E-brake doesn't work at all!

[Flash13783]

My emergency brake doesn't work at all! I've pulled the wheels off and completly tightened it and adjusted it at the handle too, but doesnt make a difference at all. I checked the calipers by stepping on the brakes while they were off and the caliper compressed.
Is there something in the caliper you can replace to make the ebrake work or do i need two new rear calipers because both sides are doin the same thing?

[RotorNutFD3S]

Did it work normally before and then all of the sudden stop working?

When you pull the lever up, have someone check the movement of the cables at the wheels. If they are not moving, follow the cable from the handle and see if the cable has disconnected or broken somewhere.

[Flash13783]

yea the cable is moving all the way into the caliper, I bought the car a week ago and it's never worked since i've had it.

[RotorNutFD3S]

That's an odd one. Brake pads still have meat on them?

[Doppelgänger]

How did you adjust the cable at the caliper? Did you remove the service bolt and adjust the hex screw in the caliper? If you have not, there is a 12mm bolt on the back of the caliper, take it off and use a allan/hex key to tighten the screw. Get it as tight as you can by hand and then turn it back 1/4 turn. You want to make sure the parking lever gets tight after 4-5 clicks... not all the way up. If the lever even getting tight or is it going all the way up with no resistance?

[RotorNutFD3S]

Oh damn, I always forget about that little hex adjuster on the rear calipers...

[Doppelgänger]

Yeah, having the know-how of that little detail would have saved me a ton of time the first time i did the rear brakes by myself :lol:

[RotorNutFD3S]

Yeah, I followed the walkthrough on m.net to do my brakes the first time, but it's a small detail that is easily forgotten, unless you miss it the first time. :)

[Doppelgänger]

I did manage to bend a rather large c-clamp trying to push the caliper back in :lol:

[Acro]

I did the hex screw adjustment on mine today. Works like a champ now where it didn't work at all before. Thanks Mike :p

[Flash13783]

Thanks man!
I looked at it today, but didn't read your comment closly enough so i just looked for a hex and couldn't find one but now i know to remove the service bolt....lol may sound stupid but which bolt is the service one lol?

[Doppelgänger]

If you have the caliper off and imagine a line that goes straight through the piston to the back side of the caliper, the bolt will be right there. It's the only random 12mm bolt on the back of the caliper.

http://re3.yt-thm-a01.yimg.com/image/25/m7/3806181034

http://re3.yt-thm-a01.yimg.com/image/25/m4/2833996139

[Flash13783]

Thanks! Does the caliber need to removed or can i get to it from under the car ? Man i hope this works and saves me some $$$ lol

[Doppelgänger]

Well, put the car up on a jackstand, pull the wheel ad go to work. The adjustment is made when the caliper is in position.

You'll also need to remember this next time you replace the rear pads. In that case, you take the bolt off before you remove the pads, remove the pads and then loosen that hex to reset the piston before putting the new pads in, swing the caliper back into position, bolt caliper back down, followed by the last step of tightening the hex all the way and bringing it back out 1/4 turn. And that's how you service the rear brakes :)

[Flash13783]

OKk That half way did the trick. The passenger rear finally got tight after being way loose and then i turned it back a 1/4 turn.
Not so much luck for the driver rear. Got the service bolt off, but the screw on the inside is stripped out and the allen wrench would not turn it any idea's???
But E-brake half way works. but will still give if the cars barely rolling.

[idriveamiata]

You might have stripped the star shaped bit inside the caliper. Good thing you have one on the other side that you can take out and use on the stripped side. Then you might end up with 2 stripped bits and then you have to buy more on the internet.[hr]

[Flash13783]

??? how do i get it out with it bein stripped and where is this other screw at??