Renault Megane II Estate - Hand brake failure

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Wed 28 Feb 2018 18:42
Renault Megane II Estate - Hand brake failure - AKayaker

Parking up at work this morning pulled handbrake on and the hand brake suddenly went soft and wouldn't hold the car - assumed the cable had snapped, so took it to the halfords next door in hope they would fix quick/cheap

They however have said it isn't a fault with the cable, the calipers are seizing, and the cable has disconnected from the calipers - they have reattached the cable, but say I need new calipers - they want £550 to do this

I'm OKish doing some things myself (done pads before, reasonably mechanical) - how easy are calipers to do - alternatively am I ok driving, knowing I'm lacking in handbrake (parking in gear) until I can go see my friend with a vehicle lift and workshop (and more knowledge!) to do the work - up until now hadn't noticed any issues with breaking, and halfords didn't have any objection to me taking the car away

Thanks

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Thu 1 Mar 2018 07:12
Renault Megane II Estate - Hand brake failure - hardway

Like all rear callipers the piston has to self adjust/ratchet out to account for pad wear.

What I usually find is some b***** who doesn't understand the system has tightend the cable adjustment up,

Usually to get an MOT.

Bad idea.

so now you need to know if the small quadrant lever in the calliper can move and if the piston isn't siezed.

If they can move the calliper is saveable.

If not the it's new calliper time.

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Sat 10 Mar 2018 12:59
Renault Megane II Estate - Hand brake failure - edlithgow

You can actually take calipers apart and un-seize them. I know this because I did it a year or two ago, though I may just have been lucky.

Hard to tell since most people just replace them.

I've never had a car with discs on the back though, so I don't know how much the handbrake mechanism complicates repair.

Since its more "modern", probably a lot. Thats "progress"

Edited by edlithgow on 10/03/2018 at 13:02

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