Handbrake repair in Helsinki

A basic inspection on the lift costs 20 € for disc brakes where the handbrake works through the brake caliper, and a handbrake adjustment 42.50 € on average. Replacing both cables costs 170 € on average, and replacing the shoes of a drum-type handbrake on both sides from 212.50 €. Parts are charged separately.

If the mechanical parts are in good condition, an adjustment is usually enough. If the cables, the caliper mechanism or the inside of the drum are worn, rusted or seized, tightening alone will not fix the fault for long – the faulty part is then replaced.

The cause may be a seized cable, the handbrake mechanism in the caliper, a seized adjuster or a worn and rusted drum mechanism. Tightening the cable does not usually fix this – first we find out why one side works less well.

On many cars there is a disc brake at the rear, but inside the disc there is a separate small drum brake for the handbrake. Its condition cannot be seen from the outside, so the disc has to be removed. Dismantling and inspection costs from 85 €. If the repair is agreed straight away, the dismantling work already done is used for the repair.

In Finland, road salt, moisture and large temperature swings rust the cable from the inside as its protective sheath ages. The cable no longer moves or returns properly, and the brake may stay partly on. In winter, moisture can also freeze inside the cable. A seized cable is worth replacing – we usually replace both.

On many cars the handbrake mechanism is inside the rear brake caliper. If it seizes, adjustment does not help, and the caliper usually has to be replaced. Read more: brake caliper replacement and service.

Yes. The fault may be in the caliper’s electric motor, the caliper, the wiring, the connectors or the control unit. We start by reading the fault codes, and if needed the system is controlled with a diagnostic tool and a basic setting is done. The price is estimated according to the fault and the car.

On VW Group cars built from around 2020 (Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, SEAT, CUPRA) the diagnostics are protected with SFD locking. It has to be unlocked, for example, to put the electric parking brake into service mode. SFD unlocking +30 €.

Send us the inspection report or its fault entry and the car’s registration number. The measured values often show whether it is an adjustment, a fault on one side or a larger repair. We can order the parts needed in advance.

We recommend quality parts. The cheapest cables and shoes do not last long in Finnish conditions. We calculate the price of parts based on the registration number.

The warranty covers the adjustment and repair we do and the parts we supply. If an old cable, caliper or adjuster breaks later and was not replaced during the work, it is a separate repair.