Adjusting the handbrake (BMW 3 Series E30)

Lift the rubber boot of the handbrake lever and pull it back.



Unscrew 2 nuts "2" of the handbrake cables.

Drum brake

Install the brake pads by pressing the brake pedal several times.

Before the brake pads are installed, you will hear clicking sounds from the rear brake. The hole (arrow) for the wheel bolt shows how the brake pad installation mechanism works.

Disc brakes

The parking brake is completely separated from the service brakes, due to which it is subject to less wear. The friction torque is reduced due to corrosion of the brake drum and contamination of the brake shoes. To achieve maximum efficiency of the handbrake, as a rule, it is enough to drive the car about 100 m at a moderate speed before adjusting it with the handbrake tightened.

Remove one wheel bolt on each wheel.



The threaded hole for the bolt should be positioned at 30° above and behind the vertical.

Apply screwdriver "2" to adjusting nut "1" and turn the nut until it is impossible to turn the brake disc by hand. Then unscrew the adjusting nut 3-4 teeth back. When turning the adjusting nut on the left side of the car upwards, the brake shoes are pressed against the drum. On the right side of the car, the adjusting nut must be turned downwards for this. After adjustment, check that the brake disc can turn freely and, if necessary, unscrew the adjusting nut a little more back. The brake discs must rotate freely.



Adjust the handbrake cable.



Pull the handbrake lever 5 clicks and loosen the adjusting nuts "2" so that the left and right rear wheels can be turned by hand. Release the handbrake lever and check whether the wheels rotate freely, otherwise repeat the adjustment.



Turn on the ignition. When the handbrake lever is lowered, the handbrake indicator light on the instrument panel should go out. If this does not happen, adjust switch "3".

Install the rubber boot on the handbrake lever.

Install the 2 rear wheel bolts and tighten them to a torque of 110 Nm.



[The text is based on materials from the website BMWman.ru]