Mot

[cornershop]

Far too busy at work at present, and with mot due on Sunday i have not had a chance to visit earlier for a pre-test check up.

 

Fearing the worst due to a weak e-brake and exhaust leak in the usual spot, I was pleasantly surprised to see it pass, with e-brake efficiency at 24% (16% min) and a "minor exhaust leak".

 

The previous advisories re rusty suspension components also mentioned again, unsurprisingly. (3yrs running).

 

Great service from the guys at Diamond Vehicles in Park Royal, west London near where I work (http://www.diamondvehicles.net) , a very unassuming non specialist garage who I picked based purely on location and the reviews on good garage scheme.

 

I was so happy, and with the garage happy to fit customer supplied parts I've just ordered a new Denso aircon compressor from Rockauto for £199 together with a refurb denso alternator for £120 - both plus shipping £35 and duty. Don't actually need an alternator, it just seemed cheap!

[dendonc]

5 hours ago, cornershop said:

weak e-brake

I havent got one of those on my '95 LS400, I've only got a foot braking system & a foot operated parking/handbrake.

What are e-brakes like to use, are they easy to use? 

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, dendonc said:

I havent got one of those on my '95 LS400, I've only got a foot braking system & a foot operated parking/handbrake.

What are e-brakes like to use, are they easy to use? 

I'm assuming he means emergency brake/parking brake, all the LS400's have them, as do the 430's.  

[cornershop]

"a foot operated parking/handbrake"

guess you'll be using 'e-brake' from now on :) .....

Does anyone know if the e-brake will become more effective if I start using it more frequently? Or will some adjustment/repair be needed first

 

[dendonc]

2 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I'm assuming he means emergency brake/parking brake, all the LS400's have them,

AHHHhhh.................this reminds me of a post only a few weeks ago when people were giving about 4 or 5 different names to either a cambelt or......well whatever the other one happens to be called. Never heard of 'emergency' brake applied to hand brakes before though, I must have numerous emergancies  every time I drive it, so many traffic lights in London & were supposed to use it everytime we stop.......'language', the main ingredient for a recipe for chaos

All cars have had them since long before I started driving at 18, so many, many decades ago

[dendonc]

1 hour ago, cornershop said:

guess you'll be using 'e-brake' from now on

Not if I want to be understood I wont

[Verbout]

E-brake - Another Americanism.  :tut tut:

[The-Acre]

43 minutes ago, Verbout said:

E-brake - Another Americanism.  :tut tut:

 

2 hours ago, cornershop said:

"a foot operated parking/handbrake"

guess you'll be using 'e-brake' from now on :) .....

Does anyone know if the e-brake will become more effective if I start using it more frequently? Or will some adjustment/repair be needed first

 

It is a slightly weak point on these cars but only a minor one.  I've had 5 LS's and none of the parking brakes have ever felt great, although they all passed their MOT. They can be adjusted but I'm not sure using it more will improve it.  I always use mine because it prevents it seizing.

[dendonc]

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

They can be adjusted but I'm not sure using it more will improve it.

Mine is 'poor' to say the least, but, do you have reason to think it needs adjusting as opposed to new 'handbrake specific' pads? 

[The-Acre]

It has separate shoes for the parking brake, whereas the majority of cars use the pads or shoes.  As long as it passes an MOT I'd leave it alone, I've never replaced or even adjusted any of mine.

[alien1974]

every so often you should apply the parking brake while moving at a slow speed, to clean the shoe and drum. Plus you should use it as often as possible to stop seizing.

[Verbout]

I forget to take the brake off quite often, that cleans the shoes and drum.  

[Boddney]

10 minutes ago, Verbout said:

I forget to take the brake off quite often, that cleans the shoes and drum.  

Same

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, Boddney said:

Same

Ditto!

[Cotswold Pete]

1 hour ago, Boddney said:

Same

Count me in as a handbrake on, driving off practitioner.  Once sounds like a herd of buffalo in the back as i accelerated up to 60 with handbrake on.

 

[Boddney]

7 minutes ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Count me in as a handbrake on, driving off practitioner.  Once sounds like a herd of buffalo in the back as i accelerated up to 60 with handbrake on.

 

Oh wow, I've never done that before. You really are our Godfather of handbrake drivers.

I had a sticky front calliper once, I decided to fix it one Saturday morning. All went well and the fix seemed completely.

Come Monday morning, early 0430 start. Got in the car, went to move away but no creep forward. Gave it some gas and it moved, then went backwards with gas. At this point I was annoyed that the caliper had stuck again so roared forward and stamped on the brakes repeatedly.

Then of course as per topic, realised the handbrake was still on.

So glad it was early and nobody saw. Lol 😆 

[C Andrew Green]

9 hours ago, Boddney said:

Oh wow, I've never done that before. You really are our Godfather of handbrake drivers.

I had a sticky front calliper once, I decided to fix it one Saturday morning. All went well and the fix seemed completely.

Come Monday morning, early 0430 start. Got in the car, went to move away but no creep forward. Gave it some gas and it moved, then went backwards with gas. At this point I was annoyed that the caliper had stuck again so roared forward and stamped on the brakes repeatedly.

Then of course as per topic, realised the handbrake was still on.

So glad it was early and nobody saw. Lol 😆 

HaHa!

I'm still getting used to not having a conventional handbrake on my IS250, the parking brake / e brake thing is so weedy in it's effect that it's quite easy to drive off with it on, but helpfully the IS250 beeps at you after a few yards! (I'm obviously too blind to see the brake warning light!) but as above it keeps the shoes clean, my old Vectra was the same with a separate drum handbrake and the manual told you to periodically gently apply the handbrake while moving.

After 40+ years of handbrake use I'm still learning how to coordinate getting my foot on the service brake, transmission into D, parking brake off and then driving off smoothly when the lights go green.......

Andrew

[dendonc]

Well, one good thing about this post is that we have got rid of the 'e-brake' & gone back to the 'handbrake' of antiquity, ahhhhh, 'the good old days', defined as, when we all used a common language

[Verbout]

5 hours ago, C Andrew Green said:

HaHa!

I'm still getting used to not having a conventional handbrake on my IS250, the parking brake / e brake thing is so weedy in it's effect that it's quite easy to drive off with it on, but helpfully the IS250 beeps at you after a few yards! (I'm obviously too blind to see the brake warning light!) but as above it keeps the shoes clean, my old Vectra was the same with a separate drum handbrake and the manual told you to periodically gently apply the handbrake while moving.

After 40+ years of handbrake use I'm still learning how to coordinate getting my foot on the service brake, transmission into D, parking brake off and then driving off smoothly when the lights go green.......

Andrew

I don't think you're supposed to put your car into neutral when at traffic lights, holding it on the brake, while in drive, is quite acceptable.

[true blue]

Hi I am mildly amused to find I am not the only senior to suffer a moment with the  hand bake , I would not be too concerned about the efficiency (or lack of it ) on these brakes at MOT time . My information is that the efficiency required to pass is 0.25g  g as in gravity or approx 18% for the handbrake ,This has not changed since 1960 ,s when it was tested with a Tapley meter on the floor of the car .Now it is tested on rollers , as long as both sides are balanced (no seizures ) and the pedal travel is adjusted correctly you should be fine

Dave

[C Andrew Green]

51 minutes ago, Verbout said:

I don't think you're supposed to put your car into neutral when at traffic lights, holding it on the brake, while in drive, is quite acceptable.

When you've got a tediously long wait at the A4/A339 roundabout in Newbury it means you can take your foot of the pedal and relax, While the IS250 doesn't pull too hard idling at a standstill in 'D' (the Yaris however pulls quite hard in 'D') I'm convinced for a long stop 'N' is more fuel efficient.

Andrew

[dendonc]

8 hours ago, C Andrew Green said:

getting my foot on the service brake,

Oh, so you have on of those as well on the IS, all we got on the LS 400 was brakes & that foot operated parking brake, good luck with the service brake as well the e-brake...........how is LA these days?

[C Andrew Green]

47 minutes ago, dendonc said:

Oh, so you have on of those as well on the IS, all we got on the LS 400 was brakes & that foot operated parking brake, good luck with the service brake as well the e-brake...........how is LA these days?

By service brake i meant the main brake pedal, parking brake is the left foot operated one, push on, push off. I always think of 'e'brakes as the strange push button electrically operated parking brakes that are appearing on newer european cars these days.....

"The parking brake is the brake that is designed to "hold" the vehicle. The service brake is the system that is designed to slow down the vehicle and bring it to a stop. Parking brakes are also referred to as "emergency" brakes although , in an emergency they would never slow down a vehicle in a safe manner." (www.quora.com)

Umm, I haven't been to LA since 1978 or so, so maybe you're thinking of someone else, Bangkok where I am at the moment however is warm, humid & mad!

Andrew

Edited July 10, 2017 by C Andrew Green
literacy

[dendonc]

1 hour ago, C Andrew Green said:

"The parking brake is the brake that is designed to "hold" the vehicle. The service brake is the system that is designed to slow down the vehicle and bring it to a stop. Parking brakes are also referred to as "emergency" brakes although , in an emergency they would never slow down a vehicle in a safe manner.

The new 'LS500Y Yorki' has another innovation, it uses the fish & chip braking system.

[steve2006]

On 08/07/2017 at 7:28 AM, cornershop said:

"a foot operated parking/handbrake"

guess you'll be using 'e-brake' from now on :) .....

Does anyone know if the e-brake will become more effective if I start using it more frequently? Or will some adjustment/repair be needed first

 

Mine got a verbal advisory for being just on 16% a few years ago so I removed the discs and gave the inside drum a good scrub with a rotary wire brush in a drill then gave the brake shoe linings  a rough up with some coarse sandpaper. Cleaned all the components in situ using brake cleaner, applied some grease to the moving parts then refitted the drums and moved the adjuster until the disc was stuck then backed it off a turn.

Never had a problem or mention since.