I'm hoping you guys may be able to help me out, had a very strange brake failure this week, there was a popping feel under my foot while braking and the pedal then went straight to the floor, as i drifted into what was a luckily empty roundabout!

The strange thing is that the brakes seem to be working fine now any ideas? I'll be getting it checked out but just thought i'd see if anyone had experienced anything similar? Or maybe had an idea of what may have caused it?

I'd understand if they had completely gone but the fact they appear to be working again is a little worrying.

I would be worried too. Check for leaks at all wheels, master cylinder and check fluid level.Has the system been worked on lately and maybe not bled correctly? Check that the pads or shoes are not dragging which can boil the fluid especially if it hasn't been changed in a while. Saw a car where the handbrake had been left on ever so slightly and after 10 miles the pedal went to the floor. When the driver recovered from the shock they had cooled enough to function normally again.

well that's the weird thing, it was maybe only a mile into the trip and they seem to be functioning fine again, I'd assume that had there been a leak that caused it they would't be working again, I'm definitely taking it to the garage Monday morning, just wanted to check whether there were any obvious causes i maybe was unaware of.

Wise move - Live long and Prosper. On the way to the garage, drive as if you don't have any brakes.

Haha! Luckily for me my garage is about 100 metres away, I'll be travelling slowly enough that should they fail i can open the door and use my feet to stop the car!

I would hazard a guess your car has ABS?

No, it's a poverty spec MIA ain't got nothing as luxurious as ABS

Jimmy punto said:

Haha! Luckily for me my garage is about 100 metres away, I'll be travelling slowly enough that should they fail i can open the door and use my feet to stop the car!

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Think I have seen that garage - Flintstones is it?

My floorpan isn't quite that bad, yet!

Brendan W said:

I would be worried too. Check for leaks at all wheels, master cylinder and check fluid level.Has the system been worked on lately and maybe not bled correctly? Check that the pads or shoes are not dragging which can boil the fluid especially if it hasn't been changed in a while. Saw a car where the handbrake had been left on ever so slightly and after 10 miles the pedal went to the floor. When the driver recovered from the shock they had cooled enough to function normally again.

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ive had this
its usually a sticky rear drum as brendan says,not nice at all especially when you come up a motorway slipway, ever since i always dab my brakes when in unknown cars well in time to confirm everything is there

Well that's good to hear, hopefully not too expensive to fix. One of the scariest moments I've had on the road!

had that happen when driving my mothers car before
the line from master cylinder under the bonnet was perrished and split

the brakes on a punto use the same fluid as the clutch so i'd be looking at the master cylinder for clutch and brakes

Like I said, the braking went but seems to be back. I assume that with a leak or a split the brakes would just be completely gone? That's what's so odd about the whole thing.

Jimmy punto said:

Like I said, the braking went but seems to be back. I assume that with a leak or a split the brakes would just be completely gone? That's what's so odd about the whole thing.

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and if you had a fluid leak the handbrake light on the dash would be permanently illuminated

Jimmy punto said:

Like I said, the braking went but seems to be back. I assume that with a leak or a split the brakes would just be completely gone? That's what's so odd about the whole thing.

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You would think so. Makes perfect sense. But I did once come across a rear slave cylinder that seemed to hold up to a point but above that pressure the pedal sank slowly to the floor. Very rare I would say and a fairly obvious leak at the wheel.