hi

on my mot failure sheet they have failed the parking brake amd the service brake.

I thought they were the same thing?

can anyone enlighten me?

Also ,how do I adjust it/them as it has failed due to "efficiency below requirements"

cheers

Here's the most likely issue needing attention http://briskoda.net/technical-guides/felicia-fav-fel-fab-oct-drum-brakes/49988/

Everything you need to know about brakes and the MoT in clear English- MOT Testers Manual - brakes

I'd agree with ANewman on the specifics of your case.

so,is the service brake the same as the parking brake and if so,why has the mot tester listed them separately?

cheers

Service brake is the footbrake, parking brake is the handbrake.

how do I adjust the footbrake then?

cheers

:cool:Really good guide here:

http://briskoda.net/technical-guides/felicia-fav-fel-fab-oct-drum-brakes/49988/

Only the pedal height can be adjusted by itself (this does not adjust the braking efficiency in anyway, unless the pedal is so low it's hitting the floor with a light braking effort - but this is highly unlikely). If the pedal sinks too far or feels spongy then the system probably needs bleeding. If the front brakes are not as effective as they should be you may need either new pads, or both new discs and pads. An MOT tester should have detailed exactly where any problems were on the refusal notice. I would hope if there was a problem with the vacuum servo the MOT tester would have said so rather than mentioning brake efficiency alone.

In addition to the link posted by Dave, I personally would slacken off the handbrake adjuster first and try sand off any lip or deposits on the inside rim edge of the drum with emery cloth and give a good spray with brake cleaner. As the guide says, you need to adjust them so that you can only just get the drum back on. Remember when putting the drum back on the hub nut only needs to be finger tight and a new split pin will be needed to secure it. Make sure to check thoroughly for any play in the bearing afterwards. Then you need to adjust the handbrake, which is a rather tediously annoying but pretty easy job to do.

Personally, I would hope that an MoT tester was sufficiently competent to be able to tell the difference between a lack of retardation and low servo power. After all, there are still cars out there that actually don't have a brake servo.