Another handbrake failure but this time with a £1000 worth of damage

[DinkaDonka]

So it happened again , on my drive , the handbrake on at LEAST 4 clicks , not in gear tho , on a slope that is nearly flat , rolled after 10 mins according to my neighbour , too out a fence and wall , of course when the BMW guy came out he says and it waz practically my fault and guess wot! it waz working fine when he checked it , oh well thats another grand then.

Heres a pic:

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/persona...a/dsc00033.jpg

[bigahead]

all i've got to say is that it looks painful.

I hope your baby gets better soon!

[diverse]

They are trying to screw me by not letting me get my S (the cooper is rejected and accepted) until i either accept liability for damage to dealers car or prove fault!

Don't put up with that nonsense, i'm getting an independant report done!

Even the after sales manager asked me if i knew that when disc brakes cooled they contracted, i said i did now, and i have checked and double checked, there is nothing in the handbrake section of the handbook that tells you to overapply the handbrake to compensate disc cooling!

We have to stand together on this one, why should we both be £1000 out of pocket when there is clearly and issue here!

out of curiosity, what's the build date on your motor!

PS, if dealer/BMW wont budge pay to have the work done and issue a County Court Summons for the cost of repair! you can do them on the web now!

PPS, I have written to Auto Express Magazine, fancy being part of any article they may write about this?

[Clutch Cargo]

diverse, it sure sounds like your dealer is trying to pull a fast one on you. After all, if they are trying to get money from you, why shouldn't they have to prove fault? At a minimum, I'd buy the S from an honest dealer if I were you.

I have two questions about this handbrake problem:

1. Early-build MINIs had a recognized problem with this, which was corrected (at least in some cases) by replacing the entire handbrake mechanism. Could this be the same problem? Or is it only just because of the disk rotors shrinking as they cool.

2. I read on an autocross website, that autocrossers should bring wheel chocks to the track, because the parking brake would deform the rotors if applied to race-heated brakes. Wouldn't this mean that the handbrake should NOT be over-applied, even in daily usage?

[sjbartnik]

Of course the bottom line is that the car should never be left with just the handbrake securing it, it should also be left in gear (1st or reverse for manual, Park for the CVT) so as to prevent the car moving on its own.

This probably should be in the manual just so MINI can back themselves up but it should also be common knowledge and common sense.

[KenL]

Does it say in the manual that you must leave the car in gear as well as applying the handbrake?

[diverse]

NOPE! I've read and re-read page 48 and 49 of EN Manual! Just had engineer come over, there isn't a mechanical defect as such, but, there is clearly a problem.

My handbrake will not hold car on 4 notches! and 5 is bloody hard with engine off becuase there are no servo's (it's not that much easier with servo's working!)

[diverse]

I reckon there is an issue of rear brakes getting excessivly hot or expanding excesivly, i spoke to a guy today whose car rolled down hill, then after handbrake assembly was replaced it did it again, when he was cleaning the car in his drive!

[Varse]

I've already spoken to diverse about this but just to say again, I'm here if you need anyone to back up what is happening, as it happened to me, BMW admitting the fault and paid up. It was a whole new handbrake assembly and that was on a March build Cooper.

That must be at least 15 people that this has happened to, that is easily enough to make a far better story for a motoring program than the 'grass burning' one!!

BMW must realise that this is a safety issue, if the car rolls down a hill and squashs a child then what are they going to do?

[diverse]

Varse, do you mind PM'ing to me your reg number and which dealer did the repair?

To anyone who has had this problem, would they mind doing the same?

I have one other person (local to me) whose details i have, i had an enginner from iaea come this afternoon (thankfully he was in the area!).

Did anyone get a reason for the issue? Varse, did your handbrake still work when tested by them or engineer from mini assist (if u called em?)

I have written to Auto Express, unless there is a warning that you have to be heavy handed with the handbrake and/or leave car in gear (which isn't customary or obligatory in UK) someone could be injured.

How lucky are BMW/Mini that someone hasn't been hurt! And the stance my dealer (and others) of blaming the last driver is unaceptable.

Anyone else who is interested in appearing in Auto Express if they take the story up reply here!

[GordonD]

i find it hard to equate this problems with high brake temperatures. Unless you are hammering the brakes in the few minutes before you park the temperature will be as close to ambient as makes no difference.

if you are autocrossing or some such activity you should not apply the handbrake when you stop as the brakes will BIND.

there has to be a mechanical flaw in the mechanism that sets the ratchet or something similar. Has anyone who had the problem noticed if the brake is still in the "up" position or did it release.

When I had a Lotus Cortina with a fly-off rally handbrake this was a real problem but then the brake was designed to not stay on.

[diverse]

Hot brakes were mentioned to me by the After Sales manager of the dealer i am dealing with?

Who knows, but it aint right!

A list of dealers cars were taken to (and reg numbers is poss) and reasons/excuses given would help me in my BATTLE!

Anyone who can help, PM away!!

[GordonD]

if they can use hot brakes as an excuse then it's your problem not theirs so i would treat that as the smelly stuff that it is!

[GordonD]

if they can use hot brakes as an excuse then it's your problem not theirs so i would treat that as the smelly stuff that it is!

[Varse]

Quote:

Originally posted by diverse

Did anyone get a reason for the issue? Varse, did your handbrake still work when tested by them or engineer from mini assist (if u called em?)

I have written to Auto Express, unless there is a warning that you have to be heavy handed with the handbrake and/or leave car in gear (which isn't customary or obligatory in UK) someone could be injured.

The handbrake appeared to work fine when the emergency guy came, although you really have to yank it right up. The problem appears to be that it can 'release' itself. I'm not sure what the problem was that they found, but BMW never suggested it was my fault and the whole assembly was replaced, not just tightened so there must have been something wrong.

My reg was RV02 EYK and William Jacks Sunningdale did the work. It was in July I believe.

As for someone being hurt, my girlfriend very nearly was as she saw the car rolling down the hill towards our garage and tired to stop it, I had to pull her out of the way!!