Break Issues!!!

[ImpatexCN]

Hello, I have a new S40 (2.0 D sport) and 3 weeks ago I went to break coming out of the drive but found the breaks ROCK solid. I rolled forward into the road. A call to Volvo and they booked it in and replaced a valve. Last week it happened again but I waited to call volvo as I was not sure if I was just over-reacting (a mistake!)....Sunday I had the wife and 2 kids in the car....approached a roandabout and found I had no breaks!! Rock solid! It took all my weight on the breaks to slowly stop the car and had to jump up onto the pavement area to avoid hitting the car in front....HOWEVER, this is not an isolated issue.The company I work for bought 6 S40s, and another one (also 2.0D Sport) has had EXACTLY the same issue. Volvo can't seem to find anything wrong, no warning lights come on and after the initial scare the breaks go fine.

It does appear to always be within the first 10 mins of a journey and also when it is cold. My mileage is around 24,000 and the other is 30,000. Had no issues with the car last Christmas though.

Be wary as this could really end up hurting someone!

My car is back with volvo but I have lost faith in how safe it is....especially as I was told it was fixed last time it went in (as was our other company car driver). Had my wife been driving then she would not have had the power to bring the car to a stop and I dont think she would have had enough time to think to use the hand-brake....

[Multiplex]

What engine is in your Volvo?

[7050man]

if it was a petrol engine, I'd say the brake servo was failing (loss of vacumm and brake servo assistance) but I don't think diesel engined brake assistance works in the same way. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.
Certainly the fact that the brake pedal is hard to operate means that there is indeed a lack of assistance as opposed to loss of pressure (fluid leak).

[Metblackrat]

if it was a petrol engine, I'd say the brake servo was failing (loss of vacumm and brake servo assistance) but I don't think diesel engined brake assistance works in the same way. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

The servo is exhausted by the inlet manifold on a petrol engine but a diesel will not draw enough air to do this so it operates from a small air pump that exhausts the servo.

To see if it is a servo failiure, pump the pedal with the engine turned off. The pedal should go hard and if it feels the same as when you had the brake pedal lock then thats the likely problem.

[7050man]

The servo is exhausted by the inlet manifold on a petrol engine but a diesel will not draw enough air to do this so it operates from a small air pump that exhausts the servo.

To see if it is a servo failiure, pump the pedal with the engine turned off. The pedal should go hard and if it feels the same as when you had the brake pedal lock then thats the likely problem.

Thanks metblackrat, I thought there was a pump in there somewhere, but wasn't sure where or quite why.

[bircham]

Hi ImpatexCN,

I am coming to this thread with interest as I have just spoken to close friends of mine whose 8 month old V50 2.0d S has had exactly the same problem. She was crossing the centre of a dual carriageway where you can stop in the centre before continuing , when the car didn't stop - she accelarted to compensate when the car displayed the 'engine service required' lights and then went into limp home mode - result? - Car with no power, no brakes and in the path of oncoming traffic doing 80 mph.

Anyway the car has been to 2 different volvo dealers a total of 4 times and has been in limp mode with no brke assistance each time afyter visiting the dealers. The computers found no faults - as usual - and she is now going to reject the car.

I feel really bad as they bought the car after seeing my wife's V50 and us recommending the V50!

Any thoughts would be really appreciated,

Oh yes, irony is that her father has just been appointed the German ambassador to Sweden!

Jon

[cnim]

I have a 2007 model year S40 2.0 diesel SE and am also having serious brake issues. The pedal goes rock hard and i only just avoided a crah the other day. It only seems to happen after the car has been sat overnight or all day at work. I have also had it go to a sort of limp home mode twice now, though no warning messages come up.

To sort the brakes out i have to stop and pump the pedal a lot, and for the limp home i have to stop and seriously rev the engine to clear it.

The car has been in to my local volvo dealer but they found nothing. It is going in again next week, so hopefully they will find the problem.

I love my S40 and have really enjoyed driving it. It is a real shame that now i have lost all confidence in it. If it is not fixed this time i will have to reject it with the finance company and go elsewhere.

Is there anything i can say or point out to the service department at my local garage to help resolve the issue, bearing in mind that i am very much not a mechanic.

[garydavis]

i have a volvo v50 2005 2.0 disel and had exactly the same problem ,a very hard brake pedal with no braking at all. very scary.
the problem is intermittent 5 times in the last 6 months since i bought the car,happened to me the first time today the other times with my wife driving.
i can't see them fixing it.

gary

[Willow]

The main common factor I can see is that the problems so far reported are with diesels. The only reports I can find on the US forums are also Europeans with diesels.

The S40 pdf on brakes says: "The power brake booster (servo) is single acting and has an integrated mechanical function for Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). The power brake booster is connected to the engine's intake manifold and to a vacuum pump. Cars with gasoline engines have an electrical pump, while diesel engined cars have a mechanical pump."

Maybe its something to do with the mechanical pump?

[cnim]

My car has just been in about this issue and they think it is a vacuum pump...i think. They are still not taking it very seriously though as they want me to collect it until the parts arrive which could take a week.

So much for safety being at the forefront of Volvo thinking...if i crash into someone, can i sue?

[shandy]

Ive just experienced this problem under hard breaking in my V50 2.0d se sport. Its almost felt that the brakes were metal on metal or suffering heavy brake fade.
Im not sure how i did not hit the car in front.
Last time i was in the dealer with faults, the receptionist said "you dont know how good your volvo is until you have been in an accident"

Is this an omen...

I Know Volvo like crash testing their cars, but customers!!!!! :Banane45:

[mammstar]

I have 97 V40 so not directly affected us such but we were thinking of buying a new model soon.

Isn't this brake problem something that should go into the public domain ie Top Gear/What Car/Watchdog for example?

[Willow]

I found this on the Warranty Direct website under Volvo S40 and V40 (1996-2004).

"Diesel cars can suffer from reduced braking assistance"

Makes me wonder if the problem has migrated to the S40/V50 diesels.

[shimon340]

no the problem wont have migrated to the S40/V50!!

On previous cars, petrol models use vacuum from the inlet manifold to provide extra braking assistance/reduce effort by driver via the servo. Diesels dont have this inlet manifold vacuum so instead have a vacuum pump.

the concern on the S40/ V50 only affects the diesel models (S40/V40 diesels were renualt units. those in the S40/V50 are Ford/Peugeot units - id personally only get a volvo engine car).

The concern here sounds like an intermittant loss of vacuum assistance from the pump. A loose pipe / broken pipe can be the cause of this. the problem will also be affecting other vehicles with the same setup i.e. ford focus diesel, jag diesel and whichever peugeot (PSA) citroen vehicles also use this engine....

[Clan]

I have found this always to be the vacuum pump , fit a new one and end of problem ..

[Paul Clifton]

There is an issue with vac pumps on these models. Consult your Volvo dealer is a warranty issue.

Paul.

[Teaman]

I have a T reg 1.8 petrol gdi s40 (mitsubishi engine) and the brakes are ok for a pump or two then harden up like rock, If i don't have to brake for a while it goes back to normal but then will do the same after a brake or two...

I just tried bleeding the system and pumped 1.5 litres of new dot 4 through it and it does the same. new pads also.

I'm confused now on weather or not I need the vacuum pump or the master cylinder, or even the servo.
I don't want to fork out for all of them when I only need one.

THe odd thing here is that if I hit a bump in the road or a pot hole whilst I'm stamping on the now crummy brakes they suddenly kick in the abs and it jerks as it should until I stop.

Stu

[fosh100]

have you had the brake vacuum valve recall carried out on these vehicles ?