Ive now got brand new pads and discs on all the way round now. Bled the master cylinder and through all the calipers as per previous posts on here. There doesnt appear to be any air. however the pedal is still spongey. I've been constantly topping up the brake fluid aswell whilst bleeding and noticed that if i fill it right up to the cap it sinks down a fair bit, Doesnt look to be below the minimum tho. Also noticed the handbrake adjuster under the centre console, isnt sitting right, its at an angle as opposed to both cables being tightened to the same amount. The drivers side cable is not got as much play as the passenger side. Think i'll be getting it towed to the local garage unless someone can give me any other ideas?
Brake problems....Oh dear
- Thread starter stevie16v
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- brake dear problemsoh
Check the obvious first. Are you certain you've tightened up all the bleed nipples correctly?
What did you use to retract the rear brake pistons, VAG rears have to be screwed back in rather than pushed back in. If you've used force to push them back into the caliper, its possible you could have burst the piston seals causing them to leak brake fluid. Is there any evidence of fluid spillage on the wheels?
What did you use to retract the rear brake pistons, VAG rears have to be screwed back in rather than pushed back in. If you've used force to push them back into the caliper, its possible you could have burst the piston seals causing them to leak brake fluid. Is there any evidence of fluid spillage on the wheels?
I bought the special tool for winding the pistons back so as not to mess it up, all bleed nipples are nice and tight. Even went back around a second time to check them all. When i try pumping the pedal with the engine off, it doesnt build up any pressure, is that a sign of anything?
please dont laugh at me but why did you have to bleed the brakes if your changing disks and pads??? you shouldnt have to disconnect any brake pipes do you????, as for the spongieness are you using the correct brake fluid??? and was it a new unoppened tub???
Nah, aint going to laugh. Had to disconnect the pipes on both back brakes as the caliper rewind tool ammed in both of them, so had to get it on the ground to use some brut force. The tub of fluid i had is a couple months old, dot 4 so is the correct stuff. Im wondering if its mabe worth my while replacing the fluid in the whole system, that way i'd know for def that theres no air in it
was the tub opened or not???? if it was then i would suggest that it isnt suitable as there could possibly be contaminents in it, when was the last time the fluid was changed?? (should be dont every two years) if it hasnt been changed for a while then that is the first think i would do and see if it improves any
It was open, But always stored with the lid on, so prob aint the greatest. However, I was getting the spongey brakes before using it aswell. It was changed last year, But nowt wrong with doing it again i suppose. Ive had some mixed answers, i always do it with the engine off, but would you bleed with the engine on?
what condition are the flexy hoses in??? there is the possibility that they are balooning under braking, i would personally get it power bled by a garage, far faster and effective than you sitting there pumping the pedal, i had this done on my old beemer and it only cost me £20 i supplied the brake fluid and it didnt take them long but the difference in the brakes was amazing
Just went out there. Story is. With the engine off, theres a bit of resistance in the pedal. As soon as i start the engine the pedal sinks to the floor. If i pump it really quick it builds up, but then if i hold my foot on it, it sinks to the floor. If i put my foot on the brake and try driving it wont go. If i put the handbrake on as tight as it will go, the car will move, and it doesnt take much effort. So im thinking, ust be something to do with the rears
I suspect you either have a bust master cylinder seal (unlikely) or you have some air in the fluid circuit. Get a full fluid change done.
cheers ross. Im thinking that maybe i have a seized caliper or havent put one of them back enough. The drivers side one was very tight, so much so i had to hammer it on slightly. I noticed the handbrake adjust is sitting at an angle, the one under the centre console, its as though the passenger side has a longer cable than the drivers side, if that makes sense
it may be a lazy rear caliper and it need a good amount of use to take up the slack. (as you have said one was sticking)
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seems like you still have some air in there somewhere, best thing to do is get a power bleeder which attatches to a tyre valve to use air pressure, fill up the fluid bottle and it forces it through great. just start at the rear and open the bleed nipple for a bit and do the same all round untill a bit of fluid has come out of everyone. do the same to the bleed nipple on the master cylinder and then also for good measure do the clutch. this will also renew all your fluid. easy enough to do yourself if you know what your doing, make sure to not tighten the bleed nipples up too tight, you wont be pleased when you snap one off. just give them a good nip up.
also on one occasion on a customer car i needed to have the abs pump electronical bleed through vag com at the dealers
also on one occasion on a customer car i needed to have the abs pump electronical bleed through vag com at the dealers
i upgraded my rear brakes last week, spent over 3 hours trying to get my pedal back to how it should be, massive mistake, get it booked into a garage that presure bleeds, most places do it now a days (national, quicfkit, mcc etc etc) cost me 25 notes and the results are amazing, if i'd have known i wouldn't have bothered trying to do it myself, after all the brakes are the most important thing on the car.
also dont worry about the handbrake cable sitting at slightly different lenghts under the centre console. ive seen a few do it. aslong as the rear calipers were wound back ok, maybe spray a bit of wd40 on them behind the rubber make sure they dont seize up again so bad,keep water out etc. you should find it will be ok when its all bleed properly.
i think i'll get under a give it a check to be on the safe side. Im assuming that jackin the car up and spinning the back wheel will tell me if its moving freely, then i'll try it with the handbrake on, then i'll take that off and try with the footbrake, should hopefully figure it out from there
as for the hand brake cables not pulling evenly, i was advised at my last mot that the passenger side cable needed replacing, i thought while i had the car up in the air this would be an ideal time to replace it, any way i changed it and found that it was probably about 10 to 15mm longer than the old cable so when you apply the handbrake it pulls the drivers side harder than the passenger side, are you aware of any of your cables being replaced? if so i bet that is why it looks like it does.
just to metion that i have now replaced the other side as well and now all is as it should be.
just to metion that i have now replaced the other side as well and now all is as it should be.
I got the car last may and it certainly aint been done since then. When i had it off earlier it was sitting correct, pretty much square to one another. and the handbrake isnt holding properly either. if i apply the handbrake , it goes up 4 clicks and is solid. But if i lift the clutch up in 1st gear it will move without too much of an effort, so im thinking that its only engaging at one side
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