Honda Jazz/Fit (2001 - 2008) - 04 1.4 Handbrake efficiency

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Mon 28 Jul 2008 23:31
04 1.4 Handbrake efficiency - Berisford
My Jazz had an 'advisory' on its last MOT, the parking brake efficiency was low at 16%. Now it's never been (since new) the best parking brake I've ever had, but it does the job.

MOT time has come around again and as there was some corrosion on the discs and the pads were getting ready I decided to change the discs and pads.

Whilst it felt better for the change it's still not going to set the world on fire. Anyway, it's been for the MOT today and once again 'parking brake efficiency poor 17%'!

Anyone else having trouble with this. I see in the car-by-car section that it gets a mention.

The cable and all the actuators are free and any tightening of the cable results in drag on the wheels.

Edited by Pugugly on 29/07/2008 at 20:39

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Mon 28 Jul 2008 23:59
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - caine
The handbrake cables adjuster is absolutly not for adjusting the brake's.It is only for free play.Your's and everybodys problem is that missunderstanding.Bear with me.The rear shoes or pads wear away in use.we all know that.so do the fronts.The piston seals act as a kind of spring ,retracting the pistons enough to allow free wheel,if not,sticky front caliper'sMOT fail.the rears also do this,good for freewheel ,not good for hand brake.So a mechanisim has to be used to limit how far back the rears retract.this is the self adjuster's.Self adjusters is missleading term,YOU unknowingly adjust them using the brake.Each time the hand brake is pulled on and released the adjusters move to take up slack,but only if the opperating lever on the caliper's is allowed to retract fully each time.tightening the cable means the caliper lever dosent have the travle to engage the adjusters.Rant over!!1your car,slacken and remove from caliper lever both cables,drown the caliper opperating lever inwd40,and free it off.Using a piston wind back tool,retract the pistons.fit pad's,replace calper,Now using the caliper lever,manually crank it untill pad's close up an less and less lever movement is avialiable,eventully the pad's grip the disc and lever can only move a little befor opperating the brake ,then and only then do you reattach the handbrake cble to caliper levers and adjust freeplay .If this dosent give the best brake possible,then the calpers are shot.probably because someone over tightened the cable and caliper lever/?/internals seized.
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Tue 29 Jul 2008 20:12
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - yorkiebar
Poor handbrakes are a typical feature of rear disc brake set ups.

Rear drums and shoes are much better (imo) for rear brakes and handbrake on most cars, especially smaller ones.

Common misconception that disc brakes are better than drum brakes; not always true or false but generally disc front and drum rear is the best for most applications.

But these car manufacturers love to feature rear disc brakes to entice people to buy their cars !

Its a bit like alloy wheels that are heavier than the steel ones they replace; erm no point in them !
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Tue 29 Jul 2008 21:32
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - Bill Payer
It is rear drums on this model.
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Tue 29 Jul 2008 21:54
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - yorkiebar
BP he states about changing discs and pads.

The 1.4 jazz lists rear pads (not shoes) so I think the info is relevant. :)
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Tue 29 Jul 2008 22:04
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - Bill Payer
Apologies - I saw that but assumed he was taking about the fronts - our 53 reg 1.4SE has rear drums. I didn't think they'd gone to disks all round until the 05 model year cars.

Edited by Bill Payer on 29/07/2008 at 22:08

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Fri 10 Jul 2009 10:03
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - L'escargot
Its a bit like alloy wheels that are heavier than the steel ones they replace;
erm no point in them !


I stand by what I said yesterday. "Alloy wheels are functionally superior to steel wheels. Their greater dimensional accuracy gives rise to far less steering vibration problems. They have less radial and axial run-out, and better circularity, than steel wheels. Give me alloys any day."
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Sat 2 Sep 2017 18:58
04 1.4 Handbrake Efficiency - cattman

RE alloy wheels. There was one key property of aluminium that was why they were used to start with - weight. The best suspension compliance with the road is gained with the lowest unsprung weight and lowest need for heavy damping. Best grip for least weight. The other points about mechanical precision of castings vs pressings are also true of course. Alloys best all round.

BUT, like the nonsenses that are high rise 4x4 vehicles or the many other "features" new cars boast this is more about fashion and forced obsolescence than functionality. Most drivers are unable to use the benefit and the law increasingly stops you from driving at all, simply follow a set of instructions while talking on the hands free and point ing the car with the wheel thing. Steel wheels cheaper to replace, modern shock absorbers well able to control the extra unspring weight. No handbrake? No thanks.

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Fri 10 Jul 2009 09:52
04 1.4 Handbrake efficiency - Berisford
MOT time again and 'update'.

I had a 'recall' notice a few months ago relating to the handbrake lever ratchet. Anyway, I decided to leave it until the yearly service.

It went in yesterday for the service, MOT and handbake recall.

Handbrake is now as you would expect and it passed the mot without any 'advisory' on the efficiency. I suspect the recall was more than Honda are letting on. Curious too that a family member with a Jazz just 4 weeks older than ours did not need the recall.

I wonder if, despite owners like me complaining about the poor handbrake for 3 years, Honda had a high number of MOT fails and had to do something about it?
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