Handbrakes and MOT's

Does this hand brake problem affect all recentish BMW's? Now that I think about it I kind of think my hand brake may have deteriorated a bit since I bought it in June. Not done any scientific tests as yet, or really been monitoring it as such, just a feeling and I seem to remember the other week it rolled back a bit when I thought I had the handbrake full on. Its an E92. One of the chief reasons I was glad to see the back of my Mk3 Mondeo was it threw up handbrake/general brake problems almost every year at MOT time.
 
The reason for the handbrake being crap is due to corroded shoes, and a corroded drum, which is attached to the discs so I need new discs as well, and also a new speed sensor is needed. Total cost to fix £359. Deep joy.
 
it will probably fail. And for what. A 2 minute adjustment at each rear wheel which you can do without having take the wheels off if you have a long enough screwdriver. If it's going to fail, can't you just ask them to make it right for all the time it takes?
 
They won't fail it for that, Portsmouth Snows are quite good in that they've never failed me for stuff they can easily adjust or replace there and the isntead of dishing out a FAIL then etlling you what is wrong.

Like when my coil springs needed changing the past 2 years they let me know that it needed doing during the MOT, did it, then passed the car.

Fingers crossed though, as always :p
 
ben1977 said:
it could be a number of things

but you have to adjust the self adjuster in the the drum before adjusting the cable
Click to expand...

Well tbh I'm not too fussed about it, I had the cable changed around 2000miles ago when it snapped, the handbrake holds the car on steep hills but it has to be pulled up very far. I'll get it fixed properly when it fails it's MOT on it or I sell the car.
 
My E46 went through its MOT without any advisories with a naff handbrake (think this is just a BMW thing!)

It worked, but not without some effort and not very well! :)
 
Certainly looks that way. Not the conclusive answer you wanted.

Question that I didn't ask the test centre, the MOT from last years runs out on Saturday, now I cannot get the work done until Saturday, how does it stand from a legal point of view with driving the car considering it has failed? Does the current MOT run until Saturday or this void now as it failed this years test?
 
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My MX5's handbrake is naff. I have to adjust it every year before the MOT. They do test it but I think it's ok as long as it will hold the car, even if that involves pulling it up as far as it goes. I don't have access to my fail document from a few years back, I think an advisory is more likely than a fail.

It failed one year on rear brake efficiency, to which they replied it wasn't possible to adjust them. Needless to say I offered to go in there and give them a demonstration
 
Well 16% is pretty low I wouldn't have thought many cars would hold at that. They might stay still but a slight push would probably move them. I would have thought if you can't move the car at full application that would be over 16%.
 
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