Brakes

[SunnyP]

This morning driving in in the pouring rain, I noticed the brakes weren't working too well - worrying. I noticed when I washed the car at the w/e that there seemed to be an oily residue on the front alloys (when washing with a jet wash)...I checked the brake fluid level and thats fine (Is there a warning light for that if running low?)...anyone any idea's? the brakes only seem crappy in the wet, if the weather is dry they are fine??

Seems the Golf is fine if it is dry and warm, I've noticed it doesn't like the cold or rain very much

[stuart]

I have a Seat Leon Cupra that does the same, if driving in heavy rain for a long spell without using the brakes, it feels as though you are not going to stop the first time you apply them.

Stu

p.s see reply to spark plugs (IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY)

[Terminator]

I think you will find that the problem is that a thin layer of corrosion forms on the discs each time the car is left standing in the rain or after the wheels are washed. The oily residue is probably the combination of the water and oxidisation. This is harmless enough and comes off as dust once the brakes reach operating temperature. A good few pumps(as the actress said to the bishop) of the brake pedal when starting off should solve it.

[Franko180]

I get the exact same effect as Stuart.

When I've been on some long runs in medium - heavy wet weather, after a long stint of driving without needing breaks, I come to apply them and for about .5 sec I feel nothing despite heavy pressing of the pedal, then it bites and slows right up. But for that .5 sec if you need to stop quickly you cover a fair distance on the motorway seemingly without breaks and it does 'wake you up' !

It used to do it on my previous 150 1.8t's and still does it on my 180, despite the larger discs.

[stuart]

I get the exact same effect as Stuart.

When I've been on some long runs in medium - heavy wet weather, after a long stint of driving without needing breaks, I come to apply them and for about .5 sec I feel nothing despite heavy pressing of the pedal, then it bites and slows right up. But for that .5 sec if you need to stop quickly you cover a fair distance on the motorway seemingly without breaks and it does 'wake you up' !

It used to do it on my previous 150 1.8t's and still does it on my 180, despite the larger discs.

Wakes you up even more if you just happen to be a bit close to the car in front Like me the first time it happened.

Stu

[antgti]

Come on boys, we've all got computers here and can use the internet so lets assume we are all half clever, at least.

Remember you're BMX's when you were kids, when you rode like a nutter down the road in the wet you pulled your brakes and it did'nt stop. Thats because there was no friction.  

Cars don't have a set of bike brakes, but same principle applies, if you drive in the dry and use your brakes on an average town run then the brake disc will be arounf 70'c and hot to the touch, therefore you push the pedal you stop as it is hot and there is friction, voila.

But if you drive down the M25 at 80 miles an hour in the wet and don't touch the brakes for say 10 miles (must be in t he middle of the night) then the brake disc in todays climate will probably be around freezing point or lower, due to airflow and water run-off removing latent heat, therefore if you touch the brakes with your normal force then they feel very spongy or non-existent at first, because there is no friction there, then the second time they feel better and more normal as the temp goes up again due to the friction of pad on disc.

If any of you have have done motorsport prp you will know that uprated kevlar pads have to be at a very high temp before they even work as good as standard ones. so heat on brakes is good for stopping, unless you go beyond a certain point(there is a term for this but i forget it), DEPENDING ON THE DISC MATERIAL AND PAD MATERIAL WHERE YOU END UP WITH BRAKE FADE AS THE PAD WILL GLAZE OVER IF IT BECOMES TOO HOT, NOT SO COMMON ON NEWER CARS BUT I REMEBER MY OLD MK2 FIESTA USED TO FADE LIKE A b!tch IF YOU TOOK IT TO A TRACK DAY.

hOPE THAT HELPS.

[Franko180]

"lets assume were all half clever at least"??! Not very friendly is it?!

Were you in a bad mood or something?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I was just describing what are possibly similar brake issues in my car..  I didn't feel the need to mention the obvious lack of friction in the wet/cold conditions!

[shiva_productions]

I get the same on my 98 s 20v 1.8- seems they need warming up then they are fine. The first "brake" in the morning is the dodgy one, after that they get better. Didnt happen on my Z3 or even my Mondeo L reg- so whats the diff with Golfs then???