13 replies to this topic

[Ebo100]

Just managed to scare myself tonight. Approaching a roundabout at the end of a fast piece of duel carriageway pressed the brake pedal and nothing happend. Pedal felt firm and hadn't dropped to the floor, but no braking effect. Thanks to the great handling managed to make the roundabout but perhaps 20-30mph faster than I should have and did scare some other drivers at the same time. I've run this car for nearly a year now and had a brake fade free day at the national and never had anything like this before. When I got the car in the folder was a receipt for some Mintex 1144 pads but I've never had the pads out so don't know if they are still fitted. I've never had to warm the pads before and the brakes performed OK after, so any ideas?

[ianrm]

What were the road conditions like ? wet or dry. Pad/disc condition ?

[Zoobeef]

It is a fairly common problem. Some have solved it by fitting a abs cut off switch but not sure how this solves it as it seems to be a vacuum problem, others have fitted an extra vacuum resevior in the vacuum line to the brakes

[Ebo100]

What were the road conditions like ? wet or dry. Pad/disc condition ?

Roads were damp but drying, it certainly didn't feel like a skid and there was no pulsing back through the pedal if the ABS cut in. It might be worth mentioning that my initial speed was well into the lepton range.

The discs look to be in good condition when viewed through the wheels but I haven't had chance to have a good look at the pads.

[Nelly Vx]

How did the pedal / brakes feel after were they the same or did they feel back to normal ?

[Ebo100]

It is a fairly common problem. Some have solved it by fitting a abs cut off switch but not sure how this solves it as it seems to be a vacuum problem, others have fitted an extra vacuum resevior in the vacuum line to the brakes

This seems a fairly drastic solution to an imtermittant problem, how would I plumb in another reservior?

[Ebo100]

How did the pedal / brakes feel after were they the same or did they feel back to normal ?

Brakes back to normal, I even tried a few hard stops on a trading estate and it stopped no problem.

Time for a disc/pad/fluid re-new?

[Nelly Vx]

Duncan F had the same problem turned out to be pads glazed up

[Ebo100]

Duncan F had the same problem turned out to be pads glazed up

That sounds right, but why would it happen now? The car gets used every day and at times driven quite hard.

[Nelly Vx]

Duncan had done some TD'S after some hard laps with hot brakes they would not stop, as soon as they cooled down were working fine sounds the same as he had no pedal drop either

[techieboy]

Don't accelerate for a long period and then immediately jump on the brakes and problem solved.

[Red 5]

Just managed to scare myself tonight. Approaching a roundabout at the end of a fast piece of duel carriageway pressed the brake pedal and nothing happend. Pedal felt firm and hadn't dropped to the floor, but no braking effect. Thanks to the great handling managed to make the roundabout but perhaps 20-30mph faster than I should have and did scare some other drivers at the same time.

I've run this car for nearly a year now and had a brake fade free day at the national and never had anything like this before. When I got the car in the folder was a receipt for some Mintex 1144 pads but I've never had the pads out so don't know if they are still fitted. I've never had to warm the pads before and the brakes performed OK after, so any ideas?

How strange, this is exact same symptoms as my brakes. Ive jumped on the pedal in the past and theres been nothing there, pedal gose hard, ABS dosent work ect ect, so i bleed the brakes and fitted a on/off switch for the ABS....problem solved. The brakes now are awesome and i cant fault them at all.

[simsy]

Are these na cars with the issue or induction boosted cars?

[Muncher]

Don't accelerate for a long period and then immediately jump on the brakes and problem solved.

Bingo, this man is on the money. It's a servo issue which is related to the ABS unit being operational, but not "engaged".

The brakes feel a little dead in normal use but try getting on them after a period of wide open throttle and the pedal feels dead, little breaking, ease off fractionally and the pedal eventually goes down further with a "graunching" feel.

Fit an ABS cut off switch and you can replicate this so easily back to back on track, the problem isn't there with the ABS unit turned off at all.