Hand/Foot/Parking Brake Adjustment E420 - Benzworld.org

sidmon · 02-02-2008, 06:27 AM

The Hand/Foot/Parking brake on my E420 is very ineffective at holding the car. Any tips on adjustment and locations of adjusting points.

Shipsake · 02-02-2008, 03:36 PM

If you take the rear discs off, there are individual pad adjusters inside the drum.

raymond- · 02-02-2008, 08:02 PM

should the vehicle not have rear drums, you may be able to locate a cable
adjustment....accessible beneath the rear seat (from memory).

sidmon · 02-02-2008, 08:08 PM

So the cable is adjustable from within the interior of the car?

raymond- · 02-02-2008, 08:37 PM

yes. remove rear seat. atop the drive shaft tunnel is a plate/cover the size of
a small loaf of bread. secured via (3) 10mm nuts. remove and access linkage
to parking brake. two of the nuts are under the rear seat vertical cushion....
though easily accessible via box wrench.

if you like more room and want to look around, the vertical cushion is easily
removable via (3) large nuts at the bottom (corner, center, corner). slide
cushion skyward to clear wire loops/fitting and set aside.

this will allow you access to the hand brake hatch with socket or power driver.

-- you weren't very specific about the ineffectiveness of the parking
brake so uncertain if this simple adjustment will resolve your situation.

sidmon · 02-03-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymond-

yes. remove rear seat. atop the drive shaft tunnel is a plate/cover the size of
a small loaf of bread. secured via (3) 10mm nuts. remove and access linkage
to parking brake. two of the nuts are under the rear seat vertical cushion....
though easily accessible via box wrench.

if you like more room and want to look around, the vertical cushion is easily
removable via (3) large nuts at the bottom (corner, center, corner). slide
cushion skyward to clear wire loops/fitting and set aside.

this will allow you access to the hand brake hatch with socket or power driver.

-- you weren't very specific about the ineffectiveness of the parking
brake so uncertain if this simple adjustment will resolve your situation.

When the handbrake is on it barely holds the car. I take it I dont need to remove the rear....merely pull the rear seat base up as if I about to drop the rear seats. I take it it would be best to do this while the rear wheels are off the ground so I can ensure there is no brake drag when the handbrake is off.

**acarter53** · 02-03-2008, 02:32 PM

Have you ever replaced the parking break pads? They could be worn. (for drums)

raymond- · 02-03-2008, 03:12 PM

you should do whatever is needed to resolve it. your advantage is that you
can perform hands-on. we, via the Internet, cannot. so a more thorough
inspection is yours to carry out.

If the parking brake actuation seems as though it's on full travel, then yes,
perhaps the cable system needs adjusting.

You should pull the rear wheel and inspect the parking brake mechanism.

You should inspect the brake pads/rotor for wear.

I dont think you have drum brakes, but perhaps I'm wrong. If so, you can
perform the drum brake adjustment by backing up and pressing on the brake
pedel, back up/press brake.....repeat for half dozen times. This is old school
and I'm thinking that MB was well past this technology at this point.

Shipsake · 02-03-2008, 03:45 PM

The "drum" is just the inside of the rear rotors, yes, the brakes are all 4 wheel disc, but all parking brakes are drum style, and there are pads inside the rear discs. When I changed my rear rotors, I adjusted the pads so they just barely fit in the rotor, the parking brake was dramaticly improved, like new.

raymond- · 02-03-2008, 04:15 PM

ah...i understand better. thx. obviously, I've had problem free parking brake thus far.