So... took the car out the other day for a short drive. Came back and a delivery driver told me that the car is smoking. Had a look and a little smoke was coming from the nsr wheel. Got the old laser thermometer out and nsr brake disc was something like 120 degrees while osr disc was 35. Took it to the local garage and they have said that the osr hand brake cable is seized. Even though I can move the cable backwards and forwards since being disconnected. This didn't seem quite right to me. How could a seized os cable cause the nsr to bind? Plus, with the hand brake and engine off I can push the car. And with the hand brake on it won't move. Oh and it had a new caliper one side and a second hand from a donor the othed ( can't remember which) but both calipers move freely. I've seen something about caliper return springs but I'm just looking for a little advice before I'm fleeced £120 for a new set of cables.

Thanks in advance.

Quite often the easiest way to prevent this is to fit a set of return springs on the rear calipers.

 

They were fitted to the same calipers on other VAG cars, but not on the Fabia.

 

They help force the calipers apart when the handbrake is off.

 

1K0615295

1K0615296

 

Should be about £5 in total.

 

Yep ! got the same problem !  Ordered both springs , £4 plus vat !

Solved mine which were just slightly not returning

Got wife's sorted in the end by fitting 2 new calipers, even had the springs fitted but always seemed to be under car freeing the levers off.

One thing it also fixed was the spongey brake pedal, must have been with the lever sticking it was causing excessive brake pedal travel. Just wished I had replaced them sooner

Yep ! got the same problem ! Ordered both springs , £4 plus vat !

Won't be fitting any for a few weeks but let me know if this fixes the problem. Also are you planning on changing your discs and pads due to the over heating or just leaving them and hoping for the best?

Got wife's sorted in the end by fitting 2 new calipers, even had the springs fitted but always seemed to be under car freeing the levers off.

One thing it also fixed was the spongey brake pedal, must have been with the lever sticking it was causing excessive brake pedal travel. Just wished I had replaced them sooner

Yeah I also have a slightly spongy pedal but just assumed it was old fluid. Maybe the springs will sort this too but not too worried if not.