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Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: stainesy on 14 August 2012, 10:53

Title: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 14 August 2012, 10:53

Noticed yesterday that my brakes feel abit strange.
Normaly they are pretty good. Put my foot on the pedal lightly and car gradually slows down then stops.
Now put my foot on brake and there don't seem to be alot of braking unless I put abit more forcein the pedal at low speed in trafic I get hardly any breaking with light force on pedal then when more force is added it breaks really hard.
At low speed it's like I have no brakes or slam breaks on. Havnt got the gradual slow down effect anymore.
Pads look fine.

Any ideas?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: Wayne on 14 August 2012, 11:22

Try bleeding the system through plus replace the fluid.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: VR6_Wherry on 14 August 2012, 11:45

Quote from: Wayne on 14 August 2012, 11:22

Try bleeding the system through plus replace the fluid.

This was my initial thought too.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: swainy on 14 August 2012, 12:08

Also worth checking your servo pipe, the misses was driving mine the other day and it had cracked the plastic pipe, she said the brakes werent very good.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: Len on 14 August 2012, 12:19

Wouldnt have thought you would have any trouble with brake pressure stainsy!



(the man is bricksh!thouse build) :grin:

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 14 August 2012, 15:04

Yes that is very true  :cool: :grin:

I will bleed them on Thursday when I get some cash.
Just nearly rear ended a van coz of it.
Pulled up behind a van at a roundabout brakes worked fine was going forward car lengths at at time as cars pulled away infront. Went to brake as normal and nothing happens. Push a tiny bit harder and it locked up.

I have noticed for a wile that when I'm sat in trafic and I have my foot on brake pedal it goes down slowly under my foot in like steps. Goes down abit and stop then abit more and stops. Then I pump it and it es back up. Then slowly drops again with my foot on it.
Is that normal?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: search on 14 August 2012, 16:24

have you tried putting you foot on the brake while car is of then turning the engine over to feel the brake ease up? (if you get what i mean?)

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: Len on 14 August 2012, 22:43

Bleed it mate asap!
Get the wife/partner to pump the pedal, or a mate as those self-bleeding things are useless!

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 09:20

I bled the brakes yesterday.  Still need to use the car for a wile till the MOT runs out so going to have another go at bleeding the brakes today just incase.
The order to bleed them is
passenger rear
Driver side rear
Passenger side front
Drivers side front
Isn't it? Want I make sure incase I did it wrong yesterday.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 10:45

Ok think iv sorted the brakes. Just bled them again. And this time on the drivers side rear it started with abit of brake fluid coming out then it was just air. My son kept pumping and pumping and it was just air constantly coming out. Then fluid started so I made sure it was just fluid coming out then tightened it up. All the rest was fine. But I can't belive how much air was in there.
The brakes work fine now and pedal don't drop with foot on it anymore.
Why would that much air be in the system?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 18:15

Just went for a 50 mile drive. Brakes are a lot better but now the pedal has started to slowly sink again wile sat in traffic with foot on it.
What's going on?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: Gavv8 on 15 August 2012, 19:55

Sounds like a problem with the servo to me and its sucking air in to the system.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 19:58

Great  :rolleyes:
That's all i need  :grin:

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: Gavv8 on 15 August 2012, 20:04

Not really behaving itself at the moment is it? :sad:

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: AcidicDavey on 15 August 2012, 20:10

It sounds to me like the seal on one of the pistons in the master cylinder has gone. Is there any sign of fluid weeping from where it's mounted to the servo?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 20:38

nope no fluid los at all.
how easy is it to change a servo or master cylinder?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: AcidicDavey on 15 August 2012, 20:47

The only hard part is the bleeding mate.

If air is getting in then fluid must be getting out, this is really strange! Have you checked the state of the vacuum pipe from servo to inlet manifold?

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 20:51

yes the pipe is fine. no splits or anything. i will have a propper check everywhere tomorrow to make sure but im pretty sure theres no fluid on or around it.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: tweed on 15 August 2012, 20:52

Could be master cylinder
Could be sh!t pads even if they do look good. I had same problem and replaced the pads even though the pads on the car looked good and it made all the difference.

Could be a leak. Check rear brake lines. They are known for corroding.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 21:03

could anything to do with abs cause this? as the previuse owner has removed the bulb from the abs light.

Title: Re: Breaks feel odd
Post by: AcidicDavey on 15 August 2012, 21:05

Quote from: stainesy on 15 August 2012, 21:03

could anything to do with abs cause this? as the previuse owner has removed the bulb from the abs light.

I very much doubt it.