No Emergency Brake on '97 8000 CSE

- W
- wgr
  
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posted
20 years ago

Fri, Oct 10, 2003 11:34 AM

Seeking wisdom of the list here.

I have a '97 900 CSE with 70,000 miles on it. Everything was working fine with my brakes, but at 70K I figured I would get them services before they wore the pads down into the rotors. The $tealer wanted $250 per axle without having even looked at it so I took it to an independent shop who quoted me

124 per axle over the phone.

They did an inspection and pointed out to me how the pads, even though they were only about 50% worn, had a cup to them and that the rotors were actually wearing away as fast as the pads. So, despite my cautiousness I needed all four rotors turned and new pads. OK, fine. But then the mechanic asks me if the car was ever "in the snow" to which I replied yes, HE said that in his experience, this would cause problems with the rear calipers. Something about the e-brake mechanism. But, that was gonna add another $350 to the cost so I elected not to do them. Well, I got the car back and the brakes look, sound and feel great - BUT - I no longer have ANY emergency brake!

I jacked it up and took a look at the calipers and I can't see for the life of me how any corrosion would cause a problem with the actuation of the emergency brake. Anyone have any insight as to what might be going on here?

- M
- Malcolm
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Oct 13, 2003 6:27 AM

The first time that I had my brakes done I had a similar experience with the the handbrake (not for emegencies, really) and my repairer fiddled and fussed and finally got it right.

There appears to be something sublle or unusual that the unfamiliar repairer misses. I hope that someone in the group can elucidate.

By the way the snow business is B.S. as far as I know. I had at lot of years driving around Ottawa , Canada in a number of autos with rear and four wheel disks.

Never heard of it. But I could be wrong...... or lucky.

Malcolm

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- Richard Sutherland-Smith
  
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posted
20 years ago

Mon, Oct 13, 2003 8:34 AM

Brake is adjusted up using a 7mm hex; take the rubber plug from the back of the calliper and turn it up till the wheel just starts to bind when turned by hand. It self-adjusts after this. Don't muck with the cables until this is right.