Volvo Community Forum. The Forums of the Volvo Owners Club

Forum Rules Volvo Owners Club About VOC Volvo Gallery Links Volvo History Volvo Press
Go Back   Volvo Owners Club Forum > "Technical Topics" > 200 Series General

Notices

200 Series General Forum for the Volvo 240 and 260 cars

Information
  • VOC Members: There is no login facility using your VOC membership number or the details from page 3 of the club magazine. You need to register in the normal way
  • AOL Customers: Make sure you check the 'Remember me' check box otherwise the AOL system may log you out during the session. This is a known issue with AOL.
  • AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net users. Forum owners such as us are finding that AOL, Yahoo and Plus.net are blocking a lot of email generated from forums. This may mean your registration activation and other emails will not get to you, or they may appear in your spam mailbox

Thread Informations

240 soft brakes - please help!

Views : 4657

Replies : 39

Users Viewing This Thread :  

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old Apr 20th, 2018, 14:45   #11
TheLeeds
Senior Member
 
TheLeeds's Avatar
 

Last Online: Dec 11th, 2023 13:02
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hants / Sussex
Default

Have you bled the master cylinder itself ? Some even have a bleed screw on, but for those which don't, you can still do it by loosening the pipe (obviously put something under it to catch any fluid that escapes.)

On the basis that air floats to the top, it can be hard to get all the air out of a pipe that goes downwards. I spent 3 days trying to bleed the brakes on a Transit once, and similar on a Cavalier. If you can bleed it from near where it is (assuming there is any near the MS), it might make life easier.
__________________
Recreate a visit to the homeopath by simply drinking some tap water and throwing £50 out of the window
TheLeeds is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7th, 2018, 21:02   #12
Nicholas Lewin
newish member
 

Last Online: Nov 8th, 2020 00:35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Default

The good weather put me in the mood to do a few simple jobs needing doing on the car. One of them was to have the other half press the brake pedal whilst I listened under the bonnet...

So with the engine off, the pedal does go stiffish, but you can squeeze it with a few inches of pedal travel. Standing next to the master cylinder/servo I can hear a groaning /wheezing sound - that would suggest air in the master cylinder to me?

A good local garage spent several hours trying to bleed the brakes (and only charged me for one bless them) and the brakes are no better

So I am at a bit of a loss at the mo and the car is only good for low speed local journeys - I simply wouldn't drive it on a motorway, the brakes are that weak

Any further thoughts?
Nicholas Lewin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7th, 2018, 21:13   #13
classicswede
Trader Volvo in my veins
 
classicswede's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 23:41
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Anglesey
Default

The wheezing is most likley just the normal sound. Have a go with any other car fitted with a servo and it will almost certainly make the same kind of sound.

Do you have brake hose clamps?
classicswede is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7th, 2018, 21:26   #14
Nicholas Lewin
newish member
 

Last Online: Nov 8th, 2020 00:35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Default

Hi Dai

What a saga! So look I understand the braking system, but I have no experience whatsoever with hydraulics. I am contemplating a visit to Anglesey - seriously! Just it's a lot of miles from here and the brakes ain't hot!

If I had brake hose clamps, would you suggest I went round clamping each hose (pair of hoses) and seeing what happens? Am I doing this with the engine running or off or doesn't it matter?

BTW, should the bleed screws be on the top side of the calipers when they are in place on the car? I had a vague notion that they should be on the lower side... Having had all the wheels off today, all four bleed screws (other than the centrally located ones obviously) are at the top

I don't want to start undoing bleed screws without knowing that I have a competent local garage who could remedy anything I mess up! That's my concern
Nicholas Lewin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7th, 2018, 21:46   #15
eternal optimist
Master Member
 

Last Online: Mar 20th, 2024 19:00
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Reading
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicholas Lewin View Post
BTW, should the bleed screws be on the top side of the calipers when they are in place on the car? I had a vague notion that they should be on the lower side... Having had all the wheels off today, all four bleed screws (other than the centrally located ones obviously) are at the top
Have a look at post number 2 on the thread and think about what bleeding is trying to achieve.
eternal optimist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8th, 2018, 19:39   #16
Nicholas Lewin
newish member
 

Last Online: Nov 8th, 2020 00:35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Default

Ah! Thanks - I knew I'd read something(doh!) Ok, well then we know that the calipers are correctly installed, just not what's causing the soft brakes...
Nicholas Lewin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8th, 2018, 22:15   #17
classicswede
Trader Volvo in my veins
 
classicswede's Avatar
 

Last Online: Yesterday 23:41
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Anglesey
Default

each front caliper has 3 bleed nipples, 2 at the top and 1 in the middle. You normally need to bleed all 3 rather that just the 2 top ones.

The idea of the hose clamps is to see if any 1 line makes a major difference.


I suspect it is going to take a fair bit of bleeding to get the last of the trapped air out
classicswede is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jun 1st, 2018, 00:58   #18
Nicholas Lewin
newish member
 

Last Online: Nov 8th, 2020 00:35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Default

Ok and breathe...

Thanks for input all of you. I know that one (possibly two) forum member will be relieved at the following news!

So I have working brakes again

I think that they need bedding-in - as in I just need to drive and get things moving and un-sticking but for the first time in 240 ownership I have experienced very light and very sharp brakes (neither dangerously so)

There's some sticking (I'll look at tomorrow as I think it is a new pads and new calipers interface issue) but overall my confidence is back where it should be

In the end, one last round of bleeding and a new repro servo unit courtesy of Brookhouse has done the trick. The new servo because the previous one was having an effect on idle speed which made me suspect that perhaps it was past its prime

Bottom line is that the brakes work

So a question: If you are supposed to change the brake fluid every two year or so, how the hell do you do it without the problems that I have had over the past 3 months, let alone a complete drain-down for a component change?

Nick
Nicholas Lewin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Jun 1st, 2018, 08:46   #19
Bugjam1999
Master Member
 

Last Online: Yesterday 13:13
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: London and Cambridge
Default

You don’t need to drain the system to change the fluid- use a pressure bleeder (you can make one easily enough, or buy one, any garage will have one) to push new fluid Through the system as you open each bleed nipple in turn.

If you use the above correctly you shouldn’t introduce any more air into the system, so no need for the system to be bled afterwards.

Cheers
Bugjam1999 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old Sep 30th, 2018, 01:29   #20
Nicholas Lewin
newish member
 

Last Online: Nov 8th, 2020 00:35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Default

I spoke too soon didn't I!

The brakes do work, but...

They are letting air in somewhere. Not quite sure yet, but I think it's only on 1 circuit. I'll take a squint around tomorrow and see if I can see any obvious seepage (have looked before and couldn't find anything) so I am wondering

Presumably likely culprits are master cylinder (new, but not OEM) and calipers (recon)?

Thoughts?
Nicholas Lewin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:30.


Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.