Handbrake freezing

[AdamB]

Right I've had this problem for the last few days now, I leave my house for work at 6:20 in the morning and I start the car fine no problem, but as soon as I try to pull away it feels like there's a sumo wrestler holding the car back, I have to rev it to about 2000rpm and high on the clutch to get the car rolling.
Then when I change gear it feels as if engine breaking has kicked in when I'm going through neutral, even on the open road trying to get to 30mph is a struggle, I have to boost it in 3rd get to 30mph then when I drop it into 4th it goes all sluggish and again have to boost or put my foot down to maintain speed.

It does this until the engine is warm and I've travelled about 3 miles. I've done a compression test and it's come back good, all 11 bar across all 4 cylinders, the plugs where a nice brown tinge although the electrode and plug tip was quite White, I do have a spare set of plugs I can chuck in if it makes any difference, although I think this may be a sensor related problem, I've also had no EML come on the dash.

I've had a look around the thermostat housing and there seems to be a small connector with one wire under the dizzy cap and slightly closer to the bulk head that has tear in the plastic coating of the wire, it's not earthing out against anything though.

Has anyone got the resistance values for the intake air temp sensor and coolant temp sensor for an ep82 so I can check against these?

Any ideas what else this could be other than temp sensors?

Thanks
Adam

 

[mickyboy]

Let it warm up 10min befor you go to work and you shoudnt have no problem lol i find it shots to much fuel in for then engine when its cold (starts to judder) about 2000rpm like you have said..Its as if its some sort of safety thing so you cant rag it when its cold? i could be going into to things abit much but thats what mine feels like if i drive off when the engine is cold which i do very rarely!!

 

[weeJohn]

Sounds more like a binding brake to me. Tonight dont put the handbrake on, just leave it in gear and see what its like tomorrow.

 

[AdamB]

Micky I don't think it's that because it's only really started doing it in the last 3 days, and I've been doing this job for
months lol.

Ok john I'll give that a go, only problem is my driveway is on a slope I'll put it in gear and see if it holds if not I'll park on the road.

Thanks guys.

 

[SumoDan]

Sounds Brake related tbh.

Although all cars run like a Pig when cold so always worth warming up properly, No Boost for 1st or last mile

 

[AdamB]

Don't worry lads i'm not saying I go flat out as soon as I start driving lol. Very rarely do I abuse the car, but like I said this has only really started in the last 3 days. My rear brakes do seem low although not bad enough to change just yet. But i've got my mot at the end of the month so might get them sorted before then and give the piston a bit of a play.

 

[gorganl2000]

adamb, do you have in a standalone or piggyback?
has your weather changed recently?

 

[AdamB]

No buddy stock ecu, the weather here as been very cold lately, it hasn't so much changed its been cold for weeks now.

 

[triple j]

Sounds more like a binding brake to me. Tonight dont put the handbrake on, just leave it in gear and see what its like tomorrow.

x2 the frost is out hard this few days it could be freezing your handbrake up and then thawing it out after a few min driving, maybe

 

[danwheeler2k11]

if the brakes was binding youd smell it and feel it juddering and the steering vibrating. but if it stops after its warm doubt its that cause a binding brake tends to get worse the longer you drive it

 

[96v]

could it possibly be drivetrain related?

 

[danb87]

I had this issue yday mate, but myn was holding the passenger rear brAke on (via handbrake)! Stoped as i noticed a steong smell of clutch/pads an my disc was glowing lol so jaked poped will of an disconnveted the handbrake that side intil get a chance too look at it properly. Lucky me drivers one stron too hold on hill jinctions lol

 

[AdamB]

I'll have to have a closer look at the brakes then, I'm gonna leave it off my sloped drive and in gear with the handbrake up tonight, see if that helps, fingers crossed it does. If not I'll have to whip the rear brakes off and have a closer look.
When I'm driving I don't get any sort of smell of friction burning, I have noticed my handbrake has gone quite sloppy since I bought the car but the handbrake cables are only a few months old.

 

[dac69er]

if the brakes was binding youd smell it and feel it juddering and the steering vibrating. but if it stops after its warm doubt its that cause a binding brake tends to get worse the longer you drive it

you have clearly never had the rear brakes stick on.

driving with the handbrake on sounds exactly like this bloke is saying his is like, and with this weather it sounds like its most likely that. after it gets used a few times and then gets some heat into it, its frees off.

 

[dac69er]

I'll have to have a closer look at the brakes then, I'm gonna leave it off my sloped drive and in gear with the handbrake up tonight, see if that helps, fingers crossed it does. If not I'll have to whip the rear brakes off and have a closer look.
When I'm driving I don't get any sort of smell of friction burning, I have noticed my handbrake has gone quite sloppy since I bought the car but the handbrake cables are only a few months old.

cables could well be fine, but the caliper mechanism itself can easily freeze up.

 

[AdamB]

Is there anything I can do to stop it from happening or is it just a case of waiting until the weather gets warmer?

 

[dac69er]

rebuild them and them make sure they are well greased. that is the only way really. can still happen in the winter even with all that done though if its really cold

 

[Texx]

If it's the cable causing the problem then your best off just replacing it, if it's the caliper then you can take it off and give the handbrake mechanism a good clean but that doesn't always prove successful.

Leaving the car in gear should hold on your drive, if your a bit paranoid about it rolling away then just put a brick/stone/block of wood behind one of the wheels. I find, as do most, it's easier just to leave the handbrake off during periods of cold weather rather than trying to find ways to prevent the brakes freezing.

 

[AdamB]

Well I've left my car now with the handbrake off and in gear, I'll see if it's fine in the morning. If not then I'll get a calliper rebuild kit and give that a bash. Nice refreshed brake system is always worth doing anyway

Thanks guys I'll report back in the morning

 

[AdamB]

Ok so just an update to this.
I left my car last night with the handbrake off and in gear, come back to it this morning and it was fine, no slugging along so it must be something to do with the rear brakes. I've put some bricks under the rear wheels to hold the car on my drive until the weather gets better. Will have to take a closer look at the brakes soon as its mot time end of the month.

Has anyone ever rebuilt their rear brakes? I've never done it before on a stock braking system, only ever done it on a set of brembo's which was pretty easy.

Thanks for all your help guys, mods can move this to chassis section if they want. Rep added