Lensman

I need urgent advice from anyone who knows whether this is true or not please:

My dealer is replacing my handbrake (parking brake) and initially said it was a simple job so I took my car in. I got a call later in the day to say that after inspecting the car they had a problem because the previous handbrake installs they'd done were a different technique to that required for my car ("Mazda has changed the design" was the claim) and to replace the lever they would have to remove the exhaust system and driveshaft to get at the bolts retaining the lever from underneath. This they couldn't do until after New Year because of lack of personnel so they kept the car over the holiday period and I hope to see it next week.

This seemed all well and good at first and I was actually impressed by the service but the more I consider it the weirder it gets. I don't believe that Mazda has changed the design and anyway my car is a very early example so that doesn't ring true. Why would access to the handbrake be from underneath the vehicle?!

I'm worried sick that someone has pulled a stunt to get usage of my car over the holiday and I need anyone with technical knowledge of that part of an RX-8 to advise me please. This is messing with my head big time and I need information one way or the other.

Phil

TheDosDog

If you are talking removal of the e-brake lever, it requires removal of the passenger seat (uh drivers seat for UK?) and the console but nothing from under the car.

snap-on

Unless they are doing the entire lever..?

PARKING BRAKE LEVER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION
Remove the propeller shaft. (See PROPELLER SHAFT REMOVAL/INSTALLATION .)

Remove the front console.

Remove in the order indicated in the table.

Install in the reverse order of removal.

After installation, inspect the parking brake stroke and adjust if necessary.

Lensman

Whoa! Where did you get that gem from please??? They are indeed replacing the entire lever because part of it (the bit that appears from within the tunnel when you pull the lever up) has inexplicably snapped off (?). I found a pdf of the instructions for fitting the leather brake lever and that's surely the entire lever too isn't it but that doesn't require (or mention) a prop-shaft removal.

snap-on

service manuals

philodox

All of that stuff is in the 2004-2005 Mazda RX-8 Workshop Manual. I think there is one for sale on Ebay right now. That's where I got mine.

Lensman

Thanks for telling me, I didn't know about this. Are they available to anyone and if so what is the link please? What I really need to know is what the circumstances are that would involve the prop-shaft removal. What's the difference between a full lever replacement and the fitting of the alternate leather bound lever (I don't get it)???

philodox

If you're just replacing the stock hand brake for the leather one, it's just the hand brake replacement. The only reason they would have to drop the drive shaft is to replace the hand brake cable that goes to the rear wheels

Lensman

Yes, that makes sense. They're replacing the original level that has broken with an identical one so they don't need to touch the underside of the car. Quite why they told me they intend to is a worrying question then.
Thanks everyone. This was invaluable.
Phil

downshift

This doesn't sound good. I have the same problem with my parking brake and am planning to have the lever swapped tomorrow. I can't tell from the diagram below if the top half of the lever can be removed without touching the lower assembly. It may be that they need better access into the assembly to retrieve the broken plastic part. I'll report back end of tomorrow on what they did.

Too bad the DIY on the Leather Parking Brake Installation has lost its pics. Otherwise, we'd have a better idea of how this replacement is done.

philodox

The parking brake lever is one solid peice. In order to remove/replace it you have to take out the front passenger seat (driver for the RHD cars) and remove the center console as someone stated earlier.

army_rx8

ah you beat me to the picture downshift hehe took me forever to find it in my rx-8 manuels i have on my harddrive

downshift

Hmm.. in that case, the dealer mechanic must have been just following the service manual without knowing the short cuts. Are there any semi-formal instructions out there that I can print out (just in case) so that my dealer won't go ahead and drop the freaking prop shaft for nothing?

Lensman

I found this earlier: http://www.hausers.com/nemesis8/leather-e-brake.pdf
This is really odd isn't it. That prop-shaft diagram is confusing.

Lensman

Another point of extreme interest that should be noted is that at least two of us have experienced the brake lever spontaneously snapping! Errmm, why? I had no reason at all for mine to snap (the front part of the plastic circle inside the tunnel that rotates to conceal the innards as I pull on the lever) and in fact only noticed when I starting wondering if 'that hole has always been there?'. There's a possible design fault here and who's to say it won't happen again next week?

philodox

I am looking in the Workshop manual now. For some reason, for Parking Brake Lever Removal/Installation, it only shows the complete process (i.e. wiring down to the rear brakes). It does not have a removal/installation process for just replacing the parking brake handle only. Reference page 04-12-3 in the workshop manual for that.

Your dealer may not know they can just replace the handle without dropping the propeller shaft. I would call them to tell them that you are just getting your handle replaced and not the whole parking brake system. That way they don't screw with you over labor time involved.

downshift

Mine broke one morning while pulling up the lever. It was about -12C and the plastic piece was probably frozen-stuck and brittle. There are two more members that had the same problem. It's funny that the lever felt smoother to operate without that piece of plastic; but I'm concerned about dust and other larger objects that might fall in and prevent the lever from dropping. I say this is more of a lack of attention to detail than design fault. Somebody did not stress test this enough. This is in the same league as the console lid that would slide forward under heavy braking.

downshift

Thanks for the help. I'll print out the .pdf that Lensman (thanks) posted. The instructions there seem to make the most sense.

downshift

I got the parking brake replaced today. I even left the printed .pdf on the driver's seat. The service writer commented on the .pdf said that the prop shaft must be dropped. Every attempt to ask what is forcing them to do that was countered by a comment that this is trivial and they have had practice when doing the damper recall.

The whole process took less than 2 hours.

Lensman

Well they are wrong because I too left a copy of the pdf with my service manager and he happily admitted that their service CD-Rom had confused them. I now have a new handbrake installed with zero damage to the car's interior and no removal of any underside items. They seem to have fixed my seat squeek too which is welcome!

rxeightr

Lensman,
Glad to hear it all worked out.

And good to see you around again.....been a very long time.

Lensman

Thanks, it's nice to be welcomed back. I've been doing a lot of driving

I visited Hiroshima last April and saw only one RX-8 and that was a static display by Mazda at JR-Shin-Hiroshima station! I was half tempted to try and organise a factory visit but it came to nothing.

RX4+30Years=RX8

My console lid has done that since day one. I aasked about it once and was told that it is normal and there was no fix for it.