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Parking brake adjustment

Wascally Wabbit1

Drag Racing Champion
Thought I would port this over from another discussion on another thread. The question was on adjusting the parking brake.

^^^ copied for reference

STOP! Do not adjust the parking brake cable. The system is designed to be self adjusting. To adjust how the brake engages; get in your car, start it, press the brake pedal, release the parking brake. Then push the brake pedal as far as you can firmly, next push in the parking brake handle release button and hold it in, lift it as far as you can 2-3 times upward. Release the brakes. This will readjust the cable mechanism. If you have already adjust the cable yourself by other means you are SOL and have to undo the adjustment you have already made. If you think I am stupid ask someone with a bently manual or call a knowledge dealer (few and far between).

This totally works:w00t:
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
I had previousely adjusted the parking brake cable 3 turns looser. Tried this procedure on the Golf today, made no difference, so was glad nothing was "out".

If anything was out it would have only taken 5 minutes to readjust the cable. When I originally adjusted the parking brake I didn't remove the middle console when I adjusted the parking brake; rather removed the 2 screws holding the small recessed compartment at the back of the middle console and used a 1 1/2 inch stepped drill bit (looks like a cone) and drilled an access hole to the parking brake adjuster. Used a flex head and 10 mm socket to adjust it. Cleaned up and replaced the small recessed compartment and the 2 screws and no one knows you were even in there.


Here is the more common way to get to the parking brake adjustment nut:
https://youtu.be/Ott9sKJSpKk
 
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Wascally Wabbit1

Drag Racing Champion
I had previousely adjusted the parking brake cable 3 turns looser. Tried this procedure on the Golf today, made no difference, so was glad nothing was "out".

If anything was out it would have only taken 5 minutes to readjust the cable. When I originally adjusted the parking brake I didn't remove the middle console when I adjusted the parking brake; rather removed the 2 screws holding the small recessed compartment at the back of the middle console and used a 1 1/2 inch stepped drill bit (looks like a cone) and drilled an access hole to the parking brake adjuster. Used a flex head and 10 mm socket to adjust it. Cleaned up and replaced the small recessed compartment and the 2 screws and no one knows you were even in there.

You have to follow the procedure exactly. Worked perfect for me. My brake was really loose after doing the rear brakes. Now it's back to three clicks tight. He does mention in the post that if you adjusted the brake manually your SOL so maybe that does something to how it self adjusts.
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
You have to follow the procedure exactly. Worked perfect for me. My brake was really loose after doing the rear brakes. Now it's back to three clicks tight. He does mention in the post that if you adjusted the brake manually your SOL so maybe that does something to how it self adjusts.
Lets not stress over this, I don't believe it's a big deal,....what did we do before we learnt of this procedure.

If it doesn't work the first time, you can get back to square by (1) removing the rear calipers and screw the piston back into the caliper bore and try the procedure again and/or (2) adjust the parking brake cable manually.

No worries !!!

PS. So long as the parking brake works that's all I care about, if it is adjusted to 3 clicks ...great but, some times at spec, the parking brake can be a bit tight and bind slightly, I'd rather adjust it so it works but not bind at all.

It's not uncommon for VW parking brakes to be too tight from the factory, it is a PDI item to check/adjust the parking brake and customers bring their new cars back to the dealer to have the brakes readjusted after taking delivery.
 
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OrangeSpy

Ready to race!
This might be related to a problem I have been having.
This winter I replaced all my pads and rotors and greased the slides. The e-brake felt stiff afterward. my first drive was a quick 5 minute shot to the gas station. When I arrived I found my rear driver rotor glowing red and the brake pads smoking. After this the e-brake returned to how it normally felt and the brake never seized again. A few weeks ago how ever my rear passenger side did the same thing. Again, it fixed it's self.
My e-brake light was never on, I never had the warning "dings" and didn't feel like the cars brakes were engaged so I don't believe I left the e-brake up at all. (Especially since that would be both sides rather then 1)

Any ideas?

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
This might be related to a problem I have been having.
This winter I replaced all my pads and rotors and greased the slides. The e-brake felt stiff afterward. my first drive was a quick 5 minute shot to the gas station. When I arrived I found my rear driver rotor glowing red and the brake pads smoking. After this the e-brake returned to how it normally felt and the brake never seized again. A few weeks ago how ever my rear passenger side did the same thing. Again, it fixed it's self.
My e-brake light was never on, I never had the warning "dings" and didn't feel like the cars brakes were engaged so I don't believe I left the e-brake up at all. (Especially since that would be both sides rather then 1)

Any ideas?
Brake cable(s) are/is sticking or return spring on the caliper(s).

This video shows how to check the parking brake cable and spring(s), your rear caliper can have either the scissor/torsion springs on the outside the caliper body or can have a coil spring inside a rubber boot on the cable itself like the one shown in the video.
 
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OrangeSpy

Ready to race!
Brake cable(s) are/is sticking or return spring on the caliper(s).

This video shows how to check the parking brake cable and spring(s), your rear caliper can have either the scissor/torsion springs on the outside the caliper body or can have a coil spring inside a rubber boot on the cable itself like the one shown in the video.
Thanks! Going to the garage for the season next week so I'll check it out

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peter-peter

New member
This worked for me, but I had to lift the hand brake at least 30 times. If it does not work after 2-3 lifts, do not be discouraged. I bought mine used and the hand brake did not work at all until the last click. Then I did this for a while.
 

socal87

Drag Race Newbie
yeah... didn't work for me either. I replaced my rear calipers last night and now my parking brake handle goes all the way up. Everything is connected as it should, guess I'm taking the center apart to adjust the cables this weekend.

If you work the parking brake handle several times, it should take up the slack; the calipers are self-adjusting to bring the pads in contact with the disc after replacement.

I don't know why people are saying NOT to adjust the parking brake cables. I would say adjust to take up most of the slack in the cable without actuating the rear caliper lever. I had to replace both my cables due to sticking in cold weather (ended up with glowing brake rotors) and I adjusted them to be just this side of snug, so there's no free play in the handle. My rear brakes start to engage at the 2nd click or so, but they don't drag at all.

A word of caution, however: ONLY adjust your cables after your rear brakes are already self adjusted. If you perform any brake work, make sure the calipers have taken up all the slack before you adjust the cables.
 
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