Honda Jazz Handbrake/Rear Brake binding Problem

[Chris_Music]

Hey Guys

I just wanted a little advice before I take my car into the garage tomorrow.

I First noticed a problem when I got home from just buying my 2006 Jazz Sport. I noticed a strange smell outside the car, I found it was coming from the rear drivers side brakes. The wheel and brakes had a lot of heat coming from them. I put my hand against the other 3 wheels and they had barely any heat coming from them.

I had a calliper seizing problem with my last Jazz, which needed a whole new calliper!

I have a feeling that it might be a overly tightened hand brake cable rather than a seized calliper. The previous owner had an "incident", where she parked it on her drive with the hand brake on and 20 minutes later had a neighbour knock on the door saying "your car has just rolled off your drive and hit our parked van. The damage to the rear wasn't too bad and easily repairable. But they took it as a sign to get a new car and traded it into a dealership.

Now, looking at the BCA report, the hand brake efficiency was marked as 28% (minimum legal is 25%). I am wondering, does it sound like the hand brake might have been over tightened after the dealer it was sold to heard about the reason for the accident? I spoke to the previous owner and there were no problems with the rear calliper before they sold it to the dealer.

I am having it checked by a garage tomorrow, but asking them to look at the handbrake tightness is probably going to be a lot cheaper than asking them to take off the calliper for inspection.

Any thoughts, advice or experience with this issue would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[RichardA]

It's unlikely the previous owner told the dealer about such an incident with relatively minor damage - they'd only give the dealer an excuse to offer a low trade in!....

....unless the dealer also fixed car or adjusted the handbrake. 

Limited mechanic advice alert....I'd probably say the calliper as the problem is only one side but I wouldn't rule out the handbrake. Is there any way of checking the calliper yourself? My Dad identified a sticking calliper on his Kia that a certain quick fitting chain didn't! 

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

[guest3735]

i also had a brake binding problem... quoted new caliper at £380 . none available in the uk. piston and seal kit £177. fitted next day.
one of the recalls on my car was for the handbrake ratchet. has this been done?
never had cause to doubt the handbrake. maybe i'm lucky.
just my £0.02

[culzean]

The previous owner had an "incident", where she parked it on her drive with the hand brake on and 20 minutes later had a neighbour knock on the door saying "your car has just rolled off your drive and hit our parked van.

when will people learn to leave the car in lowest gear and not just rely on handbrake

we should start a campaign to bring back drum brakes on rear wheels - much better handbrake and last a lot longer too.

[RichardA]

When I passed my test in 2000 it was only a requirement to park the car in gear if parked on a hill. I think (don't quote me) the reason is that brakes are more efficient these days, making it unnecessary to park the car in gear unless parked on a slope. Likewise, I was taught to slow down with my brakes and then select the appropriate gear (also less to do) rather than work down through the gears.

Don't know if the advice has changed since.

[Chris_Music]

Thanks for the comments.

Well, it turned out to be the calliper that was the problem. So Its got a new calliper on there now. At least thats a peace of mind that it shouldn't happen again!

Cheers

[VicW]

When I passed my test in 2000 it was only a requirement to park the car in gear if parked on a hill. I think (don't quote me) the reason is that brakes are more efficient these days, making it unnecessary to park the car in gear unless parked on a slope. Likewise, I was taught to slow down with my brakes and then select the appropriate gear (also less to do) rather than work down through the gears.

Don't know if the advice has changed since.

When I passed my test in 1955 you were taught to use every gear when slowing down as brakes were not as good then. Disc brakes were possibly in use on aircraft by then,developed by Dunlop I think and they had an early use on Le Mans winning Jaguars.

Vic.

[Garyman]

Is this a new one as i thought your modded one (in your sig) was written off recent?

[Chris_Music]

Is this a new one as i thought your modded one (in your sig) was written off recent?

Yea I bought a new Jazz.
A 2006 Sport in Vivid Blue Pearl ! I didn't intend on getting basically the exact same car, I wanted a colour change like red or silver, but this one just happened to come up and at a low price, so I snapped it up.
Just gave it a major service, literally changed everything you can possibly change on it, and it drives perfectly !

No plans for mods (except little small things here and there that I took off the old Jazz), but I will get some pictures up when I have given it a good clean and wax!

[Garyman]

ah right- I look forward to your updates 

[culzean]

When I passed my test in 2000 it was only a requirement to park the car in gear if parked on a hill. I think (don't quote me) the reason is that brakes are more efficient these days, making it unnecessary to park the car in gear unless parked on a slope. Likewise, I was taught to slow down with my brakes and then select the appropriate gear (also less to do) rather than work down through the gears.

Don't know if the advice has changed since.

I know you told people not to quote you - but I just have    to me it's just so obvious that you should leave the car in gear whether on a slope or not - a handbrake cable can snap at any time,  actually on the flat (especially on your drive) it is probably better to leave it gear with handbrake off,  it stops the pads sticking to those horrible rear discs.   I have always been of the opinion that brake pads are cheaper than gearboxes and used the brakes in preference to changing down to use severe engine braking -- i actually don't use the brakes much anyway as I look ahead and avoid using them and try to coast up to traffic and junctions in a high gear.

[guest3735]

in lorry driving circles the instructors recommend using the brakes rather than the gearbox to slow down, say at a roundabout, then at the appropriate speed select the exit gear and keep rolling. it's all about momentum preservation and fuel economy. i drive my car in a similar manner and the fuel economy has markedly improved.