How To Check The Handbrake On Your Ford Fiesta
Checking the handbrake on your Ford Fiesta is an essential maintenance check that you don’t want skip. The handbrake is what keeps your car stationary and stops it from rolling down slopes or steep inclines that back out onto a road because the last thing you want to do is pay out for expensive bodywork damage. Most Ford Fiesta handbrakes are automatic with a self-adjusting mechanism but the cables tend to stretch, causing excessive movement of the lever. Just follow this step by step guide for instructions on how to check your Ford Fiesta’s handbrake.
1. The first thing you want to do is make sure your Ford Fiesta is stable by raising it with a jack and securing it using axle stands at the rear for maximum safety and security.
2. You then want to check that the plunger extends beyond each rear brake backplate as this is what indicates the adjustment condition.
3. Then, apply firm pressure to your Ford Fiesta's foot brake to fully activate the automatic adjuster mechanism and check the stroke length of the movement.
4. After that, you will want to check the movement of the plunger stroke. It should make roughly 3 to 6 clicks of movement.
5. Then measure the movement which should be approximately between 0.5mm to 3.0mm from both sides for the adjustment to be considered acceptable.
6. If your plunger movement exceeds the specified details above or cannot be measured at all, you will need to make the follow adjustments to your handbrake:
7. Grab a pair of pliers and pull out the locking pin that keeps the adjuster sleeve and locknut in place on your Ford Fiesta.
8. Slacken the cable locknut on the handbrake and turn the adjuster sleeve so that the plungers can be rotated slightly and the movement is between 0.5mm and 3.0mm.
9. Once you have confirmed this, tighten the locknut against the adjuster sleeve by hand so that you can feel two clicks then use a wrench to tighten until you hear another two clicks.
10. Finally, fit a new nylon locking pin to secure the adjuster sleeve and cable locknut. Make sure you tap it in gently and carefully.
Read how to check your spark plug for more simple Ford Fiesta checks or visit Ford car parts to buy original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Ford Fiesta car parts from Quickco Parts.
1. The first thing you want to do is make sure your Ford Fiesta is stable by raising it with a jack and securing it using axle stands at the rear for maximum safety and security.
2. You then want to check that the plunger extends beyond each rear brake backplate as this is what indicates the adjustment condition.
3. Then, apply firm pressure to your Ford Fiesta's foot brake to fully activate the automatic adjuster mechanism and check the stroke length of the movement.
4. After that, you will want to check the movement of the plunger stroke. It should make roughly 3 to 6 clicks of movement.
5. Then measure the movement which should be approximately between 0.5mm to 3.0mm from both sides for the adjustment to be considered acceptable.
6. If your plunger movement exceeds the specified details above or cannot be measured at all, you will need to make the follow adjustments to your handbrake:
7. Grab a pair of pliers and pull out the locking pin that keeps the adjuster sleeve and locknut in place on your Ford Fiesta.
8. Slacken the cable locknut on the handbrake and turn the adjuster sleeve so that the plungers can be rotated slightly and the movement is between 0.5mm and 3.0mm.
9. Once you have confirmed this, tighten the locknut against the adjuster sleeve by hand so that you can feel two clicks then use a wrench to tighten until you hear another two clicks.
10. Finally, fit a new nylon locking pin to secure the adjuster sleeve and cable locknut. Make sure you tap it in gently and carefully.
Read how to check your spark plug for more simple Ford Fiesta checks or visit Ford car parts to buy original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Ford Fiesta car parts from Quickco Parts.
