Handbrake

Got in my L reg Disco today and at first it seemed like the battery was dead. Then I heard some cracking and a smell of smoke under the centre consol under the hand brake area. Then the car started but the hand brake is now locked. I can push it handbrake lever down but it pops back up as though on a spring.

Anyone any ideas.

Gary Arthur

take it back to where ye got it and tell them

The only problem is its a 93 L reg.

I have been told that this is a common problem and I need to replace and earthing strap and the handbrake cable.

I can't understand why the new cable, and why the earth has anything to do with the handbrake.

Gary Arthur

because if the earth is not earthing then the electricity uses the handbrake cable for an earth with the resulting damage caused by excessive heat

So being not technically minded and a bit thick, I guess tyhe handbrake would have burnt out, which is why the handbrake lever pops up.

Wheres the earthing strap that allows this to happen?

Gary Arthur

you need to speak to yella disco about this as i think it happened to him a few months back.. unfortuanatly for you he's in france just now.i' mention it to him this evening when i see him

Thankyou very much appreciated

Gary Arthur

ah spoke to yella and it wint him that it happened to..try doing a search of the forum fer it

Think it was Lenny..?

A very kind man came to my house last night and told me that what i had done is put the handbrake on too hard (A classic mistake) and the brakes had locked. He drove it around last night and it became freer. I did the samne this morning and I can now drive it, but the handbrake id not doing anything and it still pops up.

I have notices inside the hand brake compartment there is a blue block with a black and red wires going into it. There are two small holes on the other side and it looks as if it is meant to go somewhere.

Could this be the cause of the problem with my hand brake level popping up?

Gary Arthur

They are prob. handbrake warning light on dash!!!!!!

yes, piggie you are correct, as for the lever popping up, this is because the actual handbrake cable is knackered, replace the cable with a new one and it will be fine

So how easy is it to change the cable?

I've had a look at the Haynes manual and its bloody confusing. Do I have a cable or a rod. It seems looking at the brake drum that there is a pipe where a friend of mine has a tension screw.

Do I need to take the prop off to change the cable and is that easy to do.

Step by step instruction anuone would be good.

What i really need of course is the idiots guide to basic Landy mechanics.

Gary Arthur

you need to climb under your motor and look on the back of the transmission brake, if there is a rod there then you have a rod type handbrake, if there is a cable...... need i go on, anyway, i will put money that you have a cable, just undo the cable off the rear of the drum, disconect the adjuster , then go inside the car, remove the centre console and disconect the hand brake cable at the bottom of the lever, refit in reverse order