[speary8]

Since getting my F33 over a year ago I have noticed that the handbrake doesn’t apply consistently. It holds the car ok but sometimes it pulls up about 3 clicks and sometimes it’s 6 or 7
Has anybody else experienced this?

[999rigger]

nope. Mine is the same every time.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by speary8

Since getting my F33 over a year ago I have noticed that the handbrake doesn’t apply consistently. It holds the car ok but sometimes it pulls up about 3 clicks and sometimes it’s 6 or 7
Has anybody else experienced this?

Been a common problem since BMW fitted the automatic cable adjusting feature to the parking brake. Same in E9x models, for example.

The automatic cable adjuster (ASZE unit) can jump. This is worse if the actual parking brake (brake shoes) need a physical adjustment. The cables are therefore running with some slack, this does seem to contribute to the adjuster 'jumping' and can give different random positions to the handbrake lever.

[SW6Steve]

Mine has been consistent since ownership. Probably just jinxed that now!
I know it may not make a difference! But do you clean with a pull of the handbrake when moving off?

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Been a common problem since BMW fitted the automatic cable adjusting feature to the parking brake. Same in E9x models, for example.

The automatic cable adjuster (ASZE unit) can jump. This is worse if the actual parking brake (brake shoes) need a physical adjustment. The cables are therefore running with some slack, this does seem to contribute to the adjuster 'jumping' and can give different random positions to the handbrake lever.

My old E90 did this quite badly, sometimes it would need 8 clicks to hold on an incline, then if I released it and reapplied it it would hold on 3-4 clicks.

My F30 has recently started doing similar but to less extent, sometime 3-4 clicks other times 5-6 clicks, until recently though it always held on about 3 clicks.

[Kermit]

Haha my handbrake sometimes feels like a token gesture... We're very polite to each other, I pull it and it clicks, but neither one of us is under any illusion that it's actually applying a force to the brakes! Thank goodness for Park.

[bloodline129]

Originally Posted by Kermit

Haha my handbrake sometimes feels like a token gesture... We're very polite to each other, I pull it and it clicks, but neither one of us is under any illusion that it's actually applying a force to the brakes! Thank goodness for Park.

Haha I concur

[xpro]

Mines exactly the same. Sometimes it goes 6 clicks and sometimes only 2 or 3.

What I generally do, I let the car roll a bit before I tighten it, and I find as discs move, I get that position of 2/3 clicks quite often and then it holds much better. Especially of on a hill, as I hate the car to sit on the park pin!