Sticky parking brake... how to resolve.

[Droverunner]

So it's MOT in three days. Everything pretty well up to the mark except the parking brake. Has massive holding power so OK from that aspect... but due to the typical lack of use on an auto car the mechanism will sometimes stick on and take minutes of messing about to free off.

Does the CLK have the hatch under the rear seat to access the mechanism and if so is it the pivots under there or at the pedal end that are most likely to be at fault. Any other areas to look at on a C209 to get it spot on?

 

[Oldspanners]

So it's MOT in three days. Everything pretty well up to the mark except the parking brake. Has massive holding power so OK from that aspect... but due to the typical lack of use on an auto car the mechanism will sometimes stick on and take minutes of messing about to free off.

Does the CLK have the hatch under the rear seat to access the mechanism and if so is it the pivots under there or at the pedal end that are most likely to be at fault. Any other areas to look at on a C209 to get it spot on?

Here is the WIS document.
https://mbwis.net/en/doc/7019063

 

[Droverunner]

Many thanks, I'll give that a good read.

 

[Droverunner]

OK job done. On the 209 CLK coupe tilt the rear seat squabs and pull up the very well fitted carpet to locate the central access hatch. On ours the carpet was so tightly fitted I wondered if it was glued but no... just tightly tucked in on all edges.

Once the central hatch is removed the mechanism is self-explanatory.

Ours was rusted and partially seized on the pivot my finger points to in one image... also where the cable yoke moves partially within the main lever that was dry and tight.

Image taken when it was all freed off and oiled/greased. As found it was too stiff to snap back under the action of the spring that's around the main pivot. Once sorted it was nicely free moving.

Then I had a look at the pedal end. Very difficult access and that all worked OK except the main pedal pivot was a tiny bit tight making the very last inch (the bit that puts the light off) back not totally reliable springing back to the off position. I sprayed the pivot with a cycle lubricant a bit like WD40 that leaves a PTFE coating behind. After that the whole mechanism returns with a proper snap every time.

Jacked up the back wheels and checked they rotated freely when in the off position and 4 clicks (the Haynes figure) of the foot pedal locked them right up.

We'll see what the tester thinks tomorrow.

 

[Droverunner]

BTW seems sometimes it's found the pivot spring that pulls the mechanism off has snapped. This guy has an effective cheap solution...

 

[Auto Addict]

Well done, there's no rear mechanism on mine.

 

[Droverunner]

AA I've commented on the other thread about yours.

Re ours the tester liked the result too so we got a pass with no advisory items.... excellent.