Turbo R Parking brake info

[Scotty2]

Been checking out all the bits and bobs on my Turbo R and generally enjoying ownership.

Been averaging 14 to 18 mpg on normal ;-) use and have cured the "low mineral oil" warning light by reading the instructions and topping it up properly. Need to get some work done on the rear wheel arch to bring her up to mint condition. Now, my parking brake either needs adjusting or repairing as it does not hold sufficiently. I have had a trawl on t'web but can't find any maintenance help. Before I dive under, can someone steer me to a maintenance manual of pdf of one as I haven't got round to buying a handbook yet.

Ta.

Scotty2

[pennrolls]

Try here...
http://rrtechnical.info/sz/05_sz.htm
Accessed via www.rrbew.co.uk

[Balmoral Green]

Scotty2 said:

Now, my parking brake either needs adjusting or repairing as it does not hold sufficiently.

I have to adjust mine after about half a dozen applications, so depending upon the use the car gets, it could be every day, or once a fortnight. It has always been quite useless as long as I've owned the car, which is coming up to up to eight years. The car is looked after by Phantom Motors and occasionally by Ristes, but no-one has ever come up with a working fix of the exceedingly crap parking brake.

At least it is a doddle to reach under and adjust on each wheel though, no more difficult or time consuming than checking the tyre pressures, thankfully.

Speaking to other owners, it is either the same story, or they never have a problem

Hopefully yours just needs adjusting and it will be good for a prolonged period of time, unlike mine.

Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 29th May 20:14

[2woody]

Balmoral Green said:

Speaking to other owners, it is either the same story, or they never have a problem

Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 29th May 20:14

more likely, they just don't use it !

How are you, you old devil - we still need to have a chat about wheels & tyres - I think.

Stu

[Balmoral Green]

2woody said:

more likely, they just don't use it !

On the level, neither do I, but on a hill, I wouldn't want to rely on the parking pawl/lug/whatever when it's in P.

Edited by Balmoral Green on Friday 12th June 10:23

[Scotty2]

Parking brake adjusted.

MOT sailed through! Whoo hoo!

Now for that bubbly wheel arch..........

It occurs to me that the wheel arches suffer from a design fault as the 4 cars I viewed before buying all had evidence of rust starting in one or more wheel arches. Now for a 13 yr old nissan, yes expected, but on a beast that cost over £100k I'd be miffed if I'd spent that and didn't have better corrosion protection?

Any reasons why?

Scotty 2

[Bluebottle911]

I never use the parking brake on any of our autos. Which causes a problem when my wife has been using the car before me and I try to drive off with the parking brake still on - unlike on the Bentley, the Mercs' parking brakes do not automaticlly release when you put them in drive.

[Waffagolf]

Hello All...I just had to say a huge 'Thank You' to Balmoral Green for his advice about adjusting the handbrake on my Bentley Turbo R. I emailed him and asked for advice, he gave it, and it was spot on. THANK YOU Balmoral Green....

[Balmoral Green]

You're welcome.

[keith9849]

On the subject of the parking brake, and having just moved from a Merc (and before that a Firebird)where I never set the parking brake, to a 1990 turbo R, I just had two horrifying experiences:

1. The column shifter can be knocked into reverse (or drive) without having to depress the footbrake.

2. The ignition can be turned off and the key removed with the car in gear AND if the shifter isn't in park away rolls two and a quarter tons of car.

So the rule of thumb must be "always apply the footbrake however crappy and inefficient the parking brake mechanism appears to be".