handbrake

[Solitude]

yanked it up and the "button" popped out.
Tried to screw it back in but wont hold.
The brake works if i pull it up so cable must be ok, but it wont lock on. Ratcheting appears to be gone.
How do i access without getting to learn the hard way and what do you guys think has happened ?
Do i get in from the top ??

Cheers

Gavin

[Oz2]

Oh dear!!!!!!!

Sorry but if its a 400 style dash the only way to get to it is to loosen the dash so you can lift it up enough to work on it....
1 nut each side under the dash near the outer screen vent
1 bolt each side where the door closes onto
and a screw or 2 in th ashtray or the tray thing under the padded cover

not much holds it in but fiddely ain't the word

goood luck
Adam

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..According to the bible the ratchet is up near the callipers..And if the ratchet has become dislodged then it will need to be re-assembled and re-adjusted..Theres nothing as regards to the button?..It does sound a lot of poncing around..I can try to scan in the info if you dont have a bible..Cheers..Ziga

[gralin69]

Hiya Zig


This is a 280i handbrake hope helps

[pjtvr390se]

I assume your car has a separate lower binnacle which houses the radio and heater controls. This is held in place with two screws cunningly hidden under plastic caps, in the middle of the binnacle,one on each side, beside your knee if you were sitting in the seat.. Uncap the screws and remove them and the binnacle surround will come backwards and can be lifted out of the way. Behind the binnacle surround you will find a plate that holds the radio, heater controls etc. This plate is screwed vertically down through tunnel cover into the fiberglass gearbox cover. Find the screws, probably only one each side behind the plate and remove them, mine were about one and a half inches long! Now find the screws which hold the central cover to the gearbox tunnel, they are concealed under the ashtray and the padded sunken rear section, about three could be more. Remove all the screws and the central cover will lift up at the back and if you the gently lift the front heater/radio plate the cover can be slid out to the rear. The handbrake workings can now be accessed by lifting up the material cover/shroud off the handbrake lever, which on my car was not fixed down in any way, the you can see all the working parts as in the 280 diagram as above. You should the be able to access the ratchet activation rod and spring inside the handbrake lever, push this rod forward into the handbrake lever and reattach the knob to the end of the handbrake.

Reassembly is just the reverse of the above, I bet you have to drill some new holes for the screws you removed as it is an awful faff trying to get them back in the same holes.

[ROOODBOY]

I had this exact same problem a while ago.

The thread in the button had gone so wouldn't stay on the rod inside the handbrake lever.

The handbrake still worked but I had to hold the lever up as it wasn't engaging the ratchet so it flopped back down if you let go, almost like a fly-off handbrake!

All I did was wind a nut and washer onto the rod and glued the button back on the end, works a treat!