Brake problem...please help
Brake problem...please help
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freenote

Original Poster:

805 posts

198 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Peugeot 207. Front discs, rear drums.

Brake pedal has very little resistance and goes all the way to floor with ease. Brakes as a result are incredibly sharp with no progression. Pumping pedal has no effect.

Recent new discs, pads and fluid.

Someone mentioned to me that it was the handbrake that needed adjusting. Is that likely the cause?

Can anyone please help?

Superhoop

4,914 posts

223 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Pedal goes to the floor with no resistance, but the brakes are incredibly sharp?

Not sure how those two statements fit together

freenote

Original Poster:

805 posts

198 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
That's my thoughts also.

I have no braking for the first couple of cm's at a guess, then brakes kick in very sharply.

If I'm not moving and press the pedal to check for resistance, it is the same resistance (ie almost none) all the way to the floor.

interloper

2,747 posts

285 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Sounds like a possible master cylinder fault or your rear brake cylinders are leaking heavily. Either way it needs to come off the road and get checked out immediately.

With these feet

5,733 posts

245 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Stationary with engine off, pump the pedal and see if it comes up and holds a hard pedal. If not, try it with the handbrake on. Pedal should sink only a little when started and the servo operates.

Possibles are
air in the system - try bleeding again. pump the pedal 4 or 5 times while someone opens each bleed nipple letting the pedal go almost to the floor before shutting the nipple and repeating 4 or 5 times per caliper.

Could be sticking or dragging calipers though car would probably pull to one side.




davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
interloper said:
Sounds like a possible master cylinder fault or your rear brake cylinders are leaking heavily. Either way it needs to come off the road and get checked out immediately.
It could also be a ballooning brake flexi hose, which feels a bit similar. Either way, brakes are not something to cock about with - get it checked out.

Superhoop

4,914 posts

223 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Have you had the rear drums off?

Poor adjustment of the shoes would give you excess travel (although pulling the handbrake up should improve that)

Excessive brake dust build up would make the brakes snatchy, but this only tends to happen for the first few brake application after the vehicle has been standing

Leaking rear wheel cylinders would give you a soft pedal, but to be as bad as your saying it would be quite a big leak, and you'd notice the fluid loss.

Was it doing this before the pads/discs/brake fluid change or were these things done to try and fix the problem?

freenote

Original Poster:

805 posts

198 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
It was doing this before the change of parts, which fixed it for a little bit and then it has gradually come back again. Then it went for MOT today and it's become really bad again immediately.
I assume they have pumped the pedal to check it and this is the result maybe??

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

276 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Either way, brakes are not something to cock about with - get it checked out.
^^^^ This

lightthefuse

426 posts

202 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
davepoth said:
Either way, brakes are not something to cock about with - get it checked out.
^^^^ This
^^^^^^^^ Double This.

Sounds to me like air/something in the brake lines - I wouldn't entertain driving it 'til I'd bled the brakes then re-filled the fluid. Sticking caliper possible but not likely IMHO. Get it done yesterday. One time you WILL have no brakes at all.

Should it happen after re-doing the fluid, then you have a leak, I'd take an educated guess at.

morgrp

4,128 posts

228 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Sounds like air in the system or someone has inverted the master cylinder seal by pumping the brakes to hard - whatever it is, who ever has replaced it hasn't done it right

s p a c e m a n

12,118 posts

178 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Air in system/balloning pipe, if not it's quite likely to be a servo problem. If it was leaking you would have no brakes at all by now, anything else would probably invole dragging to one side or front/rear.

Either way brakes are not something to work around, do it once and do it properly.

crossy67

1,570 posts

209 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
207's don't have drums do they?

If I read the problem correctly. You have no breaks with little resistance then big STOP.

I would look at the master cylinder, servo or ABS.

Edited by crossy67 on Tuesday 15th January 21:28