Skoda Fabia MK3 SE L 2019 facelift modeI TSI engine, it has a centre arm rest fitted and I want to adjust the handbrake cableafter fitting new discs pads and caliper on the rear, my old Fabia MK3 you just poped out the rear plastic tray thing and you could get at the adjuster but with this model the tray doesn't look like it will come out and didn't want to damage it trying so i assume the armrest has to come out to adjust the cable ? had a look but doesn't seem to be any screws on the bottom of the arm rest to remove it, had a look on you tube but they just show fitting aftermarket ones to polo's and all the Fabia video's are for the ones without the arm rest , just wondering if anyone has adjusted this cable and what you need to do to get at the adjuster thanks in advance

I'd be surprised if, at the end of this repair, you actually do need to adjust the handbrake cable.

I've replaced the offside rear calliper. both discs and pads, and I didn't expect to need to adjust the handbrake cable - and as it turned out I didn't need to. That was on a 2015 VW Polo.

I know that at least some VW Group cars of this size, ended up with getting re-work done on the handbrake, my younger daughter's 2019 SEAT Arona 1.0TSI 115PS 6MT, seems to have had this re-work carried out twice by a SEAT main dealership! Even after that rectification, the general "feel" of the handbrake action is not "too good"!

Perhaps not on a polo or a seat car this model is niether of them, taking it to a dealership is a waste of my time and my money all i was after was some one who has completed the action with the said arm rest fitted it's eay on all skoda fabia models without the arm rest it's just this model with the arm rest all i wanted to know does the arm rest need to be removed to adjust the cable or not

On 15/06/2025 at 21:01, Murdockman said:

"Perhaps not on a polo or a seat car this model is niether of them - snip snip - "

Well the running gear which this is part of tends to be common across the VW Group marques for car of the same "size" and age, which makes sense cost wise.

I was just trying to encourage you into completing this task and seeing how the new rear brakes settle down after a couple of days use, before trying to get access to the cable adjusting point.

I'm sure it will be a bit messy to get into, my wife's 2015 Polo also has an arm rest, but I've not looked into how to get to the handbrake cable adjuster simply because after replacing a single rear calliper, both rear discs and pads, everything is good.

I'll try to remember not to bother handing you out any "half help" advice in the future.

For other viewers / readers of the thread -

rum4mo has given good advice, and the answer, as far as I can see, perhaps others know differently or better relating to a 2018 (1.0 TSI) but unless they post here I'd suggest following rum4mo posts.

You should never have to adjust the cable, if you do you have a problem. Either the cable or calipers faulty.

@Blue8793841 your post is appreciated by others but is not the type of post the OP appreciates, he's put all he wants to know is does the arm rest need to be removed to adjust the cable or not, rum4mo has already tried to help twice, I know from previous experience I can't help this bloke so I'm only trying to help others here.

Thanks for all the comments I have now completed the job and got the information on how to remove the arm rest from a website that does not tell you "how to" but shows you the parts make up in a drawing, I was just not happy with the amount my handbrake was coming up even after fitting the new parts and waiting for them to bed in. cables can stretch and even snap so it's good to get a heads up on how to do the job perhaps before it happens