Got home from work yesterday and went to put the handbrake on and it refused to lock in position, just kept flopping down. I'm taking the car on a ferry tomorrow so spent a panicked 2 hours on my drive last night with the rear wheels off and the centre console apart :thumbdwn:

I had it at Impossible for a service the other day and Mike pointed out the rear pads were low, so I checked those, but they have still got enough meat on them to hold the car when the HB is on.

In the end it seemed to be a problem with the ratchet mechanism on the handbrake lever itself. I had a bit of a fiddle and it seems to be working properly now but no clues as to why it failed in the first place. I always put the handbrake on carefully (with button pushed in rather than yanking it up and grinding the ratchet) so it's not worn?

Has anyone else had this problem? I am parking it in gear at the moment to be on the safe side but there are some places (like a ferry car deck) where parking it in gear wouldn't really stop it from rolling one way or the other! :(

Quote "I always put the handbrake on carefully (with button pushed in rather than yanking it up and grinding the ratchet) so it's not worn?"

I suspect that's your problem - I was always taught to use the ratchet as it's designed to ensure proper locking of the position!

I believe there have been cases of handbrake failure (coming off after and rolling away) due to your exact actions but I'm sure someone else will correct me....

i does sound like the handbrake lever rachet mechanism is either worn or the rachet had stuck in the release position,id take the handbrake lever off & have a good look at the rachet & mechanism,it may just need a free off & lubrication,worst case is the teeth are worn but id expect it to be releasing of its own accord if it was,you may find it was just"one of them things" & it never does it again! id would leave it in gear though just in case! hope this is off some use to you:thumbup:

I had a look at the teeth on the ratchet and they didn't really look worn, it seemed to be the little bit of metal that engages with them wasn't moving out of the release position properly. May have to grind the handbrake on in future then!

"the little bit of metal that engages with them"

*cough*

pawl

*cough*

Sounds right though, could just be sticky.

"the little bit of metal that engages with them"

*cough*

pawl

*cough*

Sounds right though, could just be sticky.

Yeah... a sticky pawl...

if it goes all floppy again, just pop a viagra in the petrol tank:D

I have found in the past that the lever cover slips up the hand brake. This stops it from racheting. Just push the cover back down and all is OK.