Brake Problem..?

[M3ACS]

Hi

My CSL has APs all round, and over the past ten months have performed awesome without fault.

However over the past week ive noticed what feels like brake fade even in normal driving, this is constant and even around town and not just on spirited runs.

Ive checked the pads - Plenty of meat!
Discs - Look fine!

Brake Fluid - There's fluid in there, although it looks a little pail at the top and darker nearer the bottom unsure if this means anything..

Anyhow in addition to this ive just washed the car, really cleaned the wheels as they were really dirty - Will come back to this point

After the wash went for a little drive, just come back home and the wheels are filthy as if the brakes have leaked every where..

Touched the brakes they look fine just got a load of brownish liquid on them as do the wheels.

So im confused as to what the problem is, can anyone help?

Im keen to resolve ASAP as im due at Cadwell soon :whistle:

[_Nathan_]

Does it feel like pad fade or fluid fade?

Pad fade - solid pedal but no braking
Fluid fade - pedal goes soft

Might just be you've boiled the brake fluid or get air in the system.

If you suspect fluid is leaking from a calliper then personally i would bleed the brakes and ensure the bleed nipples are done up properly. Unlikely it'd be leaking from all 4 wheels though? More likely that is just water from where you washed it mixed with brake dust or whatever.

First port of call IMO is a fluid change - sounds knackered anyway.

[Windowlicker]

Shite all over the wheels combined with poor pedal /braking force would suggest a leak somewhere dude.
Have you checked the banjo fitments on the back of the calipers (where the hose bolts to the caliper basically) this may have worked loose though it shouldnt as the Ap's have raised lips for the banjo to sit in so it cant rotate when its nipped up.
The banjo bolt could be loose or the hose to banjo fitment damaged somehow.
Also check inner and outer bleed nipples are tight obviously.
Get it sorted asap before you hit someone/something and also shaft the paint on the wheels and calipers and any where else the wheels may fling it (car paintwork)
Plus if its leaking very badly and the fluid gets all over the pads it will contaminate them and ruin those also.

[Nords]

Is the 'muck' over all four discs or just one?

[_Nathan_]

Window licker - all 4 at once is the thing that confused me with that? Unless he has upset someone

PS. Don't overtighten the banjo bolts or you will shear them, I had to drive around with one rear AP and one standard calliper for a day until I got a new bolt!

[Nords]

Wasn't obvious was it. Very strange that all four are doing it! Get a mechanic to check it out, it could get worse without warning...

[Windowlicker]

He hasnt actually stated that it is all 4 wheels, but..... i just had a thought, after washing my car recently, i didnt straightaway go for a quick spin to clean the discs off , before the surface rust took hold.
I went for a blast a bit later and combined with the water sat in the wells of the wheels, i got back to find a toffee coloured mess all over the insides of the wheels and leaking out onto the edge.
It was basically a mix of water and the rust dust from the rotors and it looked like toffee suace not just coloured water if that makes sense.
Could it maybe have been that.
Which if so , doesnt account for the odd brake feel.

[_Nathan_]

"and the wheels are filthy as if the brakes have leaked every where.. "

Certainly more than one of them

If the fluid is dark it might be knackered, changing the fluid every couple of months costs nothing so no hardship to change it now and see if that sorts it?

[M3ACS]

The fronts are really dirty! The rears less so..

So all four wheels are dirty :119: This was just an observation that may be related to the poor pedal feeling.

Im going to get the car booked in tomorrow, hopefully nothing too costly



Thanks for the responses guys will keep you updated.

[Windowlicker]

"and the wheels are filthy as if the brakes have leaked every where.. "

Certainly more than one of them

If the fluid is dark it might be knackered, changing the fluid every couple of months costs nothing so no hardship to change it now and see if that sorts it?

Could be 2 could be 4 could be 3 :blalalala: who knows :-D and what do you use for brake fluid?? water , cos i know for sure that srf and similar costs a small fortune for the actual quantity you get
:bigcry:

If it were rust and water related then the fronts would be dirtier than the rears, though the same could be said if it were fluid too :119: :119:

[_Nathan_]

With SRF you have to change it every 6 months anyway.

I use AP PFR660, used to use SRF on other cars but the PFR660 seems fine and I can change it every 3 months and it is still cheaper than having SRF every 6 months!

Wait and see what he means by fade - if it is a long pedal then a fluid change would be a good first step, whilst there all bleed nipples and banjos can be checked too.

[M3ACS]

Okay got the car back from PowerStation, they couldnt find any leaks, checked all the nipples and everything looks fine..

Pads taken out, checked, pistons re-oiled etc...

They couldnt find any issues, except that the brake fluid was very 'milky' this was changed.

On first impression things have improved, more initial bite, i think now i have some paranoia that they used to be better... my girlfriends taking the car out today to see if its just me and she'll really test them out!

Will keep you updated.

With ref the fading feeling it simply felt like the pedal was soft and the harder i pressed didnt feel as though it was biting as hard as it should have done..

[M3ACS]

So Sarah (my partner) took the car out today for a spirited drive, and she agrees the brakes are poo!

With no leaks, new fluid, im now confused as to what the problem is...

Spoke with Simpson's and looking to get the car into them next week, they suspect the pads may be glazed? Can anyone explain...

Thanks

[shimmy]

if they could be glazed just whip them out and give them a vigorous sand with some emery paper and sanding block, and while your there give he discs a lite sand over

Just make sure you bed them in again before you give it back to the misses

[SMD]

Yea if the pads are Glazed best thing to do is whip them out and rub them on a Clean Road Curb! Much better than sand paper! :wink: