Author Topic: Stuck Hand Brake Cable. Arg this cold weather! (Read 4575 times)

Smokey Eddy · « **on:** December 15, 2008, 12:47:53 pm »

The hand brake cable on the driver side of my 2000 tdi golf won't return.
I disconnected the cable and the caliper section returned fine so it's not the caliper. I pulled as hard as i could on the cable with pliers and it came out a little ways so i pulled on the hand brake just a little and the cable moved back in but it still doesn't return freely anymore!

Is it frozen somewhere?
This is odd to me because with enough force it will return but i really really had to pull on it.

I think it's because of the cold because this happened at a ski hill last year.
Thanks a bunch. It was maybe -10 at the coldest here on my driveway?

sincerely,
Numb-Fingered-Ed

zukgod1 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2008, 01:22:28 pm »

They aren't to hard to remove Ed, I would take it off and fill it from one end with WD40 or the like till it starts to move.

I acquired a couple cables from the salvage yard that were kinda stiff. I used PB Blaster and slid the cable back and forth till the finally moved like they were suppose to.

If your going to remove one it's not that much work to remove the other one also so you can lube them both up. Would suck to do one then next week or tomorrow have the same problem with the other cable.

Smokey Eddy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2008, 01:28:53 pm »

Thanks Dan, i'll do that.

clbanman · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2008, 03:19:30 pm »

I have had similar issues on various cars. In virtually every case it was due to water getting into the cable sheath and freezing inside. This would explain why in happened when cold.

AudiVWguy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2008, 03:30:10 pm »

Isn't there a device they use on motorcycle cables that forces lube onto the cable?

Smokey Eddy · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2008, 03:45:24 pm »

Who knows? probably. I would have thought that being so close to the exhaust it would have melted. Dan's suggestion seems to be a smart option. It would block water from getting in there again if you grease it.

Funny enough, this has never happened on my '90 jetta

madmedix · « **Reply #6 on:** December 15, 2008, 04:10:37 pm »

Ah, how you find this stuff out when it's too late

Exactly what caused me to replace the one on my Jetta. Luckily for me it happened so close to the spring weather I waited and when it's a little warmer...
Anyway: for me it was water...and the new cable got a whack of this stuff:

(sorry for the webcam pic)...

I did it to the passenger one too because it was getting finicky too...no problems since.

It's been 2 years...

Cheers,
Andy

Author Topic: Stuck Hand Brake Cable. Arg this cold weather! (Read 4575 times)

AudiVWguy