Had my 2001 Octavia estate off the road for 6 weeks, just tried to drive it and the handbrake is stuck on, on the lefthand rear wheel. The cable appears to go slack but the wheel just won't budge. I've taken the wheel off and given everything I can see a good spray with a penetrating oil.

Any advice for a relative novice gratefully received (I had it booked in for a service and MOT tomorrow!)

Does the control arm which the cable clips into move?

If the worst comes to the worse you might have to whip the caliper off, and wind the piston back in and try and free things up. You will ideally need a wind-back tool to do this. This assumed you have disks on the rear, but I am not sure what car you are driving....

Cheers for the prompt reply mbames

I couldn't see if the control arm moved last night (miserable weather and I couldn't be in two places at once), I phoned the garage I was booked into this morning and they offered recovery for £20

I'll post what they discover/charge. I just hope I've got some tyres left - they floored it, to get it out of the garden and onto the truck

Cheers for the prompt reply mbames

I couldn't see if the control arm moved last night (miserable weather and I couldn't be in two places at once), I phoned the garage I was booked into this morning and they offered recovery for £20

I'll post what they discover/charge. I just hope I've got some tyres left - they floored it, to get it out of the garden and onto the truck

The pads will be rusted to the disk, its never a good idea leave a car with the handbrake on for weeks at a time, its better to chock the wheels leave the car in gear.

Its also known to flat spot tyres.

Its also known to flat spot tyres.

Surely leaving the handbrake one won't cause flat spots, but not moving the vehicle for a long period of time might?

Surely leaving the handbrake one won't cause flat spots, but not moving the vehicle for a long period of time might?

Flatspots are caused to the weight of the car on the same place on the tyres, that's why classic car owners raise their cars off the ground when not in use for long periods during winter etc.

Obviously if you drag a car down the road with the handbrake on that will flat spot tyres too

Just to update

The garage came and did the recovery, the chap drove it out and managed to get it up the sloping bed of the truck all with the one wheel locked (luckily some gravel had become wedged in the tyre, which made a lovely mess of the pavement)

I had left the car for 6 weeks with the handbrake on and was told they had to grind it off it had become so rusted and stuck. I'll never leave it on for so long again!!!!

I'll certainly use the same garage again though - £328 for a Service, MOT, recovery, repair to the handbrake and a numberplate bulb and a wash!!!!! £328!!!!

Thanks for all the replies, just hope someone else learns from my stupidity

Edited 17 October, 201114 yr by Sorny