Mondeo mk3 Handbrake
29-03-2011, 03:38 PM
#1
Mondeo mk3 Handbrake
My handbrake used to be awesome on the mondeo, firts click or 2 held it on any hill.
Now it seems sh1te but still only goes to 1 or 2 clicks.
Also seems sometimes its only braking properly on one side or def more so on one side.
Is it likely to be a siezed cable or caliper on these?
Car is 2000 but a Mk3 model
Out of interest also where is the adjustment on the handbrake cable for a mondeo? As on focus and fiesta etc there is access to a 10mm screw you adjust but on the mondeo around the handbrake is hard plastic
Thanks
Now it seems sh1te but still only goes to 1 or 2 clicks.
Also seems sometimes its only braking properly on one side or def more so on one side.
Is it likely to be a siezed cable or caliper on these?
Car is 2000 but a Mk3 model
Out of interest also where is the adjustment on the handbrake cable for a mondeo? As on focus and fiesta etc there is access to a 10mm screw you adjust but on the mondeo around the handbrake is hard plastic
Thanks
29-03-2011, 03:42 PM
#2
My handbrake used to be awesome on the mondeo, firts click or 2 held it on any hill.
Now it seems sh1te but still only goes to 1 or 2 clicks.
Also seems sometimes its only braking properly on one side or def more so on one side.
Is it likely to be a siezed cable or caliper on these?
Car is 2000 but a Mk3 model
Out of interest also where is the adjustment on the handbrake cable for a mondeo? As on focus and fiesta etc there is access to a 10mm screw you adjust but on the mondeo around the handbrake is hard plastic
Thanks
Now it seems sh1te but still only goes to 1 or 2 clicks.
Also seems sometimes its only braking properly on one side or def more so on one side.
Is it likely to be a siezed cable or caliper on these?
Car is 2000 but a Mk3 model
Out of interest also where is the adjustment on the handbrake cable for a mondeo? As on focus and fiesta etc there is access to a 10mm screw you adjust but on the mondeo around the handbrake is hard plastic
Thanks
29-03-2011, 04:03 PM
#7
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Aye funny as the old mans X-type has the same problem, I un-seized it a few month back but the problem is terminal .. Watch it as the rear brake drags and heats the rim up real well ..
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29-03-2011, 04:03 PM
#8
Pads and discs changed one about a year ago just.
Do you lubricat the bit the handbrake cable pulls on where it goes into the caliper just?
29-03-2011, 04:41 PM
#10
10K+ Poster!!
29-03-2011, 09:42 PM
#13
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
The calipers seize as said, disconnect the cable from the caliper and spray the lever with WD40 or Plusgas and work it back and forth with a pair of vice grips on the lever. Also early Mk3's had an automatic adjuster on the handbrake lever that is crap and was recalled as said. Some slipped through though (like mine). Best thing you can do is convert it to the later handbrake lever without the adjuster together with the later type handbrake cables with the adjuster on the cables. I did this to mine and it was a million times better.
EDIT: see this link http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?...Variants_-_Mk3
EDIT: see this link http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?...Variants_-_Mk3
Last edited by Cozziekid; 29-03-2011 at 09:44 PM.
30-03-2011, 09:00 AM
#14
The calipers seize as said, disconnect the cable from the caliper and spray the lever with WD40 or Plusgas and work it back and forth with a pair of vice grips on the lever. Also early Mk3's had an automatic adjuster on the handbrake lever that is crap and was recalled as said. Some slipped through though (like mine). Best thing you can do is convert it to the later handbrake lever without the adjuster together with the later type handbrake cables with the adjuster on the cables. I did this to mine and it was a million times better.
EDIT: see this link http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?...Variants_-_Mk3
EDIT: see this link http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?...Variants_-_Mk3
I have never looked TBH but the handbrake is still tight, one or 2 clicks and you cant oull it anymore but its shite at holding on a hill so i presume its the caliper siezed
Do the cables themselfs ever sieze?
30-03-2011, 09:28 AM
#16
Mondeo mk3 lessons for you all to learn from.
Early cars had an automatic adjuster built into the handbrake machanism, it's inside the guts of the hand rake so you can't really fix it if it goes wrong.
Later cars, from as early as 2002 had the manual adjuters fitted to the rear as shown in the picture you can see the nut on the end of the cable.
If you change between one or the other then in some cases the ends of the cables won't fit so you'll need to buy new ones. Yes there are 2 cables, one for each side.
The cables have a fairly serious design flaw where the road dirt and shit from under the car gets into the outer sheathing and slowly corroded thebouter metal sheathing to the extent that it grips the cable and won't let go, this is commonly misdiagnosed as a stuck handbrake caliper.
Changing the cables is something i do once a yea. As for Ł15 it's easy to do and cheaper than the handbrake caliper every year for the mot.
The calipers don't seize up in the same way that the older ford ones did like those fitted to the sierra/Granada so you shouldn't have these issues really.
The calipers are different for the estate and saloon/hatch due to the design or the rear suspension on the estate and are essentially "upsidedown" when you view them next to the hatch/saloon versions.
The auto cable handbrakes are generally self adjusting and self lubricating and don't need any work doing to them so before you all go and buy new handbrakes and calipers, check that the cables move freely inside the sheathing, you will need to get under the car for this and also be aware that some aftermarket cables won't actually fit the mondeo balancer bar end as their heads are too wide to fit into the adjuster slot so make sure you take your old one with you when you look for a new one.
You can open the adjuster bar up to force them in but this mayblead to a weakening of the bar metal as you open and close it again.
Any questions just ask here
Early cars had an automatic adjuster built into the handbrake machanism, it's inside the guts of the hand rake so you can't really fix it if it goes wrong.
Later cars, from as early as 2002 had the manual adjuters fitted to the rear as shown in the picture you can see the nut on the end of the cable.
If you change between one or the other then in some cases the ends of the cables won't fit so you'll need to buy new ones. Yes there are 2 cables, one for each side.
The cables have a fairly serious design flaw where the road dirt and shit from under the car gets into the outer sheathing and slowly corroded thebouter metal sheathing to the extent that it grips the cable and won't let go, this is commonly misdiagnosed as a stuck handbrake caliper.
Changing the cables is something i do once a yea. As for Ł15 it's easy to do and cheaper than the handbrake caliper every year for the mot.
The calipers don't seize up in the same way that the older ford ones did like those fitted to the sierra/Granada so you shouldn't have these issues really.
The calipers are different for the estate and saloon/hatch due to the design or the rear suspension on the estate and are essentially "upsidedown" when you view them next to the hatch/saloon versions.
The auto cable handbrakes are generally self adjusting and self lubricating and don't need any work doing to them so before you all go and buy new handbrakes and calipers, check that the cables move freely inside the sheathing, you will need to get under the car for this and also be aware that some aftermarket cables won't actually fit the mondeo balancer bar end as their heads are too wide to fit into the adjuster slot so make sure you take your old one with you when you look for a new one.
You can open the adjuster bar up to force them in but this mayblead to a weakening of the bar metal as you open and close it again.
Any questions just ask here
30-03-2011, 09:35 AM
#17
Cheers dojj
Ill get it up on the ramp soon and first see if mine has the manual adjuster or auto adjust and see if the cables move freely.
Might also nip round to the mechanic and get him to fire it on his brake balance tester to see what side or both is causing the problem too.;
Ill get it up on the ramp soon and first see if mine has the manual adjuster or auto adjust and see if the cables move freely.
Might also nip round to the mechanic and get him to fire it on his brake balance tester to see what side or both is causing the problem too.;
31-03-2011, 06:53 PM
#18
I had mine up in the air today to swap the discs and pads. I've got the earlier handbrake cable, but it seemed fine, as did the caliper, but - The lower of the two slider pins was jammed in the caliper, a bit of persuasion with a hammer, and refitting it with some copper grease and the handbrake works perfectly. Oh, and the ST calipers work really well too!!
31-03-2011, 07:41 PM
#19
so did you do some "before/after" stopping tests then dan?
hooked up to fancy machinery to test pedal pressure and stopping distances and whatnots?
or was it just the fact that you know they are so much better and it's the mod every mondeo owner should do first?
and did you tart them up first before you bolted them on?
hooked up to fancy machinery to test pedal pressure and stopping distances and whatnots?
or was it just the fact that you know they are so much better and it's the mod every mondeo owner should do first?
and did you tart them up first before you bolted them on?
06-04-2011, 08:33 PM
#20
Got the csar up on the ramp tonight and had a look.
It seems my car still has the automatic adjuster and that seems to be working fine and the calipers are free as well as the handbrake cables
The problem seems to be the caliper is maxed out so veyr little travel left for the handbrake, the pads arent that worn, i know the arent exactly new but surely the handbrake lever shouldnt be maxed out when the are worn like below?
New pads will hopefully cure the problem tho.
How does the self adjuster unadjust when you fit new pads or will it unadjust when i wind the calipers back in?
Here is some pics, i know the drop links are shagged and i have new ones on order fro, ford which ill fit when doing the pads again
The dreaded self adjuster
It seems my car still has the automatic adjuster and that seems to be working fine and the calipers are free as well as the handbrake cables
The problem seems to be the caliper is maxed out so veyr little travel left for the handbrake, the pads arent that worn, i know the arent exactly new but surely the handbrake lever shouldnt be maxed out when the are worn like below?
New pads will hopefully cure the problem tho.
How does the self adjuster unadjust when you fit new pads or will it unadjust when i wind the calipers back in?
Here is some pics, i know the drop links are shagged and i have new ones on order fro, ford which ill fit when doing the pads again
The dreaded self adjuster
06-04-2011, 11:12 PM
#21
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
First caliper looks slightly twisted and not square with the disc/pad, id be investigating that! Second caliper looks like its been refurbed/replaced not so long ago.
07-04-2011, 04:55 AM
#22
The first pic looks like the cable is at fault as the little gaitor abound the cable is all scrunched up. Did you actually leave the handbrake off and then pull the cables to see if they were free or was it just a quick visual check?
And seconded that one of the calipers is on the piss so you might want to be looking at the sliders to see if they are stuck or dried out.
And seconded that one of the calipers is on the piss so you might want to be looking at the sliders to see if they are stuck or dried out.
07-04-2011, 05:36 AM
#23
One if the calipers was replaced about a year ago.
Those pictures where taken with the hand brake off.
I didn't remove the caliper but had a good fiddle with them.
If you wedged the lever until fully maxed out you could still turn the wheel if you tried hard enough
That's why I'm thinking as it looks like the cable is all scrunched up cause the caliper is maxed out and new pads may help?
I think it may just be the angle of the picture as i checked to see if the little bracket was bent.
Those pictures where taken with the hand brake off.
I didn't remove the caliper but had a good fiddle with them.
If you wedged the lever until fully maxed out you could still turn the wheel if you tried hard enough
That's why I'm thinking as it looks like the cable is all scrunched up cause the caliper is maxed out and new pads may help?
I think it may just be the angle of the picture as i checked to see if the little bracket was bent.
07-04-2011, 10:06 AM
#26
No, because I'm lazy! I chucked them in the parts washer, but couldn't be arsed to paint them. They'd already been painted before, and will only get crappy in a few months, so I didn't bother. They don't look to bad considering...
12-04-2011, 09:23 AM
#30
Changed the pads last night and the caliper lever is free etc.
The slider pin wasnt siezed but was stiff, maybe caused this to happen
I also need to get the new rubber big for the pin below, ca you buy these seperate or do you need to buy the pin from ford and it comes with it?
I think the fault is either with the auto adjust handbrake or the cable itself now so i think i will find the manual adjust handbrake and change it with new cables.
The level is still maxed out and the handbrake still doesnt grip.
The slider pin wasnt siezed but was stiff, maybe caused this to happen
I also need to get the new rubber big for the pin below, ca you buy these seperate or do you need to buy the pin from ford and it comes with it?
I think the fault is either with the auto adjust handbrake or the cable itself now so i think i will find the manual adjust handbrake and change it with new cables.
The level is still maxed out and the handbrake still doesnt grip.
12-04-2011, 12:16 PM
#31
If you want a manual adjust hand rake lever I've got one floating abot in the garage somewhere but those pins cone as a kit now from ford, I was fleeced for Ł40 when I needed a slider 
so try matt lewis first to see if he's got this sort of thing in his back pocket before going to the likes of ford as these are specifically ford only items.
so try matt lewis first to see if he's got this sort of thing in his back pocket before going to the likes of ford as these are specifically ford only items.
12-04-2011, 12:42 PM
#32
If you want a manual adjust hand rake lever I've got one floating abot in the garage somewhere but those pins cone as a kit now from ford, I was fleeced for Ł40 when I needed a slider so try matt lewis first to see if he's got this sort of thing in his back pocket before going to the likes of ford as these are specifically ford only items.
so try matt lewis first to see if he's got this sort of thing in his back pocket before going to the likes of ford as these are specifically ford only items.Tho if the slider pins are Ł40 the whole seal kit from bigg red is cheaper and covers both calipers so might as well just get that
PM me a price for the handbrake lever please
12-04-2011, 01:35 PM
#34
pm me your address and i'll dig it out and send it to you for the postage
it has been sitting around there for a while and i only bought it because it had a shiney button on it, but when i looked into doing the swap, i thought "can't be arsed" and filed it away on a shelf somewhere
it has been sitting around there for a while and i only bought it because it had a shiney button on it, but when i looked into doing the swap, i thought "can't be arsed" and filed it away on a shelf somewhere
12-04-2011, 02:38 PM
#35
pm me your address and i'll dig it out and send it to you for the postage
it has been sitting around there for a while and i only bought it because it had a shiney button on it, but when i looked into doing the swap, i thought "can't be arsed" and filed it away on a shelf somewhere
it has been sitting around there for a while and i only bought it because it had a shiney button on it, but when i looked into doing the swap, i thought "can't be arsed" and filed it away on a shelf somewhere
My current one does.
15-04-2011, 08:34 PM
#37
Sorry to hijack your thread mate
We have fitted 2 handbrake cables today to my dads 2001 mondeo one from each caliper back to the horse shoe type thing and we made sure both rear calipers where free now its all done when we pull the handbrake lever up it still goes fairly high but holds will this take a few days to adjust its self or is there some where i can adjust it myself?
Brian
We have fitted 2 handbrake cables today to my dads 2001 mondeo one from each caliper back to the horse shoe type thing and we made sure both rear calipers where free now its all done when we pull the handbrake lever up it still goes fairly high but holds will this take a few days to adjust its self or is there some where i can adjust it myself?
Brian
