I've got a Fiat Marea Weekend and if we have a particularly severe frost or icy night the handbrake freezes on and it is practically impossible to release the handbrake in the morning. During snowy conditions this can be particularly dodgy as the car slides all over the place until the heat generated by the car's motion releases the brake. It can take up to ten miles until it fully releases.
Has anybody else experienced this and is there a cure?
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try spaying the moving parts with WD40, (not the shoes,pads) this will stop the water droplets freezing ,WD-40 protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck or jammed parts, displaces moisture, and lubricates just about anything.
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Thanks Robert I'll try this.
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Had this on a Mk 2 Golf GTi and a Fiat Coupe. On the golf the cure was a new handbrake cable on the offending side, on the Coupe it was a new rubber boot where the cable inner leaves the outer tube - when the boot splits moisture gets in.
Don't drive with the brake frozen on as the car can be unstable and the brakes/bearings will overheat...
Is the car under warranty?
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My first car was a Mini 1000. One cold winter's day I drove away on an icy surface, only to hear a 'sliding' noise from behind. The handbrake cables had frozen solid and the rear wheels were 'sledging' merrily along behind!
Happy days!
Graeme
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Hi Ian D,
No it's not under warranty but thanks for the advice.
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Leave in 1st gear with handbrake off (or P if auto gearbox). If on a steep hill, for extra safety, point car facing downwards and turn front wheels into kerb.
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Dave
You should never leave a car facing downhill in a forward gear, always select reverse. Similarly when facing uphill always leave in a forward gear. Still a good tip about the wheel direction though.
Jonathan
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Jonathan
What difference do you think it makes whether you are in 1st or reverse on a slope? The only differences will depend on gear ratios and valve overlap, neither of which is known by the average punter. Easy enough to test which is the best gear for yourself though, but I wouldn't recommend going too far with the engine turning backwards as the oil pump will be sucking instead of blowing!
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Jonathan What difference do you think it makes whether you are in 1st or reverse on a slope?
Quite. Absolutely none at all. I only mentioned to leave in 1st gear as it's one less thing you have to do when you get in the car in the morning. If you had left it in reverse, you would have to put it into 1st gear before setting off. Why complicate things first thing in the morning?
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I don't know where you live but it must be a bit nippy if you are reporting these problems in May, or have you just woken from hibernation? I concur with DD. Don't leave handbrake on overnight in those conditions as you asking for trouble. Use gearbox and wheel angulation if necessary, as he suggested. Problem solved in text book fashion!
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Used to have this problem on a VW minibus;kicked the cables a few times and they would free;have also had accelerator cable freeze while going along(Capri)-this was inside the Arctic circle.
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The 'accelerator cable freeze' sounds exciting. Is this a primitive form of cruise control? How did you free it if you couldn't slow down because you couldn't stick your leg out of the door to kick it, VW style?
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Thanks bafta,
And no I haven't just woken up from hibernation!! I've only just found Honestjohn's website and was thinking of a question I could ask. I live near Shap in Cumbria and we have some of the worst weather in the country. Shap is frequently mentioned as either being closed due to snow or having the heaviest rainfall. I suppose it's my fault for buying an Italian car. They're not known for their snow defeating capabilities.
Another problem we have up here is the amount of salt they use on the roads. What happens again with the rear brakes is that if the car is not used for two or three days the handbrake is jammed on due to the corrosion! A nightmare.........
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OrtonMark, if I lived on Shap I would definitely be coming out of hibernation. Many moons ago I worked as a surveyor setting out the M6. It was 'spring' and, needless to say, it rained nonstop. I went up Shap to a very strange hotel where Mordecai might have lived. Is it still there? Hope you have a nice summer. Incidentally, in San Francisco it is an offence not to angulate your wheels when you park, for obvious reasons.
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Hi Bafta,
The hotel is called Shap Wells and was used as a prisoner of war camp in WWII. Germans still come back to it on coach tours!
It still survives and is doing well.
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Spray copious amouts of WD40 into the cable and onto other moving parts. Make sure everything operates freely. Follow this up after a few dry days with spray white grease.
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