X7 Rear Brake Cables

[MattBLancs]

Agree with your thoughts on complete replacement - especially given its now £200-ish complete Vs £130-ish for the cables.

Don't throw the old motor out though!

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi guys, just happened to be passing... and wanted to chip in regarding those Ali versions off the complete handbrake Unit (or those being sold on Amazon which are probably the same, as a few others here have ordered these and had Warning lights on afterwards - (ESP Errors / Handbrake errors), and the link seems to be these 'copies', so there may something that is not compatible with the software / communication between the internal control unit and the ESP ECU (which is the master controller of the EPB).

If you just want the cables, then hopefully you can obtain those parts alone and leave the EPB unit as is to avoid constant warnings and MOT issues.

[Paul-R]

From reading posts here the units are not exactly the same between the C5 X7 and the 508. This difference caused a problem when coding in the new units on the X7. Maybe someone can remember more precisely?

[MattBLancs]

Interestingly information, thanks both

[MattBLancs]

Hmmm, this page on the Polish site: https://allegro.pl/oferta/hamulec-reczn ... 4440595732
Seems to undermine confidence in the cables offered on that same site!

Bit highlighted concerns me!

I'm taking "links" and "cables" to be one and the same (and a translation error)
They offer rebuild of the motor but seem to expressly exclude the cables!

I'm coming to the idea that the site is a "selling platform" (I e. eBay, Amazon Marketplace, equivalent)

[c16rkc]

Oh dear... I'm completely baffled now...

I've already ordered the Ali one earlier, so I guess I may as well chance it now. Worst case I can just use the cables in it...

What a pain..

[MattBLancs]

Oh dear... I'm completely baffled now...

I've already ordered the Ali one earlier, so I guess I may as well chance it now. Worst case I can just use the cables in it...

What a pain..

Likewise!

My appreciation of the supposed advantages of an electronic handbrake is fairly limited, think if (or more likely "when" realistically) I'm in your situation, I'll be focusing my efforts on a conversion to an old fashioned lever. I'll need to create a piece of trim that does not exist (as Exclusive = hydropneumatic C5 X7 models only ever came with the electronic parking brake.

So I need to keep the Up - Sport - Down set of buttons available but fit the lower spec centre console trim with the gap the handle passes through.

May prove a pipe dream yet, I've not looked into what would need to be done via DiagBox. Not confirmed if the brake mechanicals are identical between electronic/ manual variants.

[MGmike]

I can supply cables in the UK for £150 per set delivered.
You don't even need to open the unit as they are fitted by unscrewing the cable end and hooking/screwing the new ones in. You will need a Diagbox (or similar) to put the unit in Maint mode and to tension the cables after install.

PM me if interested.

[c16rkc]

OK so I just did a 180...

I cancelled my order of the cheapy version motor (assuming it might just be an Ali Express type unit).

Then I went on the Polish site, and ordered two cables, and was pleased to see it let me put in the United Kingdom and my address when ordering. It changed me 70zl for delivery, the total cost posted was £151.21.

Of course I'll most likely get hit with the VAT bill when it hits UK shores, so I am guessing that will be another £30; we'll see.

[c16rkc]

I can supply cables in the UK for £150 per set delivered.
You don't even need to open the unit as they are fitted by unscrewing the cable end and hooking/screwing the new ones in. You will need a Diagbox (or similar) to put the unit in Maint mode and to tension the cables after install.

PM me if interested.

Oh fiddlesticks... I was literally minutes too fast

I'm tempted to cancel... again... and order from you.

How long will delivery be?

[c16rkc]

My appreciation of the supposed advantages of an electronic handbrake is fairly limited, think if (or more likely "when" realistically) I'm in your situation, I'll be focusing my efforts on a conversion to an old fashioned lever. I'll need to create a piece of trim that does not exist (as Exclusive = hydropneumatic C5 X7 models only ever came with the electronic parking brake.

So I need to keep the Up - Sport - Down set of buttons available but fit the lower spec centre console trim with the gap the handle passes through.

May prove a pipe dream yet, I've not looked into what would need to be done via DiagBox. Not confirmed if the brake mechanicals are identical between electronic/ manual variants.

Oh I'd never do that, I hate the old manual handbrakes - I don't like the handle sticking out in the centre console - and I also love to use the electric park brake at traffic lights, so just a blip of the throttle releases the brake and send you on your way.

[MGmike]

I can supply cables in the UK for £150 per set delivered.
You don't even need to open the unit as they are fitted by unscrewing the cable end and hooking/screwing the new ones in. You will need a Diagbox (or similar) to put the unit in Maint mode and to tension the cables after install.

PM me if interested.

Oh fiddlesticks... I was literally minutes too fast

I'm tempted to cancel... again... and order from you.

How long will delivery be?

See PM but dispatched one day after payment on two day delivery. Next day delivery might be an option.

[c16rkc]

My bank must think I'm mad... well I guess I am a bit

I have cancelled my order to the Polish outfit... had the cancellation confirmation. I have then placed an order with my new friend MGmike

I talk to French car loving forum people I don't know on the internet all day; so I may as well place orders with them too

[MGmike]

Thanks. I'll get on it tomorrow for you and let you know when to expect them.

[c16rkc]

I thought I'd add my experience to this thread, to help anyone else who stumbles upon it...

So first of all, contradicting what has been said previously, you do not need to remove the brake motor assembly. You also do not need to pull it apart... which is just as well as the bolts holding the motor on rust like crazy!!

This is the said motor, with rusty fixings!

But it does help to understand what's inside. The motor works because one side of the cable (the drivers side) is hooked on to a sliding motorised rotating female thread, and the other side of the cable (the passenger side) is attached to a threaded rod that is pulled in/out by the said female threaded motor. These videos do a good job of showing the principlal, though its on a Renault motor.





This video is also helpful, as it shows how to release the cables from the rear wheels. But it does not show the motor.... For information, the plastic parts shown in this video came with the new cables when I bought mine, but it's probably worth checking they do with your new cables.



So with that knowledge... you can then proceed to do your own cables.

First you need to buy the cables themselves, and there is lots of info on that further back in this thread. I can imagine the availability of those will change over time

When you have the cables, the motor needs to release the existing cables so they can be removed, I used Diagbox to put the brake in service mode.

THEN DISCONNECT THE BATTERY SO CAR CANNOT RE-APPLY BRAKE

Then put the car up on axle stands in all four corners, so that it cannot roll away

Release the cables at the rear wheels.

There are brackets holding the cables in place between the motor and the wheels. Mine had completely rusted bolt heads, which had to be grinded off... Do not worry about replacing these if you need to do the same. They are nice to have, but the cables are short enough that it does not harm if you do not have them fitted.

Slide off the electrical connector protective cover.

Release the electrical connector on the brake motor assembly. It releases by a button which you cannot see as its on the other side. Find it and the slide rotates away and releases the connector.

Then you remove the cable end caps each side of the motor assembly, by twisting and unscrewing the them. They were made of black plastic on mine, but I noticed my new cables had aluminium end caps. They do just unscrew, but might need help from a pipe wrench of similar to get them started.

On the drivers side of the motor assembly, the cable is fixed using a keyhole shaped catch in the motor. The cable end has a special shape that makes it captive, which slides up and into the keyhole, then a white plastic end cover has a special shape that fills in the bottom of the keyhole, and stops the cable end sliding down and releasing.

So to remove the old cable, you have to wriggle and unclip the white plastic cover out, then this allows you can slide the cable end down, and out of the motor. Hard to explain, but hopefully the pictures will help to show what I mean...

This is what's left... so you can see the keyhole shape.

Then you simply slide the new cable end in and up into the brake motor, before pushing the white clip in, which snaps into place and holds the cable end in.

But don't tighten the screw cap yet...

Next go to the passenger side cable end at the brake motor.

Again release the plastic cap which unscrews.

But this time there is a square end at the brake motor...

Pust the drivers side cable in to the brake motor, and the passenger side one feeds out, you may need to unscrew the threaded end to fully released it.

It looks like this when out.

So then to feed in the new one, put the new threaded end into the brake motor, and then push the drivers side cable in as far as you can. This pushes the motor thread to the passenger side of the motor. Then wriggle the threaded end of the cable around until you find the threaded opening inside the motor, and then rotate the square end of the cable to thread the cable end into the motor.

Then you can push the square end into the motor, and screw on the end cap.

You can also then replace the drivers side end cap too, and thats the motor part done.

Next thread the cables through each side, and fit at the wheel ends.

Thats the cables fitted. You can lower the car back on its wheels.

Reconnect the battery.

Do a "Park brake calibration" in diag box.

Then that should be it.

I would imagine I did not explain all of that perfectly, but hopefully it will be enough to help others to do it without having to remove or pull apart the brake motor assembly.