I suspended the back of my car and I have some questions?

ANDREI TUDORA

MEMBER
2004 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
1.9L
4 CYL
TURBO
2WD
MANUAL
200,000 MILES

Hello! I don't really know much about my car besides basic stuff, and I have some questions. Basically, I suspended the back end of my car when I tried to make a U-turn by reversing back on a little bridge and didn't see that after the bridge there was a drop (too much grass, I thought it was fine). I got it out with the help of some local people and 2 friends and after I took some pics I'm concerned with how a cable looks, I don't know what it's for but I think it's important. The car drives just fine, I don't feel anything wrong with it it's just the picture that scares me and the fact that I don't know what could be wrong, please check the attached pics and give me your opinion, what I should do and what I should also check in case something else broke.

Images (Click to make bigger)

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,916 POSTS

That appears to be a parking brake cable. First check if the parking brake works, but on the slim chance it gets stuck on, do that at a place you don't have to walk far if it does. Also be sure to check that it releases freely. A good way to do that is to stop on a slight incline, push in the clutch or shift to "neutral", release the regular and the parking brakes, then observe if the car creeps downhill on its own. If that cable sticks and keeps that parking brake applied, flexing it by hand can often get it released if it isn't rusted solidly tight yet.

You can also follow that cable forward to where the cable comes out of the casing. That will be close to where the front of that casing is attached to a mounting bracket. If the first half inch or so of the exposed cable is shiny, while the rest has the typical dirt on it, that indicates the cable is at least partially applied. If flexing the casing gets that cable to retract under its spring tension, it's a good idea to have it replaced. Sticking cables never get better over time, and no type of lubricant is a permanent fix.

Next, there's a good chance that didn't happen just from this one incident. Look closer at the damaged area and see if the metal that's showing is rusty. That would indicate it's been like this for some time. There's a plastic coating over a metal outer casing, or tube. The concern, if it's still working okay, is water will get in and rust the inner cable to the casing.

Let me know what you find.