Failed my MOT

[Purpledoris]

My beloved surf failed the test today with the following:

OSR (when done together Osr has no performance) rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.a.4A)** DANGEROUS**

the tester said that it relates to the handbrake and not the footbrake which is fine.

So where do i start? step by step instructions please! i'm a girl remember. and as i have two jobs at the moment i really need the car.......
Help help help

[da SLUG man]

do you use the handbrake when you park??

it has a self adjuster on it which clicks round very slowly every time you put the handbrake on to compensate for wear...

or, the cable may have snapped on that side... have a look underneath... it splits and runs along the back axle, then into the drums.

[MudSurfer]

My beloved surf failed the test today with the following:

OSR (when done together Osr has no performance) rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.a.4A)** DANGEROUS**

the tester said that it relates to the handbrake and not the footbrake which is fine.

So where do i start? step by step instructions please! i'm a girl remember. and as i have two jobs at the moment i really need the car.......
Help help help

Drive home with the handbrake on, like I did - worked for me.

[Purpledoris]

i will try both thanks! or rather someone else will
..........

[da SLUG man]

wouldn't try driving with handbrake on!... it will only wear them and could dangerously overheat the fluid!!

the adjuster works on a ratchet, so can only be done by actually repeatedly pulling the handbrake on.
(or take drum off and adjust manually)

[WARRIOR72]

easiest way to check is to disconnect the handbrake in the drum and get someone to gently operate it..the end should move quite freely, if it doesnt move its likely the cable has either snapped or seized in the outer cover and needs replacing but more often the pivot point on the rear shoes where the cable connects seizes up and just needs taking apart and lubricating whilst moving it forward and backward to free it up,
another point is after youve had it re tested and it passes (hopefully) your mot guy should of failed it on 'rear PARKING brake recording little or no effort '
because what hes typed into the computer on your failure sheet refers to the footbrake NOT the handbrake,if youd taken it to another garage they could of charged you for looking at something that didnt need doing!!

[WARRIOR72]

[QUOTE=da SLUG man]wouldn't try driving with handbrake on!... it will only wear them and could dangerously overheat the fluid!!

i agree ,ive seen many vehicles where they have been driven with handbrake left on accidently and most of these come in on a recovery truck with the back wheel bearings/seals and cylinders exploded due to the heat build up!!