2001 V70 2.4T MA safety inspection failure (also) due to faulty parking brake Topic is solved

[prwood]

In addition to the SRS issue mentioned in another thread, my car *also* failed the MA state inspection due to parking brake failure. According to the inspector, the parking brake is required to hold at least 1500 RPM while the transmission is in drive. He said my parking brake did not hold at all in drive. I verified this myself afterwards. Subsequently, I adjusted the parking brake handle using the nut underneath the dust boot, so that it was as tight as I could get it with the open-ended crow-foot wrench I was using. I tested it again myself, and this time it did hold in drive, but only up to 1000 RPM.

In order to have it hold up to 1500 RPM, would I need to make an adjustment at the parking brake shoes themselves?

[abscate]

There is a chassis break on P2 where the adjustment goes from star wheels at the rear wheels to only an adjustment at the parking brake lever. Ill try to sort out when that happens.

My 1999 P80 adjusts at the wheels

My 2005 P2 adjusts at the parking brake lever.


If you plug your VIN into the Volvo Parts Lisle website, you can probably look at the exploded diagram and figure out if you have the wheel or lever adjusters.

Warning - if you adjust the 'wheel type' at the lever, it will work but you are probably wearing the shoes on the wrong end and will have to replace earlier. The correct way to adjust the 'at wheel type' is ..at the wheel. The adjust at the lever is only to comp for stretching cables - which is rare unless they are breaking.

According to the inspector, the parking brake is required to hold at least 1500 RPM while the transmission is in drive.

I feel your pain but given I drive in MA a lot, its good to know you guys have real inspections.

[Rattnalle]

There is a chassis break on P2 where the adjustment goes from star wheels at the rear wheels to only an adjustment at the parking brake lever. Ill try to sort out when that happens.

My 1999 P80 adjusts at the wheels

My 2005 P2 adjusts at the parking brake lever.


If you plug your VIN into the Volvo Parts Lisle website, you can probably look at the exploded diagram and figure out if you have the wheel or lever adjusters.

Warning - if you adjust the 'wheel type' at the lever, it will work but you are probably wearing the shoes on the wrong end and will have to replace earlier. The correct way to adjust the 'at wheel type' is ..at the wheel. The adjust at the lever is only to comp for stretching cables - which is rare unless they are breaking.

According to the inspector, the parking brake is required to hold at least 1500 RPM while the transmission is in drive.

I feel your pain but given I drive in MA a lot, its good to know you guys have real inspections.

Seeing as these engines reach the max torque at 1500 that's quite a requirement. Over here they use rollers to test all brakes so I'm not sure what the absolute measurement used is actually. They go more for evenness than absolutes though.

My -00 S80 didn't have wheel adjustment either. I'm not sure any P2 cars ever had them stock. But you can retrofit them and they're readily available online for the P80 cars and will fit.

Also in Sweden there's a lot of talk about many aftermarket brake shoes not being the exact right diameter and therefore won't work as well as originals.

[prwood]

I'm not seeing any indication on the parts site that my model should have wheel adjustment, based on the fact that it's model year 2001 and chassis number 77,411. Also, my ALLDATAdiy membership is keyed to my VIN, and this is the procedure for parking brake adjustment, excerpted from the section on replacing the parking brake shoes:

Screen Shot 2017-12-27 at 3.14.43 PM.png (76.36 KiB) Viewed 2727 times

This same section doesn't mention any adjustment at the wheel.

So if I've tightened this screw down as far as it will go, and there's no adjustment at the wheel, and the parking brake still doesn't hold at 1500 RPM, would the next step be to replace the parking brake shoes?

[prwood]

Reading about this $17 set of parking brake shoes at FCP, I found this review, amusingly left by someone also named Peter:

By: Peter
Fri, Apr 29 at 3:15PM
“

The old '01 s60 failed its state inspection on, of all things, parking brake shoes being separated or worn. They wanted like $600 to put these in. This set was inexpensive and didn't take my mechanic long to install. Saved me a ton of hassle.

[Rattnalle]

Do you mind taking it apart more than once? If no then take a look and see if anything's worn. If yes then order both new pads and the adjusters for the P80s and replace the lot.

Here's a guide in Swedish for retrofitting the adjuster. It seems to google-translate pretty well from what I can see: http://www.jagrullar.se/forum/viewtopic ... 2&t=129179

[abscate]

With an automatic , it's a cinch the rear brake shoes are original Swedish, so I would buy new ones from Volvo ( direct or via good vendor)

I had trouble with my first aftermarket set and had to return

[oragex]

I got the adjuster for peanuts from a S70 at the scrap yard. All volvo cars before 2000 have them, if you manage to undo the rusted drum disk.

Previously, my handbrake would hold a little more than what a stray cat could pull.

Got these installed and - most importantly - got them adjusted through a hole for the wheel lug so as the drum just turns over the shoes. Another click and the drum would not turn by hand.

After a few stops with the handbrake, now it keeps the car on my 5% driveway incline nose down - I still need to pull the lever strongly to the last click.

But before this, make sure the inside of the drum, at the friction surface with the shoes, is clean and shiny.

If all this gives nothing, it's perhaps time to replace the parking brake cables - not a funny job

[jonesg]

In addition to the SRS issue mentioned in another thread, my car *also* failed the MA state inspection due to parking brake failure. According to the inspector, the parking brake is required to hold at least 1500 RPM while the transmission is in drive.

In order to have it hold up to 1500 RPM, would I need to make an adjustment at the parking brake shoes themselves?

They failed me for the same problem when I lived in MA. I read up on the regs, there is NO rpm given.
The inspection station had told me it was 2k.
They are wrong.

I installed new cables and new shoes but it's a crappy system and doesn't hold like other cars.

Took it to a different station and it passed.
The second station said they tap the throttle, there is no official rpm because different engines produce different hp at the same rpm.

Suggest you read the RMV regs.

[prwood]

Here is the section concerning brakes from 540 CMR 4.00 9/5/2008, found linked here: https://www.mavehiclecheck.com/motorists-resources/ Emphasis added by me.

(4.) Brakes. (Non Commercial Vehicles)
540 CMR 4.00 9/5/2008 ANNUAL SAFETY & COMBINED SAFETY & EMISSIONS INSPECTION
Page 8 of 51
(a.) The inspector shall operate the vehicle to test the parking and service brake. The parking
brake on all vehicles will be tested by accelerating the motor to approximately 1,200 to 1,300
RPMs with the vehicle in the lowest forward gear against the brake in the applied position. The
vehicle will be rejected if the parking brake will not hold. The service brakes will be tested at a
speed of between four and eight MPH. Service brakes must be reasonably equalized so that the
vehicle does not pull to either side when applied. A test with the brake meter shall be made at a
speed of 15 to 25 MPH in all questionable cases.
(b.) Brakes shall be adequate to stop the vehicle from a speed of 20 MPH in not more than the
following distances:
Service (foot) Brake Pleasure Vehicles 30 feet
Trucks and Buses 40 feet
Parking (hand) Brake All Vehicles 80 feet
(c.) Additional Requirements For Types of Brake Systems.
(1.) Hydraulic Brake Systems. While the vehicle is stopped, apply approximately 125
pounds foot-force to the brake pedal and hold for ten seconds. Reject the vehicle if the
brake pedal height cannot be maintained or if less than 20% of the total available brake
pedal travel remains or if the brake failure warning light on vehicles so equipped
illuminates.
(2.) Power Brake Systems. Stop the vehicle engine and depress the brake pedal several
times to eliminate all vacuum in the system. Depress pedal with a light force,
approximately 25 pounds foot-force and while maintaining this force on pedal, start the
vehicle engine and observe if pedal moves slightly with engine running. The vehicle will
be rejected if the pedal does not move slightly as the engine is started while pressure on
the brake pedal is maintained. During the inspection of the vehicle, the condition of
visible hydraulic components should be checked. The vehicle shall be rejected if
evidence of fluid leaks or chafing, cracking, swelling, restriction or other damage exists
on hydraulic tubing or hoses or if they are not securely fastened or improperly retained.

So, I don't know where the inspector is getting the 1500 RPM number from, but there is definitely a requirement written into law, at least since 9/5/2008.

I made a few more adjustments this morning with a proper deep-wall socket, and it now looks to be holding at the RPM specified above. Of course I'll hold off any declaration of victory until it passes inspection.