things wrong with my new forfour

[CrazyG]

That is the price MB charge for the whole Brabus handbrake assembly,
or lever as it is known.

And I'm in agreement with you JJ...it'd be cheaper to have one made
than buy the whole handbrake...otherwise it's akin to buying a new wheel
and tyre because a valve cap has come off.

[mr singh]

well its done now and there is no going back...

ill see what i can do, if i can remove the handle as in once removed and everything looks the same and not broken, then thats what ill do

[CrazyG]

Maybe get a few of them made as I'm sure there are bound to be
other Brab owners who have lost or broken the handbrake button.

I'll have one for sure, maybe 2 even, as the one on my Brab keeps
popping off/out....and I was never going to 'cough up' for a complete
handbrake assembly.

[ChrisN]

I would take two, mine is broke too.
I did look at the czt, but it's plastic. I think Mr Singh made a good call. I would rather have a metal one too.

[CrazyG]

I'm not promising, but now that it appears I am not the only one
who needs/will need these handbrake buttons (for the Brab handbrake)
then I'll see if I can get to speak to him in the next week or so and see
if he can churn out say 10 or more of them.  He is a fellow Smart
enthustiast/owner, but more into 4.2's and Roadies, and recenty
retired. His profession was a mechanical engineer working with lathes
etc., and he has a fully equipped workshop at home.

If I can get hold of a genuine 'button' or somehow suppy him with the
necessary dims etc then we could be in luck.
I'll let you know how I get on, and...if ok, what it'll cost for them, ok.

[mr singh]

I can send you my old broken button if you want 'G'?

[CrazyG]

That wud be handy and good to give him as something to work on/from.

Great, thanks. (Assume you still have my address etc ? if not, PM me)

[Problemchild]

how are people breaking the button 

JJ

[CrazyG]

Wear and tear......
Quite a few people just press it in and rather than release it
slowly back to the extend position they let it 'fly back', which
stresses it as it has a spring/sprung pressure behind it.
Or.........
it gets banged or thumped...by anything or whatever which
fractures it.....who knows.
Or....
it just suffers fatigue...age related or otherwise.

Schhh...don't tell everyone..but nothing lasts forever 

[mr singh]

... although looking at the body of the forfour, it looks like it might last forever 

i just yank it up without pressing the button and this instance i grabbed the leaver at slightly the wrong angle and pop, the button broke.

you also have to remember that the button is only held on be 2 tabs at 12 and 6 o'clock

[Problemchild]

Grab it at the wrong angle? It only moves in one plane

The additional stress from not pressing the button (as instructed in your driving lessons) will be the issue

Instead of the 1 soft "in and out" if you press you are getting 7-10 high stress high shock loading ones.

Your are accelerating the failure time by a magnitude more

It makes me cringe when I hear someone do it

JJ

[mr singh]

complete rubbish! in the hand book of my uncles civic it says NOT to press the button when applying the hand brake, which is 1 reason why Honda issued a recall on the hand brake leaver not latching as owners were pressing the button and the ratchet wasn't engaging properly and cars were rolling away, although in my mums civic it may say different as its a car that was built after the hand brake recall. the recall was carried out on his civic when the car has abut 6,000 miles on the clock but in 210,000 miles can you imagine how many times my uncle has used the handbrake, and he has never pressed the button.

the button has nothing to do with the ratchet mechanism other than to release the ratchet allowing it to move freely. when the MOT tester checks the hand brake they usually lift it up 1 click at a time until the brakes lock, they are doing 2 checks at once, seeing if the hand brake is working efficiently and how much leaver travel there is.

when the button broke, my hand was part over the button, as in the first finger was 'resting' on the buttons side and as i yanked up (as the car was rolling back, with a car behind my) you could say my hand slipped and popped the button.

i dont want to get in to a debate of should you press the button when putting the hand brake on or not, do it how you want, press and pull or just pull... although in a proper auto i wouldnt use the hand brake

[Brabs]

Ah, the handbrake strangler syndrome! I hate it! Button in, pull lever up as high as you reasonably can, release button and then see if you can get one or two clicks. Saves ratchet wear. Simples! 

[gregk2]

Handbrake ratchet wear is a myth. How often do you find you need to replace a ratchet wrench / spanner due to wear?

[Problemchild]

haha - so process is......

grip handbrake
press button with thumb
move thumb to side and apply lateral pressure to button until it breaks
raise handle to desired position

...i'm just teasing - i was just taught not to do the horrible ratatatatata (sounds awful)

if some were being made, i would take one just in case

JJ