Brakes: Extremely poor, please help!

[cjmcgrath]

hi all
i have a 2003 V40 1.9td 115, she is running on full mintex all round with goodridge braided hoses but the brake are extremely poor, there is a load of travel on the pedal before anything happens and even when they do come on they still feel really spongy, i have bleed the system umteen times and still the same result even with the engine running.
ive been driving and astra diesel for the past week for work and the brakes are sh?t hot, like if you fart beside the pedal you will head plant the windscreen. thats the way my brakes were on my 98 S40 1.8 that i used to have but cant get the same results with this one.
can anybody shine any light on this issue?

many thanks

Cam

[cjmcgrath]

forgot to mention the brake fluid seems to turn dark within 2 weeks of being replaced, i took off a couple of weeks ago and the fluid that drained out of the caliper was black :S does this help the situation?

cheers

[AdamIngs]

Have you checked all the hoses for leaks whilst bleeding? I guess that could explain the need to keep re-bleeding, and if there were any hose splits, I guess the fluid could become contaminated...

[AdamIngs]

Give it a day and I'm sure someone more knowledgable on here will be able to help you pin it down - Gatos, Improver, Inchley, volvo2002, 960kg...all these guys (and other!) seem to know what they're doing under a Volvo!

[mechakev]

Sounds like you may have a stuck brake. Jack up each corner, turn the wheel by hand and see how it feels. If one is stuck/ stiff, dismantle the brake, clean and re-grease the slides and put it back together. That might sort it, your symptoms are very similar to what I had and this fixed it.

[inchley313]

Kev beat me to it!! Sounds like you have a sticking caliper somewhere! If this is the case, your brakes will be heating up more causing the fluid to get hot. If one or more pistons are sticking, the travel on the pedal may also be excessive.

I would start there and see how you go.

[Dog_Book]

Originally Posted by AdamIngs

Give it a day and I'm sure someone more knowledgable on here will be able to help you pin it down - Gatos, Improver, Inchley, volvo2002, 960kg...all these guys (and other!) seem to know what they're doing under a Volvo!

This issue is a generic one that affects all cars btw

[skyship007]

Defintely sounds like a stuck caliper. If you touch the discs after driving the offending one will be hot and both sides will need changing in addition to the brake fluid which sounds like it has been fried.
If you don't want to buy new ones then you need two service kits, or you might try the breakers.

[inchley313]

Originally Posted by skyship007

Defintely sounds like a stuck caliper. If you touch the discs after driving the offending one will be hot and both sides will need changing in addition to the brake fluid which sounds like it has been fried.
If you don't want to buy new ones then you need two service kits, or you might try the breakers.

DO NOT TOUCH THE DISC!!! Chances are you will fuse the tips of your fingers to the disc!!! Instead check the wheels, the heat will tranfer into the rim and wont be quite so hot!!

[neanderthal]

Originally Posted by cjmcgrath

hi all
i have a 2003 V40 1.9td 115, she is running on full mintex all round with goodridge braided hoses but the brake are extremely poor, there is a load of travel on the pedal before anything happens and even when they do come on they still feel really spongy, i have bleed the system umteen times and still the same result even with the engine running.
ive been driving and astra diesel for the past week for work and the brakes are sh?t hot, like if you fart beside the pedal you will head plant the windscreen. thats the way my brakes were on my 98 S40 1.8 that i used to have but cant get the same results with this one.
can anybody shine any light on this issue?

many thanks

Cam

i have recently changed discs,brakes and 2 front flexi pipes,and the brake pedal was almost to the floor,so bled the brakes time and time again,and replaced the servo....it turned out i had to just drive the car carefuly for a few hundred miles,yes a few hundred miles.now they are almost spot on....a mechanic had to convince me that they would pass the mot,and it did.....