VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 14:19
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

Hi,

The actual handbrake moves up and down (and as I do it the handbrake light turns on and off), however, no tension at all is released and the car stays in parked mode. I try to pull forward or reverse and the car just rears up.

I read that it could be rust or perhaps engaging the handbrake too hard (I think it might be the latter to be honest if it is something to do with one of these two).

It passed it's MOT test 2 months ago, so guessing there was nothing obviously wrong with it, never had any problems before and I did a 2 hour drive on Monday and everything was completely fine, went to use it last night and it didn't work.

Any ideas how I might be able to disengage it so I can at least get it to a garage (or ideally so it's fixed)!

I saw this video about adjusting the handbrake: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fom7nrVzFFk
Would that possibly loosen it?

Strangely, the electric windows have stopped working as well. I imagine this is a complete coincidence, but it seems pretty strange them both stopping working at the same time! Any advice on this as well would be great! Could it just be a fuse?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 14:59
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Andrew-T

Have you tried using the drive with some vigour, or only gently ? If the brake is stuck on, that may work, just as it usually does if it is rusted or frozen on (unlikely just now).

I would guess a 2006 Polo will have rear drum brakes, so they may be in need of full servicing ?

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 15:40
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - elekie&a/c doctor
You’ll need someone to raise the rear of the car to find out which wheel is stuck( may only be one ) . The suspect wheel will need to be removed so that the brake drum can be given a careful clump with a hammer ,to try and release the stuck brake shoe /mechanism . The failure of the windows is totally unrelated .
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Sat 1 Jan 2022 15:55
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

@elekie&a/c doctor
I think it might've been the brakes both sides which were stuck? As I replied to Andrew I just gave it some more vigour in reverse and I heard a twang sound and now it seems to be wanting to drive forward on one side but not the other. Not sure if I should be worried about that or not, or whether it's actually freed it up...

Maybe I'll raise the car first and test the tyres to see where the issue seems to be before doing anything else again though.

I assumed the window was a separate issue, but just seemed like a big coincidence!

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 15:51
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

I wouldn't have said gently, but I gave it a fair bit of drive last night and it didn't seem to do anything. However, based on you saying that I've just gone out now and given it a fair bit, first going forward (nothing happened), then in reverse and I heard a kind of creak or twang as if something had moved. Perhaps a wire loosening?

Anyway, now when I give it gas going forward it almost feels like it's trying to drive on one side of the car, but seized on the other...

I didn't like to push it again before mentioning it as I'm a little worried about what could happen. If it is some kind of fault other than a seized wire or brake could it damage it? Or maybe I would lose the ability to brake at all? I'm on a bit of a slope facing uphill so not being able to break wouldn't be ideal, although i'm assuming I could just drive forward a bit and hopefully come to rest on the flat a bit further up if that were the case...

What do you reckon? Is it worth trying it again with even more vigour? I reckon it'd probably be in reverse again (like before) to do anything.

Thank you!!

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 15:57
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - elekie&a/c doctor
Don’t think I’d be driving it in that condition. You could easily do more damage .
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Sat 1 Jan 2022 16:24
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81
Don’t think I’d be driving it in that condition. You could easily do more damage .

I posted in another forum as well and before I'd even mentioned anything I did get this reply:

"I had the same issue on mine multiple times, it wasn't the brakes getting stuck due to a fault in the car exactly, I think it was a combination of the warm brakes, cold weather and moisture caused the brakes to not disengage properly.

I often found that putting the car in reverse and trying to move it back would free up the brakes easier than trying to put it forward."

Which does sound incredibly similar to what I experienced. You're right though, can't imagine forcing it like that is a particularly advisable thing to do, even if it has worked for that other person (and Andrew-T in this thread mentioned trying it).


If I were to raise the car up and test the tyres do you think it'll be problematic that I'm on a slope? Just being cautious as it relates to the brakes.

Thanks for the help.

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 16:34
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - thunderbird

If I were to raise the car up and test the tyres do you think it'll be problematic that I'm on a slope? Just being cautious as it relates to the brakes.

Working on a car with faulty brakes on a slope. Sounds like a recipe for hospital food.

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 16:47
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

Working on a car with faulty brakes on a slope. Sounds like a recipe for hospital food.

Fair comment, although it's going to have to be done anyway as the car can't even be pushed forward, or rolled back. It is a pretty gentle slope too, so I guess putting something behind the front tyres would stabilise it. Having someone more experienced do it is perhaps a better option though.

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 17:56
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Andrew-T

Working on a car with faulty brakes on a slope. Sounds like a recipe for hospital food.

Fair comment, although it's going to have to be done anyway as the car can't even be pushed forward, or rolled back. It is a pretty gentle slope too, so I guess putting something behind the front tyres would stabilise it. Having someone more experienced do it is perhaps a better option though.

Unless your slope is fairly severe, you could jack the rear of the car (FWD) with it in the appropriate gear - reverse if facing downhill, etc. Use chocks too for extra safety.

I suspect the whole rear brake system needs full overhaul. It's something many owners put off until something happens. Not a massive job for a properly equipped mechanic.

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 18:13
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

Unless your slope is fairly severe, you could jack the rear of the car (FWD) with it in the appropriate gear - reverse if facing downhill, etc. Use chocks too for extra safety.

I suspect the whole rear brake system needs full overhaul. It's something many owners put off until something happens. Not a massive job for a properly equipped mechanic.

It's not severe, it's enough that it would start rolling though.

Yeah, it definitely does seem like something is needing replacing even if the brakes are 'unseized'.

I did just remember that the 2 hour drive home was tipping it down pretty much the entire way. Wondering if that combined with leaving it sitting there for 5 days maybe had a hand in them seizing shut?

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 23:26
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Andrew-T

<< I did just remember that the 2 hour drive home was tipping it down pretty much the entire way. Wondering if that combined with leaving it sitting there for 5 days maybe had a hand in them seizing shut?

Those conditions might cause pads to stick weakly to front brake discs, when you might feel a snatch when setting off 5 days later. Possibly the inside of the rear drums will have got soaked too. But if much force is needed to loosen them off, the shoes may have been damaged and require replacement.

Whatever happens, it sounds like a case of rear brake servicing. But lift the rear wheels (one at a time!) to find which is free.

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Sun 2 Jan 2022 11:26
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

<< I did just remember that the 2 hour drive home was tipping it down pretty much the entire way. Wondering if that combined with leaving it sitting there for 5 days maybe had a hand in them seizing shut?

Those conditions might cause pads to stick weakly to front brake discs, when you might feel a snatch when setting off 5 days later. Possibly the inside of the rear drums will have got soaked too. But if much force is needed to loosen them off, the shoes may have been damaged and require replacement.

Whatever happens, it sounds like a case of rear brake servicing. But lift the rear wheels (one at a time!) to find which is free.

Yeah, I'll probably take a look (if possible), but think I might end up just taking it to a garage, or calling someone to come out...

Would I have to disengage the handbrake to find out if either of the wheels are free? Just thinking that maybe they wouldn't turn whatever if it was still pulled up.

Do you know whether the following short excerpt from this YouTube Video is something I could try to free the wheel(s)?

He says the following about releasing the 'self-adjuster' which will 'release the shoes if they're a bit tight'. Is this something I could also try? Or is it going to stop the brakes from working properly if I did that?

"If the drum's in anyway tight on the brake shoes you need to release the self adjuster and release the shoes. You do that with a little lever that's just inside here (the drum?). Lift the lever up and it releases the brake shoes"

Edited by Simon81 on 02/01/2022 at 12:21

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 17:40
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Rerepo

If I were to raise the car up and test the tyres do you think it'll be problematic that I'm on a slope? Just being cautious as it relates to the brakes.

Thanks for the help.

Do not jack up the car on a slope!

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 18:08
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

Do not jack up the car on a slope!

What are the other options? Can someone come and tow it away from the back of the car?

It's a pretty gentle slope. Surely if something is behind the front tyres and it's in gear it would be pretty safe if for some reason the brakes did fail, they do appear to have just seized shut though.

Edited by Simon81 on 01/01/2022 at 18:08

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 19:01
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Rerepo

First of all try shunting the car back and forth repeatedly.

If that doesn't work then get someone to drag it onto level ground for you.

This car could have rear discs or drums. Assuming its drums there is a possibiLity that a shoe has delaminated and is jamming. Remove the rear wheels and then push up on the adjuster wedge (accessible through a bolt hole) to slacken off the shoes. Clean the mechanism up and if the drums are good then fit decent quality new shoes (I tend to go with Mintex, but Pagid Textar etc etc are fine).

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Sun 2 Jan 2022 11:23
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

First of all try shunting the car back and forth repeatedly.

If that doesn't work then get someone to drag it onto level ground for you.

This car could have rear discs or drums. Assuming its drums there is a possibiLity that a shoe has delaminated and is jamming. Remove the rear wheels and then push up on the adjuster wedge (accessible through a bolt hole) to slacken off the shoes. Clean the mechanism up and if the drums are good then fit decent quality new shoes (I tend to go with Mintex, but Pagid Textar etc etc are fine).

Thanks a lot for the info! Is it possible to drag a car from its rear? Wasn't sure if there was anything to tow from on the back of a car? There doesn't appear to be on my VW Polo 1.4 2006 at least.

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Sun 2 Jan 2022 23:55
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Rerepo

Thanks a lot for the info! Is it possible to drag a car from its rear? Wasn't sure if there was anything to tow from on the back of a car? There doesn't appear to be on my VW Polo 1.4 2006 at least.

Check under right hand side of the rear bumper. I think you'll find a towing eye there.

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Sat 1 Jan 2022 19:07
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - catsdad

Any decent garage will have the means to fix it on the drive or to recover it safely without damaging it. How exactly they will do this iI don’t know but it’s why we all sometimes have to submit and get an expert in.
If it was going to be easily freed off it would have responded to your action to date. Good luck and stay safe.

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Sun 2 Jan 2022 11:17
VW Polo 1.4 2006 - Handbrake stuck in park - Simon81

@catsdad

Thank you.

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