Alfaguy2

My handbrake has been giving some problems. Ratchet won't lock lever in place but now its partially jammed on causing the 'handbrake' warning on the dash.

I can't use the car until I can release it in case I cook my brakes but can't figure out how to remove the central cover housing.

Anyone know how to do this and the sequence of parts that must be removed. I don't want to break anything and I don't want to give it in to my local mechanic who would not be familiar with porsches and so may break something himself.

Alfaguy2

OMG - there can't be this much work involved surely??

http://www.macarbon.com/install_guid...structions.pdf

wwilliams88

That's pretty much what you have to do to remove the center console to get to the handbrake.

Eric - Plug Guy

If all you need to do is remove the insert, just pull the tongue up - it's the small piece inserted into your console at the brake section, about 2" wide and 6" long. There are clips (4) on the sides that hold it in place.

If not, you'll need to remove the entire rear console (45 minutes, maybe).

Alfaguy2

Thanks for that - at least the jammed handbrake is now solved. Yesterday I pressed what looks like a blank switch cover near the handbrake lever and it just fell back into the innards of the handbrake housing and of course became jammed under the lever when I must have pulled it.

I was able to remove it using a long nosed pliars - thankfully the little plastic switch blanking unit is undamaged but can only be replaced again from the inside. Impossible unless you take off the console.

The entire console will have to come off anyway to exactly diagnose and repair the handbrake problem. I was told it needed a new ratchet but seeing how much work is involved to get the console off to see what the problem is my guess is that they are just guessing that that is the 'likely' problem.

Alfaguy2

Well I removed the center console today as per the instructions on the link which when followed to the letter are excellent.

It exposed the handbrake (parking brake) lever and all its connections but the handbrake unit itself seem as if its a sealed unit and I need to open it up to see why the ratchet is not holding the lever up.

Has anyone any description or links as to how to do this?

Alfaguy2

Just sharing what I wrote on my Irish car forum www.octane.ie in case its of any use to anyone.

Finally started to tackle the handbrake problem myself. After reading up on the procedure to remove the center console I began to fear entrusting it to anyone else but myself.
No doubt fittings would be pried off with a pliars, various screws and clips lost and trim scratched or cracked and put back together in the same manner resulting in my present rattle free 911 sounding like my TR6 with the roof up.

I had ordered the trim removal kit as seen on the link (€70 direct from the USA) and they are very useful for getting off the trim panels that are put together with such precision and exactness that believing they can in fact be separated at all takes a bit of prolonged consideration.

I have yet to reach the actual source of the problem to find out what is exactly wrong (ratchet not holding lever in place) but I have yet to remove a few more layers of trim. The interior may look nice but the price is that its extremely complicated to remove.

http://www.macarbon.com/install_guid...ructio ns.pdf

So now all the trim is off and its just a matter of fixing it right? WRONG!

It seem Porsche make their handbrakes as sealed units - if it breaks you simply throw away the old one lever and all and put in a brand new one!

£455 (€515) thank you very much.

*later on that day*

still shaking from the shock after coming off the phone to Agnews I removed the entire hand brake assembly to reveal that all the pertinent parts are not only not worn but look like new so where could the problem be. Removed the handbrake **** and hey presto the stem that holds the **** worked fine.

Turned out all that had been happening was that dust etc had become embedded between the **** and the leather causing it to stick on hence no handbrake.

A little clean and a few drops of silicone and its working fine. So all this agro just for a stuck ****!

Well I suppose its better than just leaving it at the dealer to fix who would have just junked the entire lot leaving me with a bill after removal / fitting of trim etc of over StG £1,500.

stevepow

Wow - yes, I used those same instructions to replace my handbrake with that aluminum one - quite a bit of work - mostly just worrying about not messing anything up - and then figuring out how to get a wrench onto the bolts in that tight space. Great instructions though from MACarbon!


Glad you got it sorted out.