DIY - Handbrake Adjustments from Inside

[Satan]

This is how to adjust your handbrake from inside the vehicle. Done with a 99 TH Sports Tiptronic.

You can do this a second way if you do not have enough room.
You will need a light/torch, and pliers or a (10mm?) spanner. If you need to take off the center console you will also need a Phillips head screwdriver.

Step 1
Remove interior box from center console. Means opening your lid of your center console and pulling up the plastic box which sits in it. Here is a picture of what you should see.



I have circled the object in which the little bolt sits in.
You can see one cable coming from the handbrake barrel, which is connected to a metal bracket on a thread, which is then connected to 2 cables which disappear into the body. These 2 cables are connected to the mini-drum brakes on the rear axle/wheels. This is because the handbrake uses these and not your foot pedals caliper brakes.

If you have enough room from here to get a spanner or pliers onto that nut in the circled part, then continue to step 3

Otherwise

Step 2
Removing the center console for more room.
For this there is firstly the plastic top section around your gear shifter (Manual and Auto), which IS NOT the chrome/black gear surrounding with the P N R D. It is the bit around that. This unclips from under your ashtray, etc and pulls up and back.
Under that is 2 screws up the front (near the ashtray/cup holders), and 2 further back near that change holder or W/E it is. Undo these.

The final 2 screws are at the sides of the center console, down the bottom, near where rear passengers feet would be. Undo these.

When unclipping these parts some of them may be clipped in with white clip-screws on the insides of the section shown here.


These can be seen by shining a torch or light inside the hole and forward. They must be pulled outward, to unclip the section you wish to lift up.

Step 3
Adjusting the handbrake and its cable tension.
Put your car on a level surface and leave in PARK or in gear. If you wish leave your foot on the pedal brake. Release the handbrake.
You now need to get a spanner or pliers onto the bolt shown. It has 2 little flat pieces on either side to stop it from undoing. Turn it clockwise so that the bolt top turns towards the drivers side. This is tightening the handbrake cord.



DO NOT DO THIS UP TOO TIGHT! If you do, the shoes or the handbrake drums may be constantly on a bit, causing braking while driving. This leads to your car stuffing up in many ways, not to mention crap power n fuel economy.
I recommend just a little past half way on the thread. You want about 4 clicks max when pulling up the handbrake.

Test it out after putting the console back together. You don't want to hear any rubbing/squeaking from the rear axle while driving.


For more convenience I will also add a picture of the switch that tells the car the handbrake is on. This is the switch which lights the handbrake light on the dash and the one to bypass for some DVD players, etc, if you wish to use while driving. It is a small needle kind of thing on a spring and when the handbrake is pulled, the drum it is connected to rotates and presses the pin against the switch.

[Scorpion]

FYI
The picture sequence is great and helpful.
However the angle of the bracket indicates your right-side handbrake could be adjusted more at the rear wheel as it is unusual for the cable itself on one side to be stretched more than the other. Also, the amount of thread used indicates that either both sides need adjusting at the rear wheels or your cables are stretched.
So my recommendation after seeing these pics would be to loosen the nut on the cable adjustment right off, adjust the handbrake at the rear wheels and then readjust the nut on the long thread.

$0.02

[Disciple]

You shouldn't need to adjust anything in the car, only on the rear hubs.

[QMD///801]

You shouldn't need to adjust anything in the car, only on the rear hubs.

howere one or two adjustments to the cable inside the car as shown above are ok but anymore than a couple of times and your will have trouble so its best to adjust the rear hubs and while your at it give them a good clean out.

[Satan]

To the ppl above... Anyone have the directions for adjusting the hub brakes underneath? Plus the DIY is for the in-cabin adjustment.

Any help appreciated.

[magna buff]

satan boo the knockers

add as a post to a sticky in the section of your magnas generation

great idea and pics

cables ar ok to be uneven as long as the handbrake holds and the cable isnt stretched