What’s Stopping You?

Problem One: The brake pedal goes straight to the floor.
This indicates that there is likely to be a fluid leak. Jack up the car, putting axle stands under it for safety, then remove the wheels – remembering to mark them for position. The leak could be coming from several places, so check the brake reservoir, brake calipers, drums and lines and also the master cylinder. Once you have found the fault, replace the problem part, top up the reservoir and bleed the brakes.

Problem Two: The brake pedal sinks under pressure.
If, at first, the brake pedal seems to be in the normal position, but sinks under pressure, while the rest of the system seems satisfactory, the fault will be in the master cylinder. Simply remove it and replace with a new part and then bleed the brakes.

Problem Three : The brake pedal position is low, but it responds with a couple of pumps.
The answer to this is simple, all that is needed is a bit of adjustment.

Problem Four: Servo brakes seem to lack stopping power.
Understandably, this always concerns drivers. Test the system by pumping up the brake pedal, holding it under pressure. Now start the engine. If the pedal doesn’t sink slightly it is an indicator of a servo fault, or a problem with the vacuum line to the servo.

Problem Five: The brake fluid level keeps dropping, but there are no leaks.
Run the engine and depress the brake pedal. If the engine starts running rough you have identified a problem. It’s either a servo, vacuum line or valve fault.

Problem Six: The bleed nipples are blocked.
This is easy to prevent. When bleeding brakes, before starting clamp off each flexible hose and undo the bleed nipples. Most likely they’ll be blocked, so take them out and clean them thoroughly to ensure they are clear for bleeding. To prevent the problem happening in the future, once the bleeding has been done, fit dust covers to the nipples.

Problem Seven: Juddering through the steering column.
If, when brakes are applied, there is a judder through the steering column, the brake disc run out should be checked using a DTI gauge and comparing the result to the manufacturer’s spec. If necessary, replace worn disc or discs. If both discs are replaced, fit a new set of brake pads.

Problem Eight: One of the front brakes sticks
Check the pads themselves are not stuck, then check the caliper. If it is hard to push back, replace it. If the fault is still there, release the bleed nipple. It should then be easier to push the piston back. Lock off nipple. If the piston is still difficult, the fault is likely to be collapse of the flexible brake hose. Replace the hose and bleed the brakes.

Problem Nine: Brake pedal travel has increased but brakes appear to work at the lower end.
This indicates a fluid leak and normally happens on a dual brake system. The system has failed on one circuit but the second circuit still works giving you some braking effort. The solution is simple. Just trace the leak, replace the faulty item and bleed the brakes, then road test.

Problem Ten: When braking hard the car pulls to one side and the back comes round.
This means the brakes are pushing the car rather then pulling, indicating a rear brake, rather than a front brake fault. Strip down the rear brakes. One side will be seized, so replace the seized caliper or cylinder, bleed the brakes, then road test.