Handbrake freezes on in the cold weather, any ideas why?

[Paulo P]

My wife has a mark 3 golf gti and the handbrake has frozen on a couple of times now First time was when it snowed 2 weeks ago and it did it again last night The mark 3 has disks on the rear and I fitted new rear pads to it about 6 weeks ago and I cleaned up the surfaces and copper slipped the sliders & carriers before fitting the new pads. When it froze the other week I managed to drive the car but it was dragging the rear wheels on the snow like the handbrake was partially on which means it's not the pads stuck to the disk It took just over 1 mile of rather gentle driving before it cleared, this was more than likely caused by the heat generated trying to limp it home My question is why is this happening? She has had the car nearly 4 years and up until this winter there hasn't been a problem, it is something on the car or the fact that she now parks on it on a gravel drive maybe? I'm wondering if the moisture under the gravel is being drawn up and then freezing. Anyhow anyone got any ideas please? Thanks

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[CalibreDan]

If I remember rightly quite a few VAG cars have problems with the handbrake cables letting water in and freezing

[Paulo P]

I was thinking either linkage or cables because of the way if feels, do you know if it's possible to get wd40 into the cables?

Thanks

[Andy_R]

I was taught that handbrakes are only used in this weather for turning

I tend not to use the handbrake for parking at all in cold conditions - simply park in gear, saves the sort of situations your experiencing.

[Paulo P]

You haven't been to Wycombe then It's all on hills around here

[cozzy jeff]

got in my van this morning to find my handbrake siezed on, its a vauxhall combo, been stood for over a week,it took a little freeing off by pulling forward and reversing,when i got home i just left i in gear.

[Glenn.]

simple solution dont put the hand brake on. There will be water that has frozen in the handbrake cables.

[Paulo P]

Originally Posted by Glenny Boy

simple solution dont put the hand brake on. There will be water that has frozen in the handbrake cables.

Can't really do that because I live in a hill and my driveway is on a hill I could park it opposite the house in gear with a wheel against the kerb but you can guarantee the first thing my wife would do is pull the handbrake to do a hill start

I'm going to take a look at it and see if I can somehow get wd40 into the cables and then grease the ends, shame I can't dry them out because I think that's the only real way of curing it

I'm not giving up the garage for a golf and leaving the cossie on the drive

[R4N S S]

my astra does this in really cold weather.

did it last year but i just put it down to the abuse the car was getting in the snow

Then it did it this year and again put it down to the snow abuse.

However, my old man took the car to work last night and was complaining this morning that the hand brake was stuck on oddly enough I just done a trip to Dam and back this weekend and the car was fine.

Plenty of meat on the discs and pads too. I have ended up parking it in gear.

[Ginge !]

its prob cause you live 4000 feet above sea level !!!!, sod driving round where you live when it snowed !!!

ps: cheers for sorting out the linkage,,,, mates scooby is now mint again !!!

[bad boy rs]

my transporter does the same in this weather, i always forget to not use it though and by the morning its to late

[RUPERT THE BIG HAIRY BEAR]

the outer cable ends will have warn a bit and let some moisture in and its then frozen simple dont use hand barke leave inn gear and for a bit more if ur worried the front wheels will slide put a few bricks under them

[bil_s2]

I had the same problem with a 944. The sleeve on the cable was worn/perished in places and water was getting in and then freezing. I got the cable replaced and it was fine.

[Paulo P]

Originally Posted by Ginge !

its prob cause you live 4000 feet above sea level !!!!, sod driving round where you live when it snowed !!!

ps: cheers for sorting out the linkage,,,, mates scooby is now mint again !!!

We couldn't move at all in the snow due to the hills, it was gridlocked around here and my wife didn't even make it home That main road up to mine wasn't gritted so there were abandoned cars everywhere.

Glad you sorted it

[Paulo P]

I inspected the car tonight and I found that the rubber sleeve on the nearside handbrake cable wasn't covering the cable and the cable was slightly corroded. I cleaned everything up, ran some wd40 down the cables, refitted the rubber sleeve and coperslipped the cables. I'm not sure if it will make a difference but it's the best I could do tonight

Thanks for your help and suggestions I have never experienced it before and didn't realise it was so common!

[Paulo P]

Update.

It was still frozen the following morning so my wife took my car to work

When it thawed I ended up leaving her car in gear with a wheel against a rock on the drive but then it snowed like crazy lmao