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Parking brake efficiency?? MOT failed

R

Rep3

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15
Has anybody got any suggestions as to why the parking brake efficiency is below requirements? My car is a 53plate UK civic type R
Seems to be an ongoing problem for me. I've changed the discs and pads last year as I thought they were at fault. The MOT guy adjusted something on the calipers and it passed the MOT but now the same problem has returned. I've also tightened the handbrake cable via the how to on this forum.

Other things I can think of to remedy the problem is;
A different set of calipers
New handbrake cable
New discs and pads... again!

Any advice would be appreciated
 
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With seized / sticking calipers wouldn't the the handbrake be non practically non-existent? I've had the car on various gradients to and from the MOT station and it holds fine. It doesn't squeal or roll. I have thought about a different MOT station, swaying to trying this before I do spend any more on parts or labour.
 
Had my MOT on the 8th June and got told that my handbrake only just met the required park brake test. Efficiency 17% which is bad. I changed the pads as they where worn badly and adjusted the handbrake. The pads seem to seize up more at the rear as they where hard to remove and i cleaned then last year because of the same problem. Try cleaning the calipers/pads and use more high temp grease than normal.
 
Andrew, few questions. Did your car actually pass the MOT with the 17% parking brake efficiency? When you say high temp grease are you referring to copper grease? When you adjusted the handbrake, was that from inside the car at the back of the handbrake lever?
 
I started gettin problems when i used a mintex combo. Don't know the exact part number but it has made me hate mintex with a passion now. At the moment adl blueprint discs with ferodo pads, seemed to work fine at first but now similar problems as before with mintex disc and pads.
 
It passed the Mot but i got a advisory that my park brake only just met the required park brake efficiency. It passed with 17% efficiency and was told that my inner pads appear low but its Hard to see them, when i took them out they were badly worn so i replaced them with Honda pads from local dealer and used copper grease, adjusted from inside the car behind handbrake. My problem was mainly down to the fact that when i got the car face lift 05 it had 24000 on the clock July last year and the last owner did 4000 in 2 years around town. They were the original pads the car came with they were rusty as hell, I changed the front pads to DS2500 the first week i had it as the fronts were seized as well, screwdriver and hammer was needed. As your cars older try cleaning the callipers and grease the springs and the calliper sliders as they may well be seized or cable is rusty and sticking.
 
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Hadthe garage I took my car 2 for the MOT look at it in detail, they took the cable off the calipers, cleaned it up and put some White grease on the moving parts. It passed the MOT but I was told the cable and calipers are seizing up n it'll get worse within 6month. At least it passed the MOT and I can save up for replacement cable and calipers
 
I recently replaced my front and rear discs and pads for OEM discs all-round with braided hoses and front ferrodo ds2500 pads and OEM back pads a month ** my MOT as I noticed my handbrake was basically p*ss poor after I had the cable tightened, anyway it didn't cure the problem and had it MOT'd and sailed through except for an advisory on the parking brake efficiency of 15%, I was too wondering what the next step be to getting the brake sorted

Thanks

Dean
 
Going from recent parking efficiency problems on my CTR I'd suggest a thorough cleaning of the mechanism on the caliper that the handbrake cable connects to before you spend money on new parts.

Hope that helps.
 
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