My car just failed its MOT on two things:
* Nearside rear rear brake recording little or no effort
* Nearside rear brake cable has restricted free movement

Now, the handbrake has never been very good in the 4 years I've had the car, so I thought that was fair enough. I have replaced both cables and am after some advice about adjusting it now they are new. I have tightened up the adjustment nut in the car a fair bit, but the offside wheel still seems to rotate relatively freely. I got the wife to put the handbrake on whilst I watched the caliper, and the thing on the back of the caliper (technical term!) seems to be working, it's just not pulling taut enough to hold the wheel. The o/s wheel is held nice and tight. Oh, and the calipers, discs and pads were all renewed around 18 months ago, so there shouldn't be any problem with these.

I have tried a couple of the methods I read about on here to reset the auto-adjusters, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference. Should I just tighten up the nut some more? I'm scared of stretching the cables!

The other thing I wanted advice about is that the MOT tester seemed to suggest that fitting new handbrake cables would address both of the failures. I can't see how it would cure there being "little or no effort" recorded on the n/s rear brake. Have I got this wrong? Any explanation would be appreciated. Both sides (discs and pads) seem to be wearing evenly.

This is the first time I've had to replace handbrake cables, though I have replaced pretty much all other brake parts in the past, so I am reasonably competent!

If you are certain the calipers have been reset correctly first for handbrake adjustment by slackening handbrake cables then winding both pistons back in. refit calipers to then give brake pedal 15 to 20 firm press which I do with engine running, after which adjust handbrake cable ..if your sure this procedure is ok on your car then pull hanbrake lever up a click or two and tighten adjuster till wheel begins to grip, after which check both wheels with handbrake well applied and wheels release as they should, noting the bar at the adjuster for any severe angle which would indicate any issues with cable length you are also able to feel the inner cable for tightness at the adjuster to give you idea of how tight they are and also at caliper for tiny amount of cable free play before lever is applied.,, I have replaced the handbrake cables on mine and had problems with after market parts not being the correct length so opted for genuine fiat cables which are not too much more expensive and cured problem I had with off side (uk) that had slightly less handbrake braking force.

if any doubts would be worth starting from scratch in resetting the brake pistons first before setting handbrake as above and can only presume the little effort on braking for your mot related to the handbrake force and not brake pedal force which if handbrake was set and working correct with new cables should hopefully solve both, I also usually jack both rear wheels up when looking at mine and try giving good turn of wheel for any slippage which gives good indication of how handbrake is working and releasing.

Thanks for the advice - today I took the calipers off, wound the pistons back in (not that they were wound very far out to begin with), applied grease and then applied the brakes lots of times to try to get the auto-adjust to work. I then tried tightening the adjuster nut again, and it doesn't seem any different, annoyingly!

Do you have any idea how much thread should be visible behind the adjuster nut when new cables have been fitted? I guess I'll just have to try tightening it up until it holds, and at least it will get through the MOT then, fingers crossed...

I did read on here that the proper Fiat cables are a better fit/longer-lasting than after-market ones. I got Pagid ones, so you'd think they'd be reasonably good quality.

from what I remember on mine I have about an inch of adjuster rod showing, though obviously this will vary from car to car.

As you know now the pistons are set correctly be best if you can to get both rear wheels off the ground and keep going at the adjuster a little at a time checking both wheels till they begin to bite on the disc's and also feeling how taught the inner cable is will give you an idea, or pull the handbrake lever up a click or two and adjust till one of the wheels begins to bite on, as when you release the lever off the one or two click position it should then give the required slack in the cable to release the handbrake off the caliper..hope you get sorted without having to go for gen fiat cable although as said I had to in the end do not know the make of after market cables but were not pagid

Just to add being new cables you may already know you may find they have an little initial stretch in them as they bed themselves in so could find you have to give them a wee tweek at the adjuster in a week or so time, if all goes well in getting them to work,, remember they are made to take some leverage so long as they not tight when handbrake lever is not on you should be ok