Hi guys, I'm just after a bit of advice. My 05 plate vrs failed its mot yesterday as the ROS handbrake fell below the legal limit - I think it said 14%. I jacked the back up and the rear wheel can be spun whilst the handbrake is on and as the car didn't fail for 'brake failure' I am guessing the foot brake is still working properly on that wheel. I compared ROS to RNS whilst getting my dad to pull the handbrake on and the mechanism for pulling the ROS seems laboured. Effectively, when pulling the handbrake on the RNS brake is catching whereas the ROS isn't.

Handbrake cable doesn't seem to be catching as I released the bolt which attaches it and it is pulling freely so I'm guessing it's going to be a new caliper but before I make the purchase is there anything else I should be checking.

Thanks in advance.

Are both levers that the handbrake cable pull both returning back to their hard stop? Both of my rear calipers suffered from sticky levers and the NS one seized completely and I had to replace the caliper. I even had the additional caliper springs fitted.

Edited 1 March, 201412 yr by Chris Berry

Caliper return springs are deffo worth a try for under £10.

As if the arm is not returning fully the auto adjustment of handbrake mech in the caliper does not adjust correctly.

Give the area where the handbrake rod goes into caliper a good clean up with Wd40 etc and work the handbrake Lever on and off numerous times while spraying with Wd.

then fit the assister springs,with everything reattached press the foot brake down and then pull the handbrake up, this should adjust the handbrake mech in the caliper.

You should then have a decent handbrake

Part numbers for springs are;

1K0 615 295

1K0 615 296

You can get them off E-Bay, but are cheaper from a VAG dealer.

I failed my MOT for exactly this! One side just wasn't pulling properly and had seized up on the calliper. If you get a screwdriver underneath the part the cable pulls and use it as a lever to get it moving. I did this and had lots of black crud fall off as I got it moving! So I gave it some copper slip and it passed it's MOT! Both side of mine probably need taking apart, cleaned and put back together again at some point but it's working ok now.

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Thanks for the advice guys, I have the springs, the images of how to fit them, a can of wd40, a set of spanners...........now to give it all a go. I'll let you know how I get on.