Intermittently hard brake pedal

[NandoF]

Hi All,

Has anyone ever experienced an intermittently hard brake pedal? Most of the time it feels fine and there is enough pressure. Other times it is hard as a rock but will still work when pressed. Does anyone know what the issue could be and more importantly is it going to cost me a fortune to fix?

Thanks in advance

[Initforthemoney]

Maybe you should take it to a repair shop ASAP for them to look at, as it is a reasonably important function?

No one knows what it could be and there is every chance it could fail at any time.

[Baldchap]

Many moons ago I had a brake servo with a leak that did this.

Probably want to get it sorted.

[Pica-Pica]

Baldchap said:

Many moons ago I had a brake servo with a leak that did this.

Probably want to get it sorted.

I presume that was a vacuum leak, leaving effectively no/reduced servo.

[Krikkit]

Pica-Pica said:

I presume that was a vacuum leak, leaving effectively no/reduced servo.

Yep, I'd wager that's what's going on for the OP too.

[996TT02]

More detail as to when this happens would be useful.

If engine is not started then this is normal, also under certain circumstances very rapid repeated reapplication of brakes too.

Petrol? Diesel engine?

[NandoF]

Taken it to garage and he's not concerned it's a safety issue. I recently had new pads and disks fitted and he thinks it could either be them 'bedding in' or that the mechanic who fitted new pads and disks hasn't applied grease when they did it, meaning the caliper is sticking in occasion.

[GreenV8S]

NandoF said:

Taken it to garage and he's not concerned it's a safety issue.

I'm absolutely astonished at that. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that an undiagnosed problem affecting the braking system performance is safety critical and needs to be resolved urgently.

[NandoF]

GreenV8S said:

I'm absolutely astonished at that. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that an undiagnosed problem affecting the braking system performance is safety critical and needs to be resolved urgently.

It passed an MOT in May and the mechanic I took it to has 15 years experience in his trade. I am inclined to trust his judgement. There's no need to be abrasive when someone is asking for advice.

[E-bmw]

NandoF said:

GreenV8S said:

I'm absolutely astonished at that. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that an undiagnosed problem affecting the braking system performance is safety critical and needs to be resolved urgently.

It passed an MOT in May and the mechanic I took it to has 15 years experience in his trade. I am inclined to trust his judgement. There's no need to be abrasive when someone is asking for advice.

Yes there is, an undiagnosed braking issue puts literally everyone at risk not just you.

Take it elsewhere to someone who DOES know his trade & you will find you have a split in your servo diaphragm or vac hose to the servo.

[anonymous-user]

Baldchap said:

Many moons ago I had a brake servo with a leak that did this.

Probably want to get it sorted.

Exactly this. My wife was driving our Volvo, luckily in very slow moving traffic, the other morning, when the brake pedal suddenly went solid. That turned out to be a broken servo vacuum hose, but had given no warning and just appeared to be a random freak failure.

[Coilspring]

E-bmw said:

Yes there is, an undiagnosed braking issue puts literally everyone at risk not just you.

Take it elsewhere to someone who DOES know his trade & you will find you have a split in your servo diaphragm or vac hose to the servo.

Agree.

It is only your brakes after all.

[Penelope Stopit]

I never have forgotten the time I was doing 60 plus MPH approaching a tight country lane RH bend, I knocked her down a gear and went for the brakes only to be greeted by a solid pedal.

I found a leaking vacuum pipe at its joint to the servo was causing the problem

Luckily I am here today to tell the tale........................Many are dead

Get it fixed now

[E-bmw]

I am astounded how quickly you went from this:

NandoF said:

Does anyone know what the issue could be and more importantly is it going to cost me a fortune to fix?

Thanks in advance

(Yesterday 15:23)

To this:

NandoF said:

It passed an MOT in May and the mechanic I took it to has 15 years experience in his trade. I am inclined to trust his judgement.

(Today 11:38)

Either way, it seems your mechanic is in the minority thinking that having improperly functioning brakes is a safety issue!

[NandoF]

E-bmw said:

I am astounded how quickly you went from this:

NandoF said:

Does anyone know what the issue could be and more importantly is it going to cost me a fortune to fix?

Thanks in advance

(Yesterday 15:23)

To this:

NandoF said:

It passed an MOT in May and the mechanic I took it to has 15 years experience in his trade. I am inclined to trust his judgement.

(Today 11:38)

Either way, it seems your mechanic is in the minority thinking that having improperly functioning brakes is a safety issue!

He is in the minority, which is why I've now booked it into a garage ASAP. What 'astounds' me is the amount of people who come on here in an attempt to make condescending snidey remarks. If you are going to try to cheek people up gratuitously keep your opinions to yourself.

[GreenV8S]

NandoF said:

There's no need to be abrasive when someone is asking for advice.

I'm trying to make the point that this is not just a difference of opinion over something that might need maintenance.

This is a really obviously safety critical issue. Try calling your insurers and telling them that the brake pedal goes hard occasionally and ask whether they're OK with that. For a professional mechanic to tell you it is OK to ignore the problem is quite extraordinary.

[E-bmw]

NandoF said:

He is in the minority, which is why I've now booked it into a garage ASAP. What 'astounds' me is the amount of people who come on here in an attempt to make condescending snidey remarks. If you are going to try to cheek people up gratuitously keep your opinions to yourself.

Having just read & reread this thread from top to bottom I see no evidence of what you say at all, just several very well informed people trying to impress on you the OBVIOUS fact that you have an undiagnosed safety related issue that NEEDS to be sorted immediately, and that you need to take your car somewhere else to get an informed opinion from a mechanic who actually knows what he is talking about!

If you have a problem with that then perhaps you had better try looking for car advice on Mumsnet next time.

[NandoF]

E-bmw said:

NandoF said:

He is in the minority, which is why I've now booked it into a garage ASAP. What 'astounds' me is the amount of people who come on here in an attempt to make condescending snidey remarks. If you are going to try to cheek people up gratuitously keep your opinions to yourself.

Having just read & reread this thread from top to bottom I see no evidence of what you say at all, just several very well informed people trying to impress on you the OBVIOUS fact that you have an undiagnosed safety related issue that NEEDS to be sorted immediately, and that you need to take your car somewhere else to get an informed opinion from a mechanic who actually knows what he is talking about!

If you have a problem with that then perhaps you had better try looking for car advice on Mumsnet next time.

You have read over the thread and 'seen no evidence of that'? Well you must be right then obviously, thanks for letting me know. Nice chatting with you sweetheart 😙😙 good to see you've found the caps lock button as well - well done!

Edited by NandoF on Tuesday 13th August 19:13

[E-bmw]

NandoF said:

E-bmw said:

NandoF said:

He is in the minority, which is why I've now booked it into a garage ASAP. What 'astounds' me is the amount of people who come on here in an attempt to make condescending snidey remarks. If you are going to try to cheek people up gratuitously keep your opinions to yourself.

Having just read & reread this thread from top to bottom I see no evidence of what you say at all, just several very well informed people trying to impress on you the OBVIOUS fact that you have an undiagnosed safety related issue that NEEDS to be sorted immediately, and that you need to take your car somewhere else to get an informed opinion from a mechanic who actually knows what he is talking about!

If you have a problem with that then perhaps you had better try looking for car advice on Mumsnet next time.

You have read over the thread and 'seen no evidence of that'? Well you must be right then obviously, thanks for letting me know. Nice chatting with you sweetheart ???? good to see you've found the caps lock button as well - well done!

Edited by NandoF on Tuesday 13th August 19:13

Actually I said "see no evidence of" because that is grammatically correct.

Had I used the sentence "I have seen no evidence of" then equally that would have been grammatically correct, but then that would have been in the past tense and I was talking in the present tense so you are still wrong.

Capital letters are used to stress words in the written form that would be stressed in the spoken word, if you read it knowing that it helps.

[M4cruiser]

I had this fault on a newish Vauxhall many years ago, and it turned out to be a faulty vacuum pump (on a diesel).

It's difficult when it's so intermittent, as it was with mine. It will pass an MoT when it's working, there is no obvious split in the pipe.

I took it back 3 times to the franchised dealer (it was under manufacturer warranty) before they eventually changed the pump, and logged it as a "known" problem with that model.