Okay, a few questions:

When my Handbrake is all the way down, the Handbrake light on my dash comes on - How do i fix that?
Generally i just pull the handbrake up a slight bit (it doesn't cause any braking) which puts the light out.

My handbrake is crap, really really crap. It can't hold me on anything resembling a hill, i have to park sideways generally. My local mini mechanic said there isn't much he can do about it, is there anything that can be done?

There is a little flip switch under the leather cover on my handbrake, what does it do?

for one you can adjust the hand brake cable which attached to the rear of the leaver. Over time they stretch and need replacing. Rear brakes may need adjusting or new shoes and drums may need replacing. If your Mechanic believes there isn't much than can be done he doesn't care for your safety Get a newone

_________________
Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Well, what he actually said was:

"Mini handbrakes tend to be odd things, you could have a completely rebuilt mini with a crap handbrake, or a complete rust job mini with a brilliant handbrake."


Perhaps he wasn't aware of how poor the brake is..

How would i go about tightening it myself sorry? When i pull up the cover there is a nut and a spring and such, or am i adjusting something under the car?

What year and model do you have? Does the switch look like this? Where exactly is the light on the dash you refer to?

There is a push button switch thing (looks like the ones in door that makes your interior light work??)

That is what operates your handbrake light on your dash (your car is a late model leyland mini?)

I would say this switch is playing up i would have a fiddle with that. Maybe the bracket it sits in is a bit bent or the pushy-in bit doesnt brake the circuit properly.

Thats what i reckon

Goodluck

_________________

Hey winabbey thats a police one correct??

Late model clubbies had much the same thing but the switch was mounted sideways (from memory). and the bit that pushed it in was mounted near the nut to adjust the cable, so when the handbrake was lowered the braket would move back pushing it in.

Going from the avatar i would think late clubby

_________________

I found on one car the plunger in the switch would earth out on the floor when the lever was all the way down but if I pulled it up a notch the light went out.
Oh, and the handbrake was crap in that car until I found the pivots on the trailing arms were fitted the wrong way around so that they did not have full travel.

Okay thanks for all the replies, to answer a few questions:

It's a 77 clubby.

No that's not the switch i'm talking about.
The switch i'm talking about is literally a flip switch, like an on off switch. I'll take a photo and put it up in a second.

The light on my dash is above the Speedo and it reads "Park Brake", its right next to the imminent "Brake Fail" light (which is yet to light up)
The theory about it earthing on the floor sounds about right.. would make sense.

I wonder if the extra flip switch is an ignition kill switch?
Have you flicked it with the motor running?

Nope, haven't tried that before.

I'll give it a whirl before HSC IPT in the morning

Yes, it is. That's why I got a bit excited. I thought another ex-NSW Police vehicle might have surfaced. The switch in the photo was fitted as part of SPO41 to MK II S's supplied to NSW Police.

A similar switch box arrangement was fitted to Mokes - see below.

If i say i DO have a switch like that, and it IS infact an ex police mini, will you offer me big $$$ for it?

Trade you for a 1275 GT

Is the switch in question.

Well, i flipped the mystery switch while the car was on, and that verdict is:

It's not a kill switch.

Any other ideas?

follow the wires and you will find what it does

_________________


'66 Morris Mini DeLuxe. In pieces.
'88 Honda EE2 4WDWagovan. DOHC.
'94 Honda EG4 Civic. -Daily-
'82 Toyota KE70 Corolla -Drifter- x2
'95 Honda DC2 Integra