Brake line burst!
Discussion
I've not idea why you would want to report it. st happens, you dealt with it well and without incident. Move on!
Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
Max_Torque said:
I've not idea why you would want to report it. st happens, you dealt with it well and without incident. Move on!
Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
I know that you know your stuff but I disagree, this was a rubber flexi and according to the OP has visible cracking which presuming was accessible to the tester, should've been picked up during the test two weeks ago.Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
BritishRacinGrin said:
Max_Torque said:
I've not idea why you would want to report it. st happens, you dealt with it well and without incident. Move on!
Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
I know that you know your stuff but I disagree, this was a rubber flexi and according to the OP has visible cracking which presuming was accessible to the tester, should've been picked up during the test two weeks ago.Brake system failures are very rare, and can happen at anytime, even if the car was "professionally" checked yesterday it doesn't mean that it's ok today. So, drive with care and attention (which it sounds like you did) and deal with it (which you did) ;-)
Foliage said:
fflyingdog said:
I thought cars now a days had a split braking system,where as if one side had a failed brake line then the brakes would work diagonally?
Depends on the car I think.Doesn't have to be diagonal, but I'd be surprised if anything other than kits/supercars/specials which use an adjustable bias bar are not.
BritishRacinGrin said:
I know that you know your stuff but I disagree, this was a rubber flexi and according to the OP has visible cracking which presuming was accessible to the tester, should've been picked up during the test two weeks ago.
It was two months not two weeks.Plenty of time for a mud covered hose to degrade a little further
op was it a rubber flexi pipe or a metal pipe. If its a rear ones the routing goes above subframes/suspension so can be hidden so wont be picked up via mot.
Ive had a few brake pipes pop on the brake rolling test after the rest is checked. Most people never use the full power behind a braking system until mot time when the increased pressure will pop a rusty brake pipe.
Vectra are very common for going around the suspension area done loads in my short time 6 years as a mechanic.
Ive had a few brake pipes pop on the brake rolling test after the rest is checked. Most people never use the full power behind a braking system until mot time when the increased pressure will pop a rusty brake pipe.
Vectra are very common for going around the suspension area done loads in my short time 6 years as a mechanic.
Sump said:
Aren't the rear brake lines the ones that go above the fuel tank or something so that it is blocked from view?
This is exactly what happened to me in a 1996 Mondeo some years back. They'd corroded through and the first I knew about it was piling up to a junction off the M42 on a Friday night in rush hour and my foot going straight to the floor but offering no braking assistance. Scary as Hell. Anyway, my mechanic took a look and explained why the MOT tester couldn't see it. I certainly didn't go looking for someone to blame. Old cars rot away.
Claudia Skies said:
eldar said:
If the OP's car is as in his profile, it will have a split system. Thus a complete failure in a short time shouldn't be possible with a single leak.
And as I mentioned earlier, on which no one has commented, what about that big red "brake warning" light on the dashboard?The daft thing about dual circuit brakes is that the pressure equalisation in the master cylinder means that a total loss of pressure in one circuit will let the pedal travel to the floor anyway.
Picked the car up yesterday morning, the mechanic doing the work even advised us to seek legal advice as the vehicle was not in a roadworthy condition... the front to rear lines snapped in about 5 places just while he tried to remove them! Said I was lucky to not crash it!
Pretty sure the garage sold us a dodgy one, the lines were visibly f****d!
Managed to blow both back brake lines simultaneously too, so irrespective of a symmetrical split system the whole thing drained!
Pretty sure the garage sold us a dodgy one, the lines were visibly f****d!
Managed to blow both back brake lines simultaneously too, so irrespective of a symmetrical split system the whole thing drained!
thespannerman said:
Picked the car up yesterday morning, the mechanic doing the work even advised us to seek legal advice as the vehicle was not in a roadworthy condition... the front to rear lines snapped in about 5 places just while he tried to remove them! Said I was lucky to not crash it!
Pretty sure the garage sold us a dodgy one, the lines were visibly f****d!
Managed to blow both back brake lines simultaneously too, so irrespective of a symmetrical split system the whole thing drained!
I'm not sure how much conversation you can now have with VOSA / the original dealer now that someone has worked on it...Pretty sure the garage sold us a dodgy one, the lines were visibly f****d!
Managed to blow both back brake lines simultaneously too, so irrespective of a symmetrical split system the whole thing drained!
But yes, sounds like you were sold a lemon. How old is the car?
The failure criteria for a metal brake pipe is something along the lines of 'reduced in thickness by a third'. There is no VOSA approved measuring device for this so without cutting the pipe to measure it the tester has to rely on the good old Mk1 eyeball. Should have covered his arse with an advisory though..
Matt UK said:
How old is the car?
Only a 2006!ADEuk said:
The failure criteria for a metal brake pipe is something along the lines of 'reduced in thickness by a third'. There is no VOSA approved measuring device for this so without cutting the pipe to measure it the tester has to rely on the good old Mk1 eyeball. Should have covered his arse with an advisory though..
Confused me as it came back as no advisories, been told that even with a check by eye the lines were in need of repair.Worst luck OP, hope the Vectra gives good service for a while now. I guess some MOT testers have off days, and some aren't thorough enough.
I don't think you can beat a decent service in addition to an MOT, if you can find a decent garage (hard to know which ones are or aren't in my experience, one or two recommendations are no guarantee of a good job in my experience). With a full service by someone doing the job properly as per the manufacturers service sheet, a decent check of suspension, steering brakes etc. should be done, and should go further than an MOT - the wheels come off for a start, allowing a much better check of brake and suspension components, as the mechanic can get their head in the wheelarches and have a good sniff around for any issues.
I don't think you can beat a decent service in addition to an MOT, if you can find a decent garage (hard to know which ones are or aren't in my experience, one or two recommendations are no guarantee of a good job in my experience). With a full service by someone doing the job properly as per the manufacturers service sheet, a decent check of suspension, steering brakes etc. should be done, and should go further than an MOT - the wheels come off for a start, allowing a much better check of brake and suspension components, as the mechanic can get their head in the wheelarches and have a good sniff around for any issues.
Be interested to know if the selling dealership was the same outfit which completed the MoT test.
Dozen years ago, whilst watching my TomCat 220 Turbo being tested, with the front wheels on the rollers and the tester's foot hard on the brake pedal, ( looking for "pedal creep" ) his assistant standing near the nearside front wheel was suddenly sprayed with brake fluid. The previous owner according to the various Invoices in the wodge of history which came with the car, showed both front brake lines had been replaced with braided items. It was the braided item which had burst under the "pedal creep" test.
I replaced both front braided lines with solid steel and rubber original ones.
Dozen years ago, whilst watching my TomCat 220 Turbo being tested, with the front wheels on the rollers and the tester's foot hard on the brake pedal, ( looking for "pedal creep" ) his assistant standing near the nearside front wheel was suddenly sprayed with brake fluid. The previous owner according to the various Invoices in the wodge of history which came with the car, showed both front brake lines had been replaced with braided items. It was the braided item which had burst under the "pedal creep" test.
I replaced both front braided lines with solid steel and rubber original ones.
MGJohn said:
Be interested to know if the selling dealership was the same outfit which completed the MoT test.
Dozen years ago, whilst watching my TomCat 220 Turbo being tested, with the front wheels on the rollers and the tester's foot hard on the brake pedal, ( looking for "pedal creep" ) his assistant standing near the nearside front wheel was suddenly sprayed with brake fluid. The previous owner according to the various Invoices in the wodge of history which came with the car, showed both front brake lines had been replaced with braided items. It was the braided item which had burst under the "pedal creep" test.
I replaced both front braided lines with solid steel and rubber original ones.
For legal reasons the garage is a separate company to the sales, but all the profits end up in the same persons pocket! Dozen years ago, whilst watching my TomCat 220 Turbo being tested, with the front wheels on the rollers and the tester's foot hard on the brake pedal, ( looking for "pedal creep" ) his assistant standing near the nearside front wheel was suddenly sprayed with brake fluid. The previous owner according to the various Invoices in the wodge of history which came with the car, showed both front brake lines had been replaced with braided items. It was the braided item which had burst under the "pedal creep" test.
I replaced both front braided lines with solid steel and rubber original ones.
And the way I see it, if it doesn't have a TUV pass then it aint' going on my car!
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