beaten by the handbrake!

I thought I would adjust the handbrake on my 2009, Accord diesel Tourer.

No probs' in accessing the adjuster, but actually adjusting seems to be extremely difficult indeed.

Holding the wee trap-door open, holding a torch in my teeth and then trying to turn the nut on a flexible cable whilst kneeling on the passenger seat was all to much for this 73 year old!

So, for the moment, I have given up!

Of course, I can adjust at the wheels, but I am surprised that the cable adjustment is so difficult. If the access trap was twice as big (and it would certainly be possible, to make it so,) then there would be no problem.

Has anyone done this? what's the trick?

Cheers, Terry

The 7th Gen workshop manual says take the whole console off to access the nut - takes about 10 mins to get everything off - but worth it as you really need to turn the spanner 180 degrees each time as the nut is curled on the bottom to keep it in place.

This is the 6th Gen but it's the same setup

http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/8612-6th-gen-handbrake-adjustment/

One of my (many) pet hates is the guy in front dazzling you on the footbrake at the traffic lights, or (worse) the guy behind creeping up on feathered clutch whilst you keep your fingers crossed his cable doesn’t snap and rear end you. To that end I’ve always been a handbrake user.

My handbrake has been about a click higher that I’d like it since I got the car, and your difficulties have just galvanised me into action…

Using a piece of gaffer tape I lifted the mat out the bottom of the cubby, then after releasing the two tabs on the flap at the bottom used it to secure the flap open for better visibility.



At first sight this is a five minute job with a 12mm ring spanner. Half an hour later it has proven not to be the case!

There is way too little room for any useful spanner / socket access through the tiny hole. You can get a spanner on easy enough, but there isn’t room to turn the nut. The hinged lid of the cubby is completely in the way too, and doesn’t offer the 7th Gen’s 2-screw easy removal either.

By kneeling on the back seats I was just about able to get about 1 clockwise turn on the nut with my finger tips, but once the slack was taken out of the cables finger pressure alone was not enough. I was able to feel there is a detent action on the nut (presumably to stop it moving about on its own) that causes it to spin back unless a whole third or half turn (hard to tell) is completed. Once the detent is overcome the nut stays put in the new position. Given that the ***embly is floating it is impossible to turn the nut through an angle sufficient to overcome the slack and the detent using a tool :-(

It might be possible to cut away the bottom of the cubby or drill a hole from the rear (behind the cover panel -though there is some metalwork to contend with) between the bottom of the cubby and the exhaust tunnel to give access in the same way as I did with my 7th Gen (with a 1/4 drive socket and long extension see here: http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/1041-accord-handbrake-adjustment/). Without knowing what wiring may be hidden under here (like the mystery silver box with the B5 label) I won’t be getting my drill out any time soon.

It sounds as though we’ve both attempted what the book says, and have both failed! I’ll have to make the adjustment at the back wheels next time I get the jack out unless anyone knows any different.

Matt,

You have perfectly described the problem!

I too removed the rear panel of the cubby box, but this only reveals a bulkhead so no way through this.

I also tried to remove the wee bank of auxiliary sockets above the access hatch and almost did it, then the wiring behind stopped me removing it, there was no room to disconnect let alone re-connect after. This would have given a little extra room.

Like you, I also considered using a dremmel and cutting away the plastic base of the cubby and enlarging the access hole - this is certainly do-able and could be completely hidden under the cubby mat.

I know others have adjusted the handbrake on the 8th gen' and I seem to remember the technique was a ratchet ring spanner on the nut and long nose pliers on the exposed threaded end, but my tools were unsuitable.

There is, I think a further possibility? That would be to remove the innards from the consul area (cup holders, etc.) maybe this would then expose the turning barrel though I still don't see being able to turn the nut when the tension comes on unless the extreme end of the cable is gripped and that seems to mean working through the hatch.

In the end, it should be possible to adjust at the wheels?

I guess; put the handbrake on a single click and then adjust the knurled wheel inside the drum until the wheel just drags and then back off until it doesn't and maybe an extra click for good luck?

Is that the way?

Cheers, Terry

Would a ratchet spanner not work?

If not, console-off job?

I think a good quality (small head, many or infinite ratchet points) might do it, but I've not got one the right size.

I think the issue is the need to turn close to 180 degrees in one motion /to overcome the detent action) given the restricted access. Gripping the end with long nose pliers might solve the problem of it all twisting on the steel cables.

I'll crack it eventally and post back ;-)

Yes, Cliff, a ratchet spanner would help, sadly I only have a 13 and 14mm - no 12mm.

I've just been back for another look!

I removed the internal section of the console - an easy job; all clips, (though some tight) and removal of gear stick knob (pull-down clip and 17mm spanner).

But it didn't really help. The bottom of the handbrake lever is fully in view but the adjustment area disappears under metal work.

There is one advantage perhaps, and that is that with the console section removed it is now easy to disconnect the electrical switches which sit in the under-armrest cubby box and thus this bank of sockets can be removed, giving more room for the spanner work. I didn't progress further, I had other jobs on the house to do! :wacko:

Frankly, if I can get a perfect adjustment by working on the adjusters at the wheels then that will do fine - I often have the wheels off for one thing or another so to do a wee adjustment once a year would be little hardship - I just wonder if I am missing something though - the Honda engineers have many examples of innovation on this car, I can't believe they think what we have experienced is a reasonable method of handbrake adjustment.

Cheers, Terry

OK - jacked up the rear this afternoon and dropped both wheels.

I was able to clean up the rear brakes and lubricate them and then using the in-drum adjuster I adjusted the handbrake at each wheel. I tensioned the adjuster until I just felt and heard resistance and then backed off some 3' clicks' of the adjuster. All now seems good.

There are a couple of things I learned.

1) The Philips headed screws for the brake disc can be pigs to get off and I had to use heat, a punch and a big hammer. So, I have ordered 8 hex headed screws to replace these all round, these have a deep recess and are much more easily removed. In any case, I only put these in finger tight and lather them in copper-slip.

2) The rubber bung which covers the inspection/adjuster hole has a life of its own, its almost a living thing! When either removing or replacing keep a firm grip on it with a pair of wee needle nose pliers or it will disappear down the hole into the drum!

3) The inspection hole is really too small to be able to see the mechanism you are trying to fettle within it. In the end, I waited 'till dusk and then used a penlight torch. A normal torch during daylight had almost no illumination properties within the hole.

In general, I thought adjusting the handbrake at the wheel end quite an easy experience.

I shouldn't need to do it more than once a year.

Cheers, Terry

I have now sorted a successful method of adjusting the handbrake within the car.

It took me about 40 minutes including disassembly, adjusting and re-***embly.

Within the rear arm-rest cubby box, under the mat, is a small 'trap-door'. This opens to reveal the adjuster but the door is partially blocked by the open trap and also a bank of auxiliary sockets. These simply stop any real possibility of getting tools onto the adjusting nut, holding it in position and also turning it. Its also dark down there!

After failing to adjust through the trap and also a failure by another poster to do the same, I finally adjusted the cable at the wheel end, (post above). This worked OK but meant removing wheels.
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Still, I was still intrigued as to why the Honda engineers had made this routine maintenance job so difficult.

I understand that on the 6th and 7th gen' vehicles its possible to feed a deep socket on the end of a long extension via the back wall of the cubby box. On the 8th. gen' there is no such possibility.

I went back for a further look, here's what I finally did:

1) Lift the mat in the cubby, access the trap door and on either side of the door you will find a Philips screw, remove these.

2) Remove the internal section of the console, that is to say the entire section from in front of the gear lever to the front wall of the cubby including the drinks holders. This is a one-piece unit and just clips out with care. Unclip the front first and then work down either side.

To remove it you will need to remove the knob of the gear lever. Under the leather gaiter at its highest point, you will feel a hard ring. Grip this with both hands and vigorously push down, the ring will 'snap' out of its fixing, This then reveals a locking collar, undo this with a 17mm spanner and then unscrew the knob along with the locking ring and then remove the panel by feeding it through what's left of the gear lever. This whole operation needs to take no more than say 20 minutes and from the comfort of the passenger seat!

3) With the clipped section removed you can easily see and access the electrical connection behind the bank of auxiliary sockets in the cubby. Disconnect these and then just lift the bank out of the cubby, attached to this is the trap-door so you are now left with a reasonable sized access window with no obstruction.

You now have the full size of the 'window' to work into and what's more; the area where the bank of switches was now allows extra light into the area and there is no need to use a torch (which was a complication of our first attempts since for me at least, the only way of holding it was in my teeth).

4) You will observe that the adjuster is a barrel with a nut on the rear end. The forward end disappears under metal-work but it obvious that there must be a wee barrel at right angles and the adjuster barrel has a 'detent' cut out of it to act as a lock nut.

This means that the barrel really needs to be undone with the spanner in 'sweeps' of 180 degrees, quite impossible, but there is a 'work-around'.

You will need a substantial pair of long nosed pliers, substantial not because you will be applying any great force but long enough so that you can grip the barrel forward of the nut whilst your hand is outside the cubby area leaving the cubby free for the other hand operating the spanner. My pliers are about 11" long.

5) Here's the technique: You will need a long pair of long-nosed pliers and a 12 mm ring or ratchet spanner (I managed easily with an ordinary ring spanner).

Reach down with the pliers and grip the barrel forward of the nut, pull the barrel up as far as it will come so it is as near you as possible. Thread the ring spanner over the end of the adjustment cable and onto the nut. Grip the barrel with light/moderate pressure. Now turn the nut, Because of lack of 'swinging' room, you will only manage about one-third of a turn, at which point you just grip the barrel harder, holding it stationary in this position with the pliers and then re-adjust the spanner for another turn, do this 3 times (ish) and you have made a full turn of the adjuster and you can easily overcome the tendency of the barrel to return back to its original position, (because of the detent effect) with moderate pressure of the pliers.

Under normal conditions of just taking up slack on a stretched cable probably 2 or 3 turns will suffice, The actual adjustment will take 3 or 4 minutes. A ratchet spanner will make it even simpler, I would think.

6) Reconnect the electrical connections to the rear of the switch bank and then replace it back in the cubby and re-screw the two Philips screws then snap shut the trap-door.

7) Replace the console section (just snaps back in) and replace the locking ring and knob on the gear lever and spanner it tight before pushing the gaiter ring up into place.

This is all done from the comfort of the passenger seat. Once you get going its all pretty intuitive. Its actually quite a pleasant job and it will all be done in 45 minutes.

You will need:

Philips screwdriver Plastic panel prisers 17mm open ended spanner
Long, (say 11") long nose pliers 12mm ring spanner

Maybe a wee tube of silicone grease to lubricate the panel clips so they are easier to remove next time?

Cheers, Terry

^ that's the way to do it

In the 7th gen workshop manual you're supposed to slacken the adjuster/equaliser nut on the lever first, then adjust the star adjuster on each wheel, then take up the slack in the cable(s) using the adjuster/equaliser nut on the lever. Seems like it's more hassle to remove the centre console on the 8th gen than on the 7th gen.

Just to add to this thread, I tightened my handbrake cable today and found a modifed method to Scotsgent that maybe easier for some if they have drive extensions.

After 3), I proceeded to undo these 2 bolts:



Then remove the rear of the central compartment (pulls apart quite easily with 4 clips holding it in place) to reveal 2 bolts. Remove these 2:



Grab the whole centre section and pull it slightly apart, sliding the socket attached to the extension in underneath.



With this you'll be able to adjust the cable alot easier. I think it's similar to the Gen 7 method.

Hope this helps folks.