Brake failure after major overhaul
Discussion
I had previously posted this in the suspension and brakes section but it would appear that either no one ever goes in there...or this is a crap topic 
Just looking for some advice/reactions to what people would do in the same situation...
My car has recently undergone a very large overhaul at one of the reputable indy's and amongst the jobs which included engine rebuild with later model parts, suspension, gearbox etc...was the brake lines and pipes to be exchanged for brand new parts (old ones were found to have coroded pipes).
Now the idea was to take the car for a long european trip straight away but due to an extra person tagging along another car was used. Within the next two weeks of having the car back (after it was away for 6 months) i have been doing a lot of town driving and a bit of motorway driving. Last weekend i had to make the trip to Brum (involving basically a straight motorway journey) and on the way there was a loud knock around the front left and straight away a flapping sound, which i had presumed to be a puncture. I slowed down as i would normally just easing off the gas and changing down the gears. I moved over to the hard shoulder and tried to apply the brakes...there were none...so i continued through the gears and eventually came to a crawling pace so applied the handbrake which stopped the car. Obvioisly a little rattled got out and effed and blinded my way round the car to the hard shoulder...it was on a bank so i was able to lay low and get a look under the chassis. Brake fluid just dripping out all over the hard shoulder.
I also noticed that no cars were passing by, so i looked back and there had been a 3 car accident near enough the same place as when i had first heard the noise. Hopefully nothing caused by oil on the road or a lose part, i havent heard anything since. Though it did result in all the motorway services attending to something else and leaving me standing next to an electric fence.
So i have spoken to the main man at this indy and they will come and collect the car from my house (where it was towed back to) and have it back up with them to analyse and fix. Of course they have not and cannot confirm that the fault was with them though it is very likely given that the brakes were bled in front of me as i collected the car. Now i am a fairly relaxed individual and i am happy for them to just take the car back fix it and send it back, though it would have been a total of 7 months (paying insurance and parking permit) and over 5 figures out of pocket with only two weeks actual driving by me and that is the annoying part. I am just glad the the roads were fairly quiet and without a traffic jam up ahead and that this did not happen on the continent or dare i say in a busy city. People around me have said that they would have lost their rag, talk about court and/or money back etc...
So just wandering what others would do/have done in the past with regards to something like this...
Sorry for the long message
Raff
Just looking for some advice/reactions to what people would do in the same situation...
My car has recently undergone a very large overhaul at one of the reputable indy's and amongst the jobs which included engine rebuild with later model parts, suspension, gearbox etc...was the brake lines and pipes to be exchanged for brand new parts (old ones were found to have coroded pipes).
Now the idea was to take the car for a long european trip straight away but due to an extra person tagging along another car was used. Within the next two weeks of having the car back (after it was away for 6 months) i have been doing a lot of town driving and a bit of motorway driving. Last weekend i had to make the trip to Brum (involving basically a straight motorway journey) and on the way there was a loud knock around the front left and straight away a flapping sound, which i had presumed to be a puncture. I slowed down as i would normally just easing off the gas and changing down the gears. I moved over to the hard shoulder and tried to apply the brakes...there were none...so i continued through the gears and eventually came to a crawling pace so applied the handbrake which stopped the car. Obvioisly a little rattled got out and effed and blinded my way round the car to the hard shoulder...it was on a bank so i was able to lay low and get a look under the chassis. Brake fluid just dripping out all over the hard shoulder.
I also noticed that no cars were passing by, so i looked back and there had been a 3 car accident near enough the same place as when i had first heard the noise. Hopefully nothing caused by oil on the road or a lose part, i havent heard anything since. Though it did result in all the motorway services attending to something else and leaving me standing next to an electric fence.
So i have spoken to the main man at this indy and they will come and collect the car from my house (where it was towed back to) and have it back up with them to analyse and fix. Of course they have not and cannot confirm that the fault was with them though it is very likely given that the brakes were bled in front of me as i collected the car. Now i am a fairly relaxed individual and i am happy for them to just take the car back fix it and send it back, though it would have been a total of 7 months (paying insurance and parking permit) and over 5 figures out of pocket with only two weeks actual driving by me and that is the annoying part. I am just glad the the roads were fairly quiet and without a traffic jam up ahead and that this did not happen on the continent or dare i say in a busy city. People around me have said that they would have lost their rag, talk about court and/or money back etc...
So just wandering what others would do/have done in the past with regards to something like this...
Sorry for the long message
Raff
From my experience in the past with a certain main dealer at capel bangor near aberystwyth...
overhauled sticking calipers. 2 days later descending a steep hill towards the centre of town, front brakes cease and desist. A sharp turn later at a dangerously high speed and a tortured handbrake later I was on the phone to the dealer.
Their response? "Right.. well if you drive it out to us we can take a look"
4 or 5 miles of nsl twisty hills with no brakes? righto....
overhauled sticking calipers. 2 days later descending a steep hill towards the centre of town, front brakes cease and desist. A sharp turn later at a dangerously high speed and a tortured handbrake later I was on the phone to the dealer.
Their response? "Right.. well if you drive it out to us we can take a look"
4 or 5 miles of nsl twisty hills with no brakes? righto....
A loud knock and a flapping sound, and coincidentally an accident behind you - are you sure you didn't run something over? I'd wait for the full story before I ranted at the garage, but I tend to think I'm pretty laid back.
Stopped using garages years ago when I realised that if I taught myself I could do most things and do them more diligently - got fed up of having to T-cut scratches out, or top up fluids that had just been changed etc...
Stopped using garages years ago when I realised that if I taught myself I could do most things and do them more diligently - got fed up of having to T-cut scratches out, or top up fluids that had just been changed etc...
Very sure i didn't run something over...100% in fact. The flapping sounded like a puncture, though i can only assume that the it was the pipes/lines loose due to a pressure situation. I can only assume because i am rubbish with mechanical things...
As i said i haven't heard much from any of the traffic officers, and all they did say when they came to see me was that there had been a collision between a few cars...i let them know that i had a problem and somehting may have come off my car or indeed something was on the road. So i wait with abaited breath.
The car is a Porsche 964....so 20 years old now....
It also didnt help that it was the final day of the football league and when the road did open again after the accident behind me, there were hundreds of travelling supporters letting me know that a) i was broken down and b) apparently i am a tosser
As i said i haven't heard much from any of the traffic officers, and all they did say when they came to see me was that there had been a collision between a few cars...i let them know that i had a problem and somehting may have come off my car or indeed something was on the road. So i wait with abaited breath.
The car is a Porsche 964....so 20 years old now....
It also didnt help that it was the final day of the football league and when the road did open again after the accident behind me, there were hundreds of travelling supporters letting me know that a) i was broken down and b) apparently i am a tosser
Considering you had used it for 2 weeks without problems i can't see a pipe suddenly popping off without any signs of any leaks before hand.
I really can't see a pipe coming off and making a flapping noise BEFORE you touched the brakes considering the brakes were 100% fine before hand.
Either something has caused a calliper it drop off which you would notice or you've been unlucky and somethings snagged a brake line.
Even if it has been the garages fault how they handle it will dictate if you have a hissy fit or not
I really can't see a pipe coming off and making a flapping noise BEFORE you touched the brakes considering the brakes were 100% fine before hand.
Either something has caused a calliper it drop off which you would notice or you've been unlucky and somethings snagged a brake line.
Even if it has been the garages fault how they handle it will dictate if you have a hissy fit or not
Don't worry, apparently (according to those in the know!) I was a tosser when I had my 924 years ago - but I'd much rather have a Porsche and be a tosser than watch a game of "foo'ie". Be interested to know the outcome of this. And no, it is not unique to not rant and "go ballistic" over these sort of things. They may be annoying, frustrating, or even dangerous but tantrums don't help - glad to hear you behave like an adult. I think reality TV has a lot to answer for...
[quote=Riley Blue]Without the brakes having been inspected you've no idea what the cause was so no need to get worked up, just be thankful you're safe. Give the guys at the garage a fair chance. quote]
Exactly what i intend to do...they have been great so far, so in my mind i am happy for them to take the time to look through it thoroughly.
Just when i speak to different people i get different responses...mostly becuase of the money spent on the work done, i just thought that maybe i was taking this too much in my stride.
Exactly what i intend to do...they have been great so far, so in my mind i am happy for them to take the time to look through it thoroughly.
Just when i speak to different people i get different responses...mostly becuase of the money spent on the work done, i just thought that maybe i was taking this too much in my stride.
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