Handbrake Cable Hanging Loose + Boot Lock Failure

[JSladen]

Hi, I've got a 97 1.9D Temptation.

 

The handbrake cable to the rear right tyre hangs down, and I'm wondering if anyone knows if this can be treated as an MOT failure, as it is just coming up to the first MOT since I've owned it.

 

Even if it isn't going to cause a fail, I'd still like to get it fixed. Does anyone know where to get the clips for it, as I've looked in a few places and not found anything.

 

Also: The boot central has just stopped working - having disassembled it, it looks like the spring that holds the pin in the 'locked' or 'unlocked' position has broken, if anyone knows where I could find another one that'd be great.

 

Thanks

[techbod]

there should be a clip for the cable to hang on, if its loose that side hand break will be weak if the clip has rusted off use an electrical tie wrap just don't tie it to the anti roll bar because it moves and that would fail the MOT :)

[Johndouglas]

Hi, I've got a 97 1.9D Temptation.

 

The handbrake cable to the rear right tyre hangs down, and I'm wondering if anyone knows if this can be treated as an MOT failure,

 

I'm presuming you have drum brakes on the rear. There isn't a hope that it will pass the MOT in that condition. When the back wheels are put on the rollers and the handbrake applied, the right hand gauge won't register anything. Both pointers have to be reasonably close to registering the same figure for a pass.

 

Either the cable has snapped or the end has become detached from the trailing shoe. You'll need to remove the brake drum to investigate.

[JSladen]

There is the plastic bit attached to the bottom of the fuel tank for it to sit in, but there is no metal clip to keep it there.

The only place I found that I could cable tie it to is the feed into the fuel tank, and I'd rather not do it there.

 

 

-----------------

Found a fix for the boot lock - used a spring out of an old floppy disc.

 

 

 

 

Reply 2:

Yes, it's Drum Brakes.

The brake works fine, and holds the wheel no problem, it's just the tube that the cable runs through isn't held right against the bottom of the car - it still ends up in the right place, and does the job as normal.

 

I've seen others looking like this on the motorway so I get the idea it's a fairly common issue.

 

I'll see if I can get a picture to show this a bit better.

[Johndouglas]

Sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you had the end of the cable hanging loose. The cable should be clipped under the car. Usually there's a metal clip holding the cable to the trailing arm and another two plastic clips holding it to the underside of the tank.

[JSladen]

Picture here

 

 

So, should that pass an MOT? and does anyone know a cheap source of the metal clips, so I can re-attach it.

[techbod]

that rubber bit round the cable should clip into the holder on the tank where its meant to be

[Guest Colin Hunter]

Hi guys.

 

If that picture is of the actual cable in question then it's had it anyway. If you look at the black outer sheath you'll see that it's "scrunched up" in a couple of places. This is due to water ingress into the cable due to stone damage to the sheath, causing corrosion and failure (collapse) of the metal outer spiral. This had happened on my sons ZX when I bought it and was one of the things I had to sort for the MOT. I put on a brand new cable (About £15) and clipped it into place. As soon as the handbrake was applied it popped out of some of the clips. I eventually got it to stay in place but less than a year later the cable had once more failed due to the above. It had also come out of it's clips again.

 

I "Cured" it by fitting another new cable and covering the vulnerable part with a split garden hose, cable tied in place. I then secured the cable as well as I could in the position it seemed to want to be in and have had no more bother since. I have seen a few ZXs with the right hand cable in this position. I can't understand why the RH one should do it when the LH one has never moved at all!

 

You'll be able to get the clips from Citroen for a few pence. They shouldn't be dear.

 

Cheers. Hope this helps :)

[JSladen]

Thanks for that. I'll get a new cable sorted, and try that hose pipe trick on it as well.