Adjust a Mini Cooper Handbrake

When you’re cruising around in your Mini Cooper and need to park on a slope, the handbrake is there to keep you safe. After years of driving your car around, the handbrake could stop working as intended. The cables in the braking system stretch out so that you have to pull harder on the lever just to get your car to stop. Fortunately, the handbrake is easy to fix even if you don’t have much mechanical experience. When the brake works as intended, it locks the back wheels so your Mini Cooper can’t roll when you’re away from it.

Steps

Accessing the Handbrake Adjuster

1. Park the car on a hard, flat surface before working on it. Set it in a place where you will be able to operate a jack without much difficulty. Try to find a spot that leaves you with plenty of room to move around the car. Keep the car away from traffic as well. Work in your garage, for instance, or in an empty parking lot.
   • The ground has to be level to ensure the car doesn’t roll forward while you’re working on it.
   • For safety, only use a jack on firm surfaces like concrete floors. On grass and dirt, a jack can’t support a Mini Cooper’s weight safely.
2. Use a trim removal tool to pry off the plastic base below the brake handle. Climb inside the car to get a good look at the parking brake. The actual brake handle, located between the driver and passenger seats, will likely have an oval-shaped plastic base underneath it. Slip a wedge-shaped prying tool underneath the edge of the base, then work all the way around it to detach it from the center console.
   • The base can’t be removed until it has been completely separated from the surrounding console. After detaching it with the prying tool, you will be able to pull it up and off the brake.
   • Note that Mini Coopers have changed a lot over the years, so yours might have a slightly different design. On some models, the brake won’t have an underlying base. Try pulling up the carpeting to reach the brake.
3. Pull the cover off the parking brake handle. With the base removed, the cover won’t be attached to anything. Grasp onto its bottom edge and pull it up toward the roof of your car. Make sure you’re able to see the adjusting screw on the back end of the handle. It may still be difficult to reach at this point.
   • You usually don’t have to pull the cover all the way off. As long as you move it toward the end of the brake handle, it will no longer be in the way.
4. Unscrew the center console’s cover if you’re unable to reach the adjuster. To remove the cover, pry up the base around the gear stick directly in front of the handbrake. Then, use a T25 TORX screwdriver to detach any screws on the console. They are usually located in the cupholders. Turn them counterclockwise to remove them, then lift the cover off the center console.
   • The handbrake is often easier to work on once the seats are out of the way. Use a ratchet wrench to remove the bolts securing the seats and seatbelts to the car’s floor.
   • On some Mini Cooper models, you can reach the brake by removing the carpeting. After detaching the seats and anything else in the way, pull up the edges of the carpeting.

Jacking up the Car

1. Place wheel chocks around the front wheels to stop them from moving. To accurately test the handbrake, the car has to be off the ground so you are able to spin the back wheels. Before jacking up the car, block the front wheels off. Chocks are wedges you can slide underneath the wheels to keep them locked in place. Make sure the wedges are firmly lodged against the wheel. If you lean on the car’s front or back end, it shouldn’t move at all.
   • If you don’t have store-bought chocks, you could attempt to use something else, like a wood block, bricks, or stones.
   • Chocks are available online and at most auto parts stores.
2. Use a floor jack to lift the back wheels off the ground. Slide the jack underneath the Mini Cooper’s back end. Your car will have a jack point beside each wheel. Make sure the jack is underneath the metal subframe. Then, pump the jack’s handle to raise the wheels up.
   • If you look underneath the car, you may be able to see the flat, bare jack points. Look in the owner’s manual if you’re having trouble finding them.
   • Another way to do this is to use the jack points ahead of the rear wheels. Look for a seam in the frame. You will have to lift up the left and right wheels separately to get both of them off the ground.
3. Slide jack stands in front of the rear wheels to keep them held up. Raise the jack stands up to the same height as the jack. Place one in front of each rear wheel, close to the jack point there. Make sure the stands are firmly lodged against the car. They will help support its weight and ensure it doesn’t fall off the jack at any point.
   • Use at least 1 jack stand per side. You can use more to help stabilize the car, but it usually isn’t necessary.
   • If you are raising each rear wheel separately, remove the jack after placing the first jack stand. Then, repeat the process on the opposite side.

Tuning the Handbrake

1. Use a wrench to move the nut to the end of the adjusting bolt. The adjuster is inside your car, right underneath the handbrake’s handle. At the base of the handle, look for a metal bolt leading through the floor to the car’s rear wheels. The bolt will have a locking nut at one end. Use a small wrench to hold the bolt still, then turn the nut counterclockwise with a second wrench. Once the nut has been loosened, turn it by hand to move it as far back along the bolt as possible.
   • When the nut is in place, the bolt can’t move. You won’t be able to adjust the handbrake until the bolt is as far from the front end of the bolt as possible.
2. Tighten the adjusting bolt by rotating it counterclockwise with a wrench. Fit the wrench over the front end of the bolt right where it enters the handbrake. Give it 2 to 3 strong turns to tighten it. It may require a little more adjustment, but take it easy for now. Make further tweaks after you have had a chance to test the brake.
   • When working on a handbrake, adjust the bolt gradually. Use small adjustments with frequent testing to ensure it’s at the perfect tension setting.
3. Pull the handbrake back and listen to how many times it clicks. Pull it away from the floor gently, as if you’re using it while driving. It will click as you use it. Ideally, it should click twice before it can’t be pulled back any further, but that probably won’t happen right away.
   • Listen for audible, solid clicks. The handbrake should at least click twice. If you pull a well-adjusted handbrake hard enough, you might hear a third click, and that is fine.
   • Also, pay attention to how easily you are able to move the handbrake. If it feels too loose, then the wheels won’t lock properly no matter how many clicks you hear.
4. Make further adjustments until the lever clicks twice when you pull it. Switch between tightening the bolt and pulling the handbrake back. Listen to how many times it clicks. When the handbrake is at the right setting, you will be able to pull it back without any sort of resistance, and it will click twice before locking in place. Adjust it gradually until it feels comfortable to use.
   • If the brake feels too loose, rotate the bolt counterclockwise to relieve some of the tension. The handbrake should be easy to operate, but it won’t do much if it doesn’t lock the wheels when you pull it back.
5. Spin the wheels to see if they lock while the handbrake is up. Pull the handbrake up as far as it can go. After listening for the clicks it makes, walk to your Mini Cooper’s back end. Grab onto one of the wheels and attempt to rotate it back and forth. When the handbrake works, the wheels won’t move at all.
   • If the wheels rotate, lower the handbrake to tighten the adjustment bolt some more. Keep tightening and testing it until the wheels remain still.
   • Neither rear wheel can move with the handbrake engaged. If you notice one of the wheels moving, then the rear brakes may need servicing.
6. Tighten the locking nut with a wrench to secure the handbrake. Grip the adjustment bolt with a wrench to hold it still. Then, use a second wrench to rotate the nut clockwise. Turn it until it’s on the adjustment bolt. Make sure the bolt is unable to move, or else the handbrake will come out of alignment again.
   • Make sure the nut is at the front end of the bolt, right up next to the handbrake. Tighten it as much as possible, but stop when you’re sure you can no longer turn it without using a ton of force.
   • Try turning the nut and bolt by hand. If you’re able to move them, then the nut isn’t tight enough.
7. Lower the car with the jack and put it back together. Remove the jack stands, then crank the jack to put the wheels back on the ground. Reinstall the carpeting, seats, center console cover, gear stick, and any other parts you removed to access the adjustment bolt. Drop the handbrake’s plastic base back in place, followed by the cloth cover. When you’re done, pull the chocks out from under the front wheels to take your Mini Cooper out for a well-deserved test drive!
   • Before taking the car off the jack, consider doing some routine maintenance on the rear brakes. Try replacing the brake pads, for instance, and topping off the brake fluid.
   • Always take a test drive afterward to see if the handbrake feels responsive. If it isn’t working properly, it may need some extra adjustments. Service the rear brakes as well or take the car to a mechanic.

Tips

• Parking brakes don’t come out of alignment often, so they don’t require a ton of maintenance. For safety, check the handbrake at least once a year, especially if you use it often, or whenever you service the rear brakes.
• If you have another vehicle, adjusting the handbrake will be similar to how you do it for a Mini Cooper. The setup may vary a little, but the technique doesn’t differ much.
• If you’re unable to fix a handbrake or notice problems with your car’s braking system, take it to a mechanic for a more thorough inspection.

Warnings

• Using a car jack can be very dangerous, so work only on a hard, flat surface. Chock the wheels to prevent the car from moving.
• To avoid damaging your Mini Cooper, use car jacks only on accessible jack points. If you don’t know where they are, check the owner’s manual.

Things You’ll Need

• Car jack
• Jack stands
• Wheel chocks
• 2 small wrenches
• T25 TORX screwdriver
• Plastic prying tool
• Ratchet wrench (optional)

References

See also

• Get Rid of a Car That Doesn't Run
• Repair a Dent on a Car Using a Stud Welder Gun
• Know That Car Needs a Professional Mechanic
• Do an Oil Change for a Toyota Camry (2001 to 2011)
• Reset Gas Gauge Needle
• Replace a Cabin Air Filter on a 2012 2018 Ford Focus
• Flip Cars for a Profit
• Choose a Mobile Mechanic
• Deal With a Bad Repair
• Install a New Belt Tensioner With Pulley for Serpentine Belt on Plymouth Voyager V6 Mid 1990 Early 2000 Years

Read more ...