Mon 1200
- Decide to take the car into Plymouth to see a friend. Pull up outside the house which is on quite a hill so decide to use the handbrake (don't often use it with the PDK, especially on level ground). As the handbrake is lifted it sounds and feels different somehow so I immediately try to release it. The button cannot be depressed (unlike I was about to become!) so lift it a bit more to try to release the ratchet and only succeed it putting the brake on even harder! Ah, what to do?
PorscheAssist? But how would they get it on the trailer, I wondered. So, phoned Exeter PC. Spoke to Service Manager who had the same initial thought but decided that probably wouldn't work so then said "Give me 10 mins to grab some tools, what's the postcode and I'll get there asap"
1345
45 miles later and after doing battle with the hideous traffic around Plymouth Wayne arrives. Of course the first thing he tries is to release the handbrake and only succeeds in putting in on so hard that only Olympic weightlifters would be able to release it! He then sets about dismantling the centre console so that he can remove the tunnel and get to the handbrake. I bet you don't know how many screws, cables, connectors and bits of trim you have to remove to expose the handbrake! But, eventually there it was exposed and bolted to the car. Those four bolts were then removed (not easy with the seats in) and gingerly the handbrake lever and mount was lifted off the studs - given that the cables were under a considerable tension! As it came clear of the studs it shot backwards, the handbrake was released, cables detached and it was removed from the car.
Ok, so I could now drive the car but with two charity events this weekend I didn't really fancy turning up without a handbrake or centre console! In the meantime I had discovered, by trying to peer inside the handbrake mechanism to see what had broken, that if held upside down the button would depress! So we taped the button in and reassembled everything. Secured in the down position by masking tape (!) so that nobody could inadvertantly pull it on I at least had a car that could be driven and looked in one piece. 1600 by now and Wayne departs for Exeter
1730
Phone call from Exeter PC. There is one handbrake lever in the country in stock with the aluminium look cover etc etc, it has my name on it and will be in Exeter by Wed. I'm tied up Wed/Thur so we agree on Friday Morning
Friday 1000
Arrive Exeter PC
1100
Handed back the key and job done
Now that's what I call service!
PS - They have never seen such a failure before.
- Decide to take the car into Plymouth to see a friend. Pull up outside the house which is on quite a hill so decide to use the handbrake (don't often use it with the PDK, especially on level ground). As the handbrake is lifted it sounds and feels different somehow so I immediately try to release it. The button cannot be depressed (unlike I was about to become!) so lift it a bit more to try to release the ratchet and only succeed it putting the brake on even harder! Ah, what to do?
PorscheAssist? But how would they get it on the trailer, I wondered. So, phoned Exeter PC. Spoke to Service Manager who had the same initial thought but decided that probably wouldn't work so then said "Give me 10 mins to grab some tools, what's the postcode and I'll get there asap"
1345
45 miles later and after doing battle with the hideous traffic around Plymouth Wayne arrives. Of course the first thing he tries is to release the handbrake and only succeeds in putting in on so hard that only Olympic weightlifters would be able to release it! He then sets about dismantling the centre console so that he can remove the tunnel and get to the handbrake. I bet you don't know how many screws, cables, connectors and bits of trim you have to remove to expose the handbrake! But, eventually there it was exposed and bolted to the car. Those four bolts were then removed (not easy with the seats in) and gingerly the handbrake lever and mount was lifted off the studs - given that the cables were under a considerable tension! As it came clear of the studs it shot backwards, the handbrake was released, cables detached and it was removed from the car.
Ok, so I could now drive the car but with two charity events this weekend I didn't really fancy turning up without a handbrake or centre console! In the meantime I had discovered, by trying to peer inside the handbrake mechanism to see what had broken, that if held upside down the button would depress! So we taped the button in and reassembled everything. Secured in the down position by masking tape (!) so that nobody could inadvertantly pull it on I at least had a car that could be driven and looked in one piece. 1600 by now and Wayne departs for Exeter
1730
Phone call from Exeter PC. There is one handbrake lever in the country in stock with the aluminium look cover etc etc, it has my name on it and will be in Exeter by Wed. I'm tied up Wed/Thur so we agree on Friday Morning
Friday 1000
Arrive Exeter PC
1100
Handed back the key and job done
Now that's what I call service!
PS - They have never seen such a failure before.
]
