Parking Cable: Please advise...

ProJect_*A4* · 11-22-2008 01:07 PM

Mornin fellow ziner's!

My rear parking cable has been stretched out... my car is at 102k miles so its cuz its old. I googled and searched some prices but Would love it if someone out there thats replaced there cables before knows of a good website or company that I can buy the cable from for a good price and good quality.

**AudiA4Turbo22** · 11-22-2008 01:17 PM

search for crying out loud, and it doesn't need to be replaced u can tighten it.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...+parking+brake

ProJect_*A4* · 11-22-2008 01:19 PM

i would be all bitchy about it right now. but that search thing never comes to mind lol..

thanks

**nihil** · 11-22-2008 01:27 PM

There's also a follow-up to that post with pictures of what you'll be dealing with:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206928

ProJect_*A4* · 11-22-2008 01:35 PM

thanks nihil but my parking brake is too loose. it wont self adjust. Ive tried many times.

it will disengage on occasions. mechanic said its streched out and wont last long. I had them reconnect the cables a while ago becuz the parking brake stopped working. they fixed it and 1 month later... tada... so they fixed it again under their warranty thank god, and explained that i need to replace my rear parking cables.

ProJect_*A4* · 11-22-2008 01:43 PM

Nihil. this goes for you... i just looked at some of the pics you showed that are in that link you provided. that self made screwdriver you made, when you push it into the parking brake mechanism release tool and twist it clockwise to un-tighten the brake, is it possible to twist it counter clockwise to tighten it up? im assuming gradually it will slowly release, unless i get new brake cables.

**diagnosticator** · 11-22-2008 03:45 PM

EDITED Nothing should gradually loosen, It's not likely the cables actually have stretched, Audi designed the cables to easily exceed the minimum strength needed to prevent the cables from stretching in normal use conditions, and it's not possible to pull hard enough to really stretch the cables by using the e-brake in the normal way. After all, the e-brake aka parking brake, is supposed to be a last resort means of braking the car in the unlikely event of total failure of the service brakes. Because of this consideration, as well as other relevent principles involved here and supported by the logical assumption of cables that will stretch in service to the extent required to cause the issue described, would not be specified for use. There must be some other reason for the lost adjustment causing the e-brake to be too loose. One possible reason for the loose e-brakes, is if the mechanical adjusters in the rear calipers, are sticking and the calipers are not compensating for the brake pad wear. This can result if the brake fluid is not changed as recommended, and water in the calipers causes internal caliper corrosion in the e-brake adjusters.

**nihil** · 11-22-2008 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by ProJect_*A4*

Nihil. this goes for you... i just looked at some of the pics you showed that are in that link you provided. that self made screwdriver you made, when you push it into the parking brake mechanism release tool and twist it clockwise to un-tighten the brake, is it possible to twist it counter clockwise to tighten it up? im assuming gradually it will slowly release, unless i get new brake cables.

No it won't tighten them, there is a spring inside that mechanism that should make the hooks the cables are attached to move towards the front of the car when the brake is used normally. That's what needs to happen to tighten them. If they are already as far forward as they'll go, then your cables are stretched too far to be of any use. If the hooks still have some room but wont move forward on their own, or by normal use of the parking brake, try unhooking the cables and moving the hooks back and forth a couple times by hand. If it's gummed up for some reason, soak it in your favorite penetrating lubricant or goo-gone (depending on what's gumming it up).

That button only releases the ratcheting mechanism that holds the cables in the forward position allowed by the spring and tension on the cables.

**nihil** · 11-22-2008 04:43 PM

This might help:

**diagnosticator** · 11-22-2008 11:31 PM

See edited reply posted earlier.

**diagnosticator** · 11-22-2008 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by nihil

This might help:

Nice diagram, very informative! Did you use "Paint" app or ?? to create?

**nihil** · 11-23-2008 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by diagnosticator

Nice diagram, very informative! Did you use "Paint" app or ?? to create?

Thanks. It's a program called Dia for Linux.

http://projects.gnome.org/dia/

ProJect_*A4* · 11-23-2008 05:23 PM

you guys are great. I appreciate it. As for now my e-brake is fine. I definately will not use it as much as i did before. i will just rely on puttin my car in gear.

Thing that bugs me the most is i really dont know why the parking brake keeps disengaging and the shop that fixed it isnt really informative. they did give me a small diagram of how the cables work. But no where near enough as i wanted..

I guess someday i should just stick my head under the car, check the cables, all the mechanisms, and hopefully figure it out. But that wont be till the brake disengages again hah.