307 HDI hankbrake problem

I am wondering if this is a known issue or if anyone has seen or heard
of the problem before. If you have please can you post a reply.

I have recently returned a Peugeot 307 2.0 HDi to the dealer after the
hand brake failed twice within a month. The first time the car rolled
down a hill into a post after the hand brake released without warning.
When I got to the car the hand-brake was still on and the leaver was on
3 or 4 ratchet settings which was the maximum setting. When I pulled
the hand brake up again the hand-brake then travelled some 10 plus more
ratchet setting so that the leaver was pointing almost to the ceiling
of the car before the brakes would hold the car.

The dealer took the brakes off the car and upon replacement claimed
there was no fault. When I next parked the car the same thing happened
again. Once again the dealer took the brakes off the car and claim
there was no fault.

I have have been told by one mechanic that this is a known issue which
Peugeot's and that Peugeot themselves are not admitting liability even
though lots of dealers are reporting this problem. I have also been
told that Peugeot now sell a hand brake kit which is part of a 60,000
service.

Any comments on the matter will be very helpful.

thanks

Stevie D.

 

A few years ago Watchdog (BBC TV) covered a similar problem with Citroen
Xantias. Apparently the handbrake operated on the rear brake disks. If
the disks were hot when the handbrake was applied it would slacken as the
disks cooled and contracted. There were a number of incidents of cars
rolling down hills. I had assumed that this was why my 406 had a separate
small drum brake on each rear wheel for the handbrake in addition to the
disk for normal braking. I am not familiar with the 307 but it seems a
strange coincidence.

 

Why don't you leave the car in gear when you park!?

 

My 53 reg 307 estate has done this once - there was nothing for it
to bump into though -since then i also leave the car in gear- Fords
have the same problem on there latest shape Mondeo`s and Fords
official answer to this problem is to depress the foot brake hard and
hold before you put the hand brake on - this in effect lets you obtain
an extra couple of clicks - if i was you though i would leave the car
in gear as well - better safe than sorry !

 

Probably because that is a bad habit.

 

I have never left my car in gear. On those occasions where I have
feared it rolling away I have turned the wheels to the appropriate
lock so that it would roll into the kerb.

 

In a car park?

 

Where the hand brake works on drums I might agree with you, but for disc
brakes, especially if they are hot when the hand brake is applied, it is
desirable otherwise contraction of the disc as it cools will let the brake
off.

Ron Robinson

 

It's never ever done it to me, or any of the vehicles in our fleet (50
vehicles). It's a bad habit!

 

Has your fleet ever contained a car whose handbrake worked on the front
discs?

By the way, why is it a bad habit? Surely you always check whether a car is
in gear before you start it, don't you?

Ron Robinson

 

Huh ?

You should always leave your car in gear when you park, to prevent precisely
the problems we're discussing !

 

You've never had a crappy handbrake, or had one sieze-on or anything similar
? In a fleet of 50 cars ?

It's an excellent habit.

 

You should always leave your car in gear.

Er, why not just leave it in gear instead ???

 

Right.

If everybody put their car in gear when they parked it, my friends daughter
would probably have lived to more than 3 years of age.

 

Agreed. Coupled with checking that it's not in gear when you start the
ignition.

You only have to forget to take it out of gear once, and then you always
remember (especially with a 2-litre turbo diesel).

I notice that the detractor still hasn't explained why it's a bad habit to
leave a car in gear, when parked on a slope.

 

I'm sorry to hear that

 

Hi,

It puts some stress on gears and pinions (spelling ?), and the most annoying
thing is if someone bumps your car while parked in gear it could ruin your
gearbox.

I don't know how you park in UK, but I'm sure it's the same way than in
France Another solution is to steer and put the tyre along the sidewalk
so it touches the sidewalk's side. Works great, no need to get in gear -
assuming that the slope's way won't change while you're parked
I don't know if my explaination is well written, but I'm sure you see what I
mean.

Regards,
G.T

205 Diesel & turbo-Diesel : www.205d.com

 

What happens when somebody whacks your parked in-gear diesel?

The advice to leave a car in gear (and turn the wheels) when parking
on a hill is in the Highway Code now; it wasn't when I passed my test
mmmmm years ago. Perhaps I should read it again!

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/22.htm#226

 

The advice to leave a car in gear (and turn the wheels) when parking

Certainly has been since I first read it in '89 and it makes sense as well,
at least when in gear if the handbrake/parking brake fails then it'll not
gather so much speed.
Leaving it with the wheels turned slightly as well means that whatever way
it rolls it'll not go far.

Chris

 

Well, not really ! Any load is minimal.

There is that. But if someone's smacked into your car, then you're screwed
anyway