e-brake doesn't work

[graffeedy5]

hasn't worked since I got the car, P/O told me it just needed to be tightened, I tightened the nut on the handle and it hasn't effected anything. I have no brake resistance with the handle pulled all the way up.

[Charley]

hasn't worked since I got the car, P/O told me it just needed to be tightened, I tightened the nut on the handle and it hasn't effected anything. I have no brake resistance with the handle pulled all the way up.

Next thing to do is remove the rear rotors to check the mechanism for
wear/missing parts...

Charley

[graffeedy5]

will do, thanks.

[jlsr]

You can also remove the rear wheel and you'll find a star nut through the wheel bolt hole in the hub that you can adjust the e-brake pad. By taking a small screwdriver, you can slowly spin the star nut to tighten the pad against the drum. Once it won't spin any further, loosen the nut 5 to 6 clicks the other direction. For each back wheel, you have to spin the nut the opposite direction to tighten it. Sorry, but I don't remember which direction for which wheel.

[Vince30]

My previous owner told me the clutch felt weird because I just need to tighten the clutch cable. Don't trust sellers.

[jlevie]

The first thing to do would be to pull the rear hubs and check the condition of the parking brake mechanism (and noted above). Replace parts or shoes as indicated. Then adjust the parking brake per the factory procedure (summarized below).

1) Lower the hand brake and loosen the cable adjusters.

2) Working through a lug bolt hole turn the star adjuster until the wheel
locks using a flat-bladded screwdriver. I just turn the adjuster until it
doesn't want to turn any more. Then back off the adjuster 12 clicks. Repeat
for the other wheel. Note that the star adjuster is at the 6 o'clock position
on later cars, but at the 10 o'clock position on an E30.

3) Raise and lower the hand brake several times to settle the cables. Then
raise the lever two clicks and tighten the adjusters until the wheel can just
be turned with moderate force.