Plus one... Mine did exactly the same this morning! But no hot water was releasing mine came home from work after leaving it in gear with ' handy B' off made a clunk as pads released off disc now is fine, needless to say Ill be just leaving it in gear from now on! Well on snow/cold days lesson learnt

 

[Craig.]

My rear brakes were also frozen on this morning -8 temperature won't have helped. The passenger rear stuck on when it was really cold in December but it came off easy & didn't think any thing of it, but they were completely frozen on this morning & my drive has abit of a slope to get off & with the snow it was a t**t, loads of hot water did the trick, leaving it in gear while the bad weathers here.

 

[jon_r]

I don't think i've parked the car with the handbrake on once since It got stuck before. Stupid thing.