Anyone help? Multipla JTD, 2000, 57000 miles.

1. Sometimes when braking the pedal drops a centimetre or two on its own, accompanied by anti-lock judder and momentary brake failure. This brake failure sometimes lasts a second or so. When it does happen it seems to be after a run of a few minutes without braking, ie not during stop-start work.

2. Handbrake only holds the car if I apply it with the engine running and my foot pressing the footbrake hard. I've tried adjusting the cable (at the handbrake end) but no difference.

Thanks.

Recall Warning Notice Multipla's with rear disc brakes
Damage to the rear brake pipes can cause brake failure.
If you have rear disc brakes than have them check by Fiat under recall DH2213510

Found that on Multipla Owners Club.......

The recall fault would not cause this problem, it sounds more like either a faulty ABS sensor or more likely a faulty wheel bearing magnetic ring. This needs to be either checked with examiner or an oscilloscope.

NumanR

may need rear shoes adjusting,slacken handbrake cable then adjust the shoes,then readjust the handbrake,this should sort out the poor handbrake,and may also sort out the pedal dropping,but why the abs comes on,is a mystery.....................................

Thanks for the responses folks, don't have rear discs so not the recall.

this used to happen to mine but only after a rather bumpy stretch of road,hasnt done it for a while now but have had the pedal go rock hard on me.lifted off and all ok then.cars just passed its itv(spanish mot) and the brakes were fine

minty said:

this used to happen to mine but only after a rather bumpy stretch of road,hasnt done it for a while now but have had the pedal go rock hard on me.lifted off and all ok then.cars just passed its itv(spanish mot) and the brakes were fine

Click to expand...

Thanks minty, you describe it better than I, this 'pedal going hard' is what has happened to me. To be honest bumpy roads never occurred to me as a possible cause, but I'll see if it happens again after a bumpy stretch.

Don't know if its the same problem, but my near side handbrake adjuster has snapped. had the same syptoms as you, but also occasional lockup when trying to pull away. Non Fiat garage who changed my brakes front and back in May has allegedly been told by local Fiat that its a common fault! My ARSE!!! Gonna call another garage this afternoon and ask them!