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Technical 1.8 marea weekend brake troubles

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Technical 1.8 marea weekend brake troubles

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shirlthegirl43

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Hello there. We have a W reg Marea weekend 1.8 with one problem - the brakes won't work well enough to pass MOT

They do work but not in any hurry - the pedal sinks to the floor.

Does anyone have any idea what may be the problem? The system has been bled with no improvement.
 
Hi
If you definately have no leaks then it could either be the seals in the master cylinder or the servo. Advise checking all pipework/hoses for leaks in this area.Has any work been done on the brakes before the MOT which may have caused the problem in first place ,ie..Changing brake pipes? Is the fluid level dropping in the pot?
Dave
 
Last edited:
Hi Dave, no brake work done by us - we bought the car with the problem (got it really cheap) and now need to sort it so the car can be driven. Nothing seems to be leaking but we don't want to go to the expense of buying the wrong new part. Any tips on how to find out if it is the master cylinder or the servo?

Yours hopefully:)
 
I don't know if the garage did the bleeding with the engine running. Will let hubby know of this and take a look tomorrow. Thanks for the help so far - I will update:)
 
if no leaks and the brakes do work albeit with excessive pedal travel then it is unlikely to be the servo or the master cylinder but most likely worn rear brake shoes/drums/knackered self-adjuster; worn front pads/discs do not cause excessive pedal travel (just a scraping noise if completely gone); see other posts on brakes but suggest remove/inspect rear brakes first....
 
tinytim said:
if no leaks and the brakes do work albeit with excessive pedal travel then it is unlikely to be the servo or the master cylinder but most likely worn rear brake shoes/drums/knackered self-adjuster; worn front pads/discs do not cause excessive pedal travel (just a scraping noise if completely gone); see other posts on brakes but suggest remove/inspect rear brakes first....
Click to expand...

Ooops.. totally forgot about rear drum brakes as my 20v has discs all round. Nice 1 tinytim totally agree.
 
Previous owner had spent some time trying to find the problem - trouble is we don't know exactly what they had tried. Might just bite the bullet and take it to the local Fiat garage.
 
I know from experience with mine its a good bet its the rear brakes. If the adjusters are not doing there job and shoes are worn or the drums it will have a tremendous affect on the pedal.
 
if you take it to a Fiat garage it will no longer be a cheap car; suggest take it to an independent garage with a good reputation; check out honestjohns website (daily telegraph) for a "good garage guide" for your area.....
 
The handbrake works via cable to the read drums. If thats working well then linings and adjuster are working. Mareas of this age do suffer from corroded brake pipes. Where are you? I got my pipes swapped by a mate who runs a garage here in south bucks. He put it up on his lift and partly dropped the fuel tank to do it.
 
johnson550 said:
I know from experience with mine its a good bet its the rear brakes. If the adjusters are not doing there job and shoes are worn or the drums it will have a tremendous affect on the pedal.
Click to expand...

tinytim said:
if you take it to a Fiat garage it will no longer be a cheap car; suggest take it to an independent garage with a good reputation; check out honestjohns website (daily telegraph) for a "good garage guide" for your area.....
Click to expand...

Renegade_8 said:
The handbrake works via cable to the read drums. If thats working well then linings and adjuster are working. Mareas of this age do suffer from corroded brake pipes. Where are you? I got my pipes swapped by a mate who runs a garage here in south bucks. He put it up on his lift and partly dropped the fuel tank to do it.
Click to expand...

johnson550 said:
How many notches for the handbrake to work?
Click to expand...

Handbrake seems to work fine - 3 clicks or so. Local garage is pretty good but he had the car for 2 months and didn't fix it (don't think he bothered to look at it as we were not in a hurry at the time).
 
If the cable works the rear drums OK then its hydraulics not working. As well as pipes abnd cylinders there is a proportioning valve. If that is stuck off you will have no rear brakes.
 
Thanks for your input guys. :worship:

We have swapped out the master cylinder but it is still the same. What does happen though are the following symptoms:

1) Pumping pedal = working brakes.
2) Constant pressure = pedal sinks to floor.
3) With engine running and pumping the pedal the engine rpm drops indicating a possible vacuum leak.
4) Hissing from servo area when pedal sinks to the floor.
5) Rear brake shoes being replaced as NS has been damaged.
6) No drop in brake fluid from master cylinder reservior after use of brakes.

I think the servo might be faulty - if so, looking at removal procedures the CD I have indicates the servo is in the engine bay... But looking at the car, it is under the dashboard on the inside of the bulkhead. If this is the case then it will be a big job to remove it I think.

I will be checking the proportioning valve tomorrow as the back of the car is jacked up at the moment. Might give it a good dunt with a Birmingham screwdiver!

Cheers,
Martin (Shirls' OH)
 
Last edited:
shirlthegirl43 said:
Thanks for your input guys. :worship:

We have swapped out the master cylinder but it is still the same. What does happen though are the following symptoms:

1) Pumping pedal = working brakes.
2) Constant pressure = pedal sinks to floor.
3) With engine running and pumping the pedal the engine rpm drops indicating a possible vacuum leak.
4) Hissing from servo area when pedal sinks to the floor.
5) Rear brake shoes being replaced as NS has been damaged.
6) No drop in brake fluid from master cylinder reservior after use of brakes.

I think the servo might be faulty - if so, looking at removal procedures the CD I have indicates the servo is in the engine bay... But looking at the car, it is under the dashboard on the inside of the bulkhead. If this is the case then it will be a big job to remove it I think.

I will be checking the proportioning valve tomorrow as the back of the car is jacked up at the moment. Might give it a good dunt with a Birmingham screwdiver!

Cheers,
Martin (Shirls' OH)
Click to expand...

I dont think you will find the valve at the back of the car at least mine (2001) isnt its at the front in the master cylinder area. Has the rear brake shoes been replaced or are they in the process of being changed cause Im thinking the rear brake shoes could well be your problem and answer.
 
Well, rear brake shoes were replaced revealing a missing adjuster. Now to find out what part number that is and find one cheaply. Anyone able to recommend a good spares supplier for Fiat?:)
 
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