The XKR Handbrake (Help Required)

The XKR Handbrake (Help Required)

Author
Discussion

cerby4.5

Original Poster:

1,643 posts

241 months

Thursday 3rd May 2007
quotequote all
I am taking the car over to Denmark this summer on the ferry. As the crossing is around 20 hours, I wanted to be able to have a functioning handbrake so that when parked the car can be as secure as possible.

It was at my local dealer yesterday for it to be fixed, but when I got home and tried to park it on an incline (to test it) it would not hold the car?
confused
The dealers service department has been very helpful and said that they would take the car back in at no extra charge and test it again, but has anyone got any tips on what I/they should be doing to get the desired result?

(The only other Jag I have owned was an XJ-S that had a 'non-existant' handbrake, but I have driven other recent Jags where they have worked perfectly??)

Your help would be appreciated,

Scott

GR1FF1F

523 posts

234 months

Thursday 3rd May 2007
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Probably no help at all, but I've had my XKR for over 5 years and never once used the handbrake; only ever leave it in Park. It's never rolled away. How steep is the hill ?! I do note that the car wash guys always put it on, which is a source of irritation when you go to drive away.

Seriously though, is it vital ? Am I damaging the gear box just relying on the P brake ?

Trooper2

6,676 posts

231 months

Thursday 3rd May 2007
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Cerby, I'll help if I can but I'm confused. Your profile shows your XKR to be a 2003 year model which should have an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), yet I don't see it in in the photo (should be on the center console). Does your car have a mechanical parking brake?

I'm sat here ready with my Jag technical text books..

NormanD

3,208 posts

228 months

Friday 4th May 2007
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GR1FF1F said:
Probably no help at all, but I've had my XKR for over 5 years and never once used the handbrake; only ever leave it in Park. It's never rolled away. How steep is the hill ?! I do note that the car wash guys always put it on, which is a source of irritation when you go to drive away.

Seriously though, is it vital ? Am I damaging the gear box just relying on the P brake ?


I always leave my XKR in 'Park' instead of using the handbrake.

The handbrake is a legal reqirement, it doesn't mean you have to use it!

cerby4.5

Original Poster:

1,643 posts

241 months

Friday 4th May 2007
quotequote all
Trooper2 said:
Cerby, I'll help if I can but I'm confused. Your profile shows your XKR to be a 2003 year model which should have an Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), yet I don't see it in in the photo (should be on the center console). Does your car have a mechanical parking brake?

I'm sat here ready with my Jag technical text books..


Hiya, NO it has a regular handbrake as opposed to the EPB? Didn't think they were fitted to the XK's thought it was just the saloons?

wrldtvlr

3 posts

215 months

Friday 4th May 2007
quotequote all
If I may offer a suggestion. The hand brake should be used on a hill, incline, on the ferry trip, or any place a firm hold is wanted or needed.

It also serves the more important purpose of taking the strain off the transmission and putting it on the parking brake. To do this, shift to neutral, pull on the hand brake, then shift to park

Trooper2

6,676 posts

231 months

Friday 4th May 2007
quotequote all
O.K. cerby, there is one cable that comes off the hand brake lever, at the transmission tunnel it passes through a grommet and under the car where it attaches to a bell crank. Coming off the bellcrank, pointing toward the rear of the car is an adjusting rod. The adjusting rod attaches to the equalizer ("Y" shaped device). It also holds the cable that loops back to the 2 rear brakes. The rear brakes are what is called a drum in hat (a disc brake that has an internal drum for the parking brake).

The adjusting rod/equalizer is where the adjustment is carried out, the adjusting rod runs through the center of the equalizer with 2 nuts for making the adjustment. The adjustment is made by breaking loose the 2 nuts and tightening the rear nut to move the equalizer toward the front of the car. Once the slack has been take out the 2 nuts are tightened against the equalizer function can be tested. It may take some trial and error to get it just right as most manufacturers have a spec range for the number of clicks you should hear as you activate the brake lever to the full on position.On the XK series I believe that you should only get 3 or 4 clicks but have the technician check the spec.

The only things that I know of that can interfere with a proper adjustment is if the shoes in the rear brakes are adjusted to far out, so this should be checked. The parking brake shoes have manual adjusters just like a normal drum brakes. The other thing that can effect the adjustment is if the brake cable housing becomes detached from the dust shield while making the adjustment, if it does it needs to be reattached and the adjustment started again.

Good luck and I hope you get a successful adjustment this time..

cardigankid

8,849 posts

212 months

Friday 4th May 2007
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Nice car though! Just the thing for a little continental tour.

cerby4.5

Original Poster:

1,643 posts

241 months

Friday 4th May 2007
quotequote all
Many thanks for the help chaps!

Looks like I am a bit closer to actually getting it sorted now, so fingers crossed!

Cerby

stevewoof

5 posts

96 months

Saturday 9th April 2016
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Hi Guys
I have only had my XKR convertable 2013 for 6 months and still retrieving my underpants from my bottom, what a car but yesterday my handbrake light came on telling me I have no handbrake and a red flashing light.
When I turned the engine off and restarted it the light went off but as soon as I pulled the handbrake on the lights on the dash came back on.
What to do ?

V88Dicky

7,305 posts

183 months

Sunday 10th April 2016
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Your rear pads are getting low. Not low enough to throw up the brake pad light yet, but enough to give the EPB a wobbly trying to hold the car.

At least that was the problem on my wife's XF.

HTH smile

stevewoof

5 posts

96 months

Sunday 10th April 2016
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I will check that out but the car has only done 8.000 miles.

Steve

V88Dicky

7,305 posts

183 months

Sunday 10th April 2016
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thumbup


8000 miles in three years? Bloody hell yikes

a8hex

5,829 posts

223 months

Sunday 10th April 2016
quotequote all
Does the XKR's handbrake use the normal brake pads for the handbrake?
I've not looked, but SWMBO'd MB has little drums on the rear hubs for the handbrake.

stevewoof

5 posts

96 months

Sunday 24th April 2016
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I could not understand why my hand brake failure light came on, my xkr has only 8.000
Miles on the clock but I fixed it.
I have only had the car 6 months and never used the sport mode or the dynamic as it was
Fast enough for me but today without my wife in the car I set myself for fun, wow I was that nooner from all those years ago and I give it some on the raggered edge even had it side ways at 80.
When I returned home after a tank of fuel my handbrake is working well, I was told it just needed to be driven hard from time to time.

8bit

4,860 posts

155 months

Monday 25th April 2016
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a8hex said:
Does the XKR's handbrake use the normal brake pads for the handbrake?
I've not looked, but SWMBO'd MB has little drums on the rear hubs for the handbrake.
If you mean the X150 then yes it does, not sure about the X100s.

a8hex

5,829 posts

223 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
8bit said:
a8hex said:
Does the XKR's handbrake use the normal brake pads for the handbrake?
I've not looked, but SWMBO'd MB has little drums on the rear hubs for the handbrake.
If you mean the X150 then yes it does, not sure about the X100s.
Yes, I meant the X150
The XK150 uses an extra set of pads (and callipers) on the main disks and they aren't much use for anything :-)

8bit

4,860 posts

155 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
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a8hex said:
Yes, I meant the X150
The XK150 uses an extra set of pads (and callipers) on the main disks and they aren't much use for anything :-)
You've lost me - where does the XK150 come into it? That's a totally different car...

a8hex

5,829 posts

223 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
8bit said:
a8hex said:
Yes, I meant the X150
The XK150 uses an extra set of pads (and callipers) on the main disks and they aren't much use for anything :-)
You've lost me - where does the XK150 come into it? That's a totally different car...
You're right, it's a totally different car, I was just commenting on the joys of Jaguar trying to use the main disc for the hand brake. Feel free to ignore if it didn't appeal to your sense of humour.

8bit

4,860 posts

155 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
a8hex said:
You're right, it's a totally different car, I was just commenting on the joys of Jaguar trying to use the main disc for the hand brake. Feel free to ignore if it didn't appeal to your sense of humour.
Right, I see what you mean now. I think...

Don't see the issue with using the main caliper for the parking brake personally but that's maybe because mine has never gone wrong. Plenty of other manufacturers do it this way, too.