15-04-2016, 07:30 PM
Hi all! I'm hoping someone might be able to help diagnose a braking problem I'm having with my 02 plate 2.0HDI Multispace.
The problem seems to have started since the MOT a few weeks ago, when the handbrake cable was adjusted and brake fluid topped up. After these adjustments the brakes felt really good. About 2-3 clicks of travel on the handbrake and not much travel at all on the brake pedal, using the normal amount of effort to stop.
The problems began a couple of weeks later, when I noticed that on startup in a morning the first few brake applications had quite a bit of travel in the pedal, but still stopped the car ok. After a couple of mins the pedal was back to having not much travel at all. The car would feel ok then for the rest of the day's running around. But the next morning the first few brake applications would have a lot of travel again.
After about a week of this, I've now noticed the front brakes seem to be dragging slightly, but only when the engine is warmed up and the pedal doesn't have much travel. On starting from cold (when my foot goes almost to the floor but still stops the car) the brakes don't drag.
I was told there might be something in the brake lines (air / water / wrong fluid) that might be expanding when the braking system got warm and is holding the pedal up and the brakes just slightly on. Does this sound like a possibility? So I tried flushing the brakes with Dot 4 fluid to get rid of anything nasty that might be in there. Rear nearside and front offside seemed to bleed ok, but I hardly got anything out of the rear offside or front nearside, just drops, not the steady stream I'd expect when using a Gunsons pressure bleeding kit. This doesn't seem to have made much (if any) difference.
So I'm wondering what I should try next. Could this be a master cylinder problem? Sometimes, between low pedal and the pedal being high after a few mins of travel, the pedal can be pumped up but will start going down, which I've always understood to be classic master cylinder problems. But what's confusing me is it's not like that all the time. On startup pedal goes almost straight to the floor but stops the car, then when things have warmed up the pedal hardly moves and can't be pressed further no matter how hard I try.
I remember changing a master cylinder on my previous Berlingo and it wasn't a nice job. Although it looked simple getting the new cylinder in place and the bolts in was a real pig. So I don't want to be messing with the master cylinder if others thing that's not the problem.
A bit more info: The brake fluid doesn't seem to be going down. Also the pedal has a slight springy resistance when cold and the engine is not running. But as soon as I start up the springyness goes and the pedal presses further down easily, which I understand it correct.
Also could it be sticking calipers? Would that cause the pedal to pump itself up?
I'm suspecting callipers or master cylinder, but would like some opinions in the hope of finding the problem first go and without replacing expensive parts I don't need to.
Answers on the proverbial postcard please!
Thanks in advance,
Andy.
The problem seems to have started since the MOT a few weeks ago, when the handbrake cable was adjusted and brake fluid topped up. After these adjustments the brakes felt really good. About 2-3 clicks of travel on the handbrake and not much travel at all on the brake pedal, using the normal amount of effort to stop.
The problems began a couple of weeks later, when I noticed that on startup in a morning the first few brake applications had quite a bit of travel in the pedal, but still stopped the car ok. After a couple of mins the pedal was back to having not much travel at all. The car would feel ok then for the rest of the day's running around. But the next morning the first few brake applications would have a lot of travel again.
After about a week of this, I've now noticed the front brakes seem to be dragging slightly, but only when the engine is warmed up and the pedal doesn't have much travel. On starting from cold (when my foot goes almost to the floor but still stops the car) the brakes don't drag.
I was told there might be something in the brake lines (air / water / wrong fluid) that might be expanding when the braking system got warm and is holding the pedal up and the brakes just slightly on. Does this sound like a possibility? So I tried flushing the brakes with Dot 4 fluid to get rid of anything nasty that might be in there. Rear nearside and front offside seemed to bleed ok, but I hardly got anything out of the rear offside or front nearside, just drops, not the steady stream I'd expect when using a Gunsons pressure bleeding kit. This doesn't seem to have made much (if any) difference.
So I'm wondering what I should try next. Could this be a master cylinder problem? Sometimes, between low pedal and the pedal being high after a few mins of travel, the pedal can be pumped up but will start going down, which I've always understood to be classic master cylinder problems. But what's confusing me is it's not like that all the time. On startup pedal goes almost straight to the floor but stops the car, then when things have warmed up the pedal hardly moves and can't be pressed further no matter how hard I try.
I remember changing a master cylinder on my previous Berlingo and it wasn't a nice job. Although it looked simple getting the new cylinder in place and the bolts in was a real pig. So I don't want to be messing with the master cylinder if others thing that's not the problem.
A bit more info: The brake fluid doesn't seem to be going down. Also the pedal has a slight springy resistance when cold and the engine is not running. But as soon as I start up the springyness goes and the pedal presses further down easily, which I understand it correct.
Also could it be sticking calipers? Would that cause the pedal to pump itself up?
I'm suspecting callipers or master cylinder, but would like some opinions in the hope of finding the problem first go and without replacing expensive parts I don't need to.
Answers on the proverbial postcard please!
Thanks in advance,
Andy.