Twistee 454 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 Can someone please enlighten me as to what the test procedure is for the parking brake as part of a WOF? Assume that the testing facility does not have rollers if this comes into the answer. Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1906 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 When I worked at Fraser cars it was very common for an unnamed garage that did WOFs not far from us to do a large handbrake slide right outside our factory as they got to end of their test drive, they also did not have brake rollers...... Hope that helps!! 😉 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twistee 454 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 9 minutes ago, aja540i said: When I worked at Fraser cars it was very common for an unnamed garage that did WOFs not far from us to do a large handbrake slide right outside our factory as they got to end of their test drive, they also did not have brake rollers...... Hope that helps!! 😉 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jon dee 500 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) The workshop may have a "deceleration box" that they put on the floor of the car in front of the passenger seat and road test the car to check the brakes. When applied in a moving vehicle, the handbrake has to generate a certain degree of retardation to pass the test. Cheers... Edited October 5, 2022 by jon dee Typo... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1662 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 When stationary it should hold the vehicle with a small amount throttle applied. Should be even tension on both sides ie doesn't drop to one side when pulling the handbrake or applying throttle. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twistee 454 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, jon dee said: The workshop may have a "deceleration box" that they put on the floor of the car in front of the passenger seat and road test the car to check the brakes. When applied in a moving vehicle, the handbrake has to generate a certain degree of retardation to pass the test. Cheers... Well after querying why my car was leaving BMW with two techs in it I was told they had to do the brake testing and one of the techs needed to hold the the Tapley meter. Which is fine except I didn't see any Tapley meter when they returned....... you can fill in the blanks. And I still fail to see why the M5 needed to go anywhere off the property for a handbrake test that they failed the car on and were trying to correct. Hence my original question. I'm not saying that anyone is being unprofessional, because you would have to think that there are far nicer cars that move through that workshop than my old wagon to go and hot lap. Edited October 5, 2022 by Twistee 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jon dee 500 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 If the Tapley meter is not attached to the heavy frame that holds it in place on the floor of the car, and is in fact hand held, it is quite a small object. Possibly easy to miss if you were looking for something larger. The operating instructions for the meter require the vehicle to be driven at a steady speed greater than 30kph and then the brake/s applied smoothly and firmly (without "jabbing"). I doubt that this procedure could be safely carried out on the service agents premises, hence the need to go out on the road. Not defending anyone, just saying brakes are a kind of important safety feature on a vehicle. So the service agent would be reasonably keen to make sure that they were working properly before putting a WOF on the car. Cheers... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twistee 454 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 Thanks @jon dee, that's the info I'm after. I've only ever seen the Tapley in a frame. I didn't go to BMW for a WOF specifically, I was after the rest of the cars service history and so it made sense to combo them together. Horrible place to be stuck for multiple hours, I had lined up a set of floating wheel centres, an "entertainment" tray for junior and some clothing - but had to pay for the investigation into my handbrake instead. Sitting in the client waiting area and listening to the service agents on the phone to customers I had to try hard not to laugh out loud, pretty sure that every second phone conversation included the phrase "yes that may be expensive, but that is standard BMW pricing". The best one was along the lines of "we have reached four thousand dollars investigating the issue and need to know if you want to go further", that's not fixing thats just working out why it's borked. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1662 Report post Posted October 5, 2022 14 hours ago, Twistee said: Well after querying why my car was leaving BMW with two techs in it I was told they had to do the brake testing and one of the techs needed to hold the the Tapley meter. Which is fine except I didn't see any Tapley meter when they returned....... you can fill in the blanks. And I still fail to see why the M5 needed to go anywhere off the property for a handbrake test that they failed the car on and were trying to correct. Hence my original question. I'm not saying that anyone is being unprofessional, because you would have to think that there are far nicer cars that move through that workshop than my old wagon to go and hot lap. Every Tapley meter ive seen used in NZ is put on the passenger floor (weighted base) and the 30kph test carried out by the tester. Certainly doesn't require 2 people and using it to test a handbrake is not strictly required - inspectors call on what test they use, the above examples are what we'd use as its better and safer on a range of vehicles. Id say they just wanted to drive your car, but i dont like dealerships for anything other than parts so im probably baised. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gaz 1061 Report post Posted October 6, 2022 Wof tech in training, needed a 2nd opinion from the foreman. 1 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackie 510 Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Two clicks on the handbrake and you should able to turn the wheels by hand with some force. Three clicks and you shouldn't. I've never seen a handbrake tested while moving with a meter. That would be kinda dumb. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
