my x5 seems to be craving attention all of a sudden
 

Like the title so I've just sorted the tail light issue out and fitted my lower front under bar and now the handbrake doesn't seem to wanna stay locked in when pulled up I'm thinking either a weak or broken spring or possibly a worn ratchet , upon a quick look don't tell me the centre console needs to come out to access the handbrake I've had that out before not one of them easy jobs on a x5 , looks like that's this weekends work lined up :rolleyes:.

The centre console does not need to be removed. Just un bolt whatever seat is on the same side of the parking brake, (right side here in the UK) tilt it backwards and then remove the side carpet covers which enables you to see the ratchet. Reshape the worn teeth with a suitable file. Job done. I did mine several years ago and it's still OK.

Hello themoog that is good news if it can be done that way guess ill find out at the weekend , whereabouts in the uk are you I'm in Devon.

so I tackled this job today and it seems you can get the handbrake out without removing the centre console not saying it was easy but I got it out , I have reshaped the teeth and it seems to be holding ok , but there was a section of the toothed bit more worn than the rest so lets see how it lasts and as a bonus I found a pen down in the depths of the console.

For this reason, I always use the release button to retract the ratchet when applying the hand-brake. Last a lot longer.

I visibly flinch when I hear folk pulling up hard on the hand-brake without using the button!! SCRRAAATTT!! :banghead:!ouch::gunner:

For that reason... I don't use hand brake on an automatic vehicle. :D

Never had a parking pawl fail... yet. :rofl:

But seriously, good tip... I'll employ that on my E30 and any other manual I drive.

I'm with you both on the button I also hate hearing the clicking as its pulled without , I can see why the toothed bit fails it seems a very soft metal which becomes obvious when you file it shapes really easy hence why it wears out.

Dad taught me that hold-the-button-on-the-handbrake thing.

And when I rarely drive an automatic, I'll bump the pernandle into N, set the hand/parking brake, then shift to P. I've not heard of a parking pawl breaking, but the way some people slam it into park and the car rocks back and forth just makes me cringe knowing what's going on inside the trans.

So do I... when driving my '09 Chevy HHR Panel, though I've never used the parking brake on my X5, yet. On both vehicles, with automatic transmissions, the parking brake isn't really needed (at least on mostly flat Texas land), so I use the brake handle for active braking, instead.

On the HHR, I use the parking brake handle to apply the rear drum brakes a second or so before I push the brake pedal, because it gives more control when braking in heavy/fast traffic, or on gravel. I've used this method in all conditions, for over 167k miles, and I believe it helps the front end parts (notorious for premature failure) last longer, since there's a reduction in nose-dive.

I don't believe that my X5 would benefit from such hand-braking; with renewed suspension parts and good 4-wheel disk brakes, I can brake hard without any nose-dive from any speed.



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Well it seems that repair wasn't so successful as can be seen from the picture , I have dismantled the handbrake to get a better look at the teeth and you can see the worn spot and the reshaped teeth have bent over, like I thought this section seems soft metal , I thought I had taken some pictures of the teeth on the new handbrake for comparison but it seems I didn't , needless to say I have a handbrake I've never had before.