General Brakes Damaged After Emergency Stop?

[Andysan]

This morning I had to do a min-emergency stop - nothing too drastic and only from 30MPH or so. Since then the brakes have been acting up. When I press the brake pedal there is a noise coming from behind the passenger footwell like air escaping. The more I pump the pedal the harder it becomes until it is stiff. Oddly the display went out on my radio too, but I put that down to a FF (Fiat Foible) as it seems to have sorted itself out now.

I drove the rest of the way to work - I've not lost any brake fluid but the car is still making a noise like a bicycle pump everytime I get on the brakes. No pulling to either side or lack of brakes, just a noise of air escaping somewhere and a stiffness in the pedal if I keep pumping the break (or its that the pedal is overly soft on the first depress).

Booked in for the dealer to take a look at it. I dont think my Bravo has never had the work done for the brake recall - could it be that? Can anyone advise what this may be please and if it will be covered by 3rd year warranty? Cheers.

 

[RobW]

This morning I had to do a min-emergency stop - nothing too drastic and only from 30MPH or so. Since then the brakes have been acting up. When I press the brake pedal there is a noise coming from behind the passenger footwell like air escaping. The more I pump the pedal the harder it becomes until it is stiff. Oddly the display went out on my radio too, but I put that down to a FF (Fiat Foible) as it seems to have sorted itself out now.

I drove the rest of the way to work - I've not lost any brake fluid but the car is still making a noise like a bicycle pump everytime I get on the brakes. No pulling to either side or lack of brakes, just a noise of air escaping somewhere and a stiffness in the pedal if I keep pumping the break (or its that the pedal is overly soft on the first depress).

Booked in for the dealer to take a look at it. I dont think my Bravo has never had the work done for the brake recall - could it be that? Can anyone advise what this may be please and if it will be covered by 3rd year warranty? Cheers.

sounds like the brake servo acting up, get it check at the dealer asap
not a cosmetic or consumable part so yes should be covered in 3rd year of warranty

 

[cainy1989]

Mines always made that noise...thought it was normal

 

[carlorff]

that is normal and there is nothing wrong with your car or brakes.That is just oil pressure building up. Whenever you use the brakes they loose some of the material that makes the car stop, either on the disc or on the brake pads, as they get used by braking. How many miles/km does your car have? Anyway to compromise the lost material on the brake pads and disc, we are talking less than a mm but you need more oil pressure to move the pads to get in contact with the disc. It is just that plain physics. In some emergency situations when you have to floor the brakes, the brake pads leave some small and often invisible marks on the disc which you can feel with your finger (when the disc is cold and a car is standing at least 30 min), or they do not get worn evenly because of the conditions in which you had to brake. If you go for a ride downhill or a short trip and use the brakes with light breaking, the break pads will get evenly worn and it will be fine. I assure you 95% that everything is ok, at least by the things you told us. It happened to me with a few cars, and I had no problems with brakes, only the things you said. If the car stops as before, it is ok.And as far as I understood you the brakes are not locking up?

 

[T14086]

if you are hearing this hissing noise after the emergency stop then as RobW said get it checked ASAP, oil pressure has nothing to do with it, its vacuum assisted.

 

[Tad-bravo]

I've always had the whistling sound when breaking abruptly, I thought it was normal.

 

[JTD_Liam]

My sisters 206 sounded just how you described once, and it turned out the person installing a new stereo had drilled through the bulkhead and into the break servo God knows why he didn't pop the plug out that's there specifically for adding cables, but anyway, it definately sounds like a Servo problem, so the dealer visit youve booked sounds very wise

 

[hitherematey]

When I first got my car, almost a year ago now, I too noticed this air escaping sound when braking. In the end it was just the brake servo opperating ( located under the glovebox ). I wouldn't worry as long as the brakes are working

 

[Tad-bravo]

wow people, make up your minds !! whistling sound, is it normal or a serious life threatening problem???

 

[RobW]

wow people, make up your minds !! whistling sound, is it normal or a serious life threatening problem???

i am afraid my jedi powers are not what they were and to diagnose this i would need to be there

ps don't be a cock

 

[cainy1989]

so does everyones hiss when depressing the brake pedal then...if so i can avoid the heart attack im about to have lol

 

[hitherematey]

wow people, make up your minds !! whistling sound, is it normal or a serious life threatening problem???

Well...................
If the car stops quickly, doesn't pull to one side, wheels don't lock up, pedal doesn't sink to the floor, no warning lights and your not losing any brake fluid then I wouldn't worry!!

 

[Tad-bravo]

Well...................
If the car stops quickly, doesn't pull to one side, wheels don't lock up, pedal doesn't sink to the floor, no warning lights and your not losing any brake fluid then I wouldn't worry!!

Thank you ! that's a helpful post for a change, I'm relieved.


RobW, what is a jedi power? you mean the force...

 

[Andysan]

Thank you ! that's a helpful post for a change, I'm relieved.


RobW, what is a jedi power? you mean the force...

Wow a lot of posts here since I was last about, a lot of bitching too.

The car has gone back to Fiat - I'm not happy with it personally, and my engine is still making a knocking noise anyway. I've braked heavily in plenty of other cars before and never had an issue. My mechanic buddy has advised that the way to test the brake servo is to pump the brake repeatedly with the engine off until it becomes stiff, then press the now stiff pedal and start the engine. If the servo is working the pressure should release (as mine does).

My old man has pointed out that my car has been weeing something onto the drive, so perhaps a little leak has been exacerbated by a heavy stop.

 

[hitherematey]

My old man has pointed out that my car has been weeing something onto the drive, so perhaps a little leak has been exacerbated by a heavy stop.

Air-con drain perhaps?

 

[Jazzist]

Lick the drive and find out? I bet brake fluid doesn't taste like water

 

[Andysan]

Lick the drive and find out? I bet brake fluid doesn't taste like water

Ha Ha I'm taking a lot of stick at the moment for my Bravo and its frequent trips to the garage, I'm not lowering myself to licking my drive.

 

[Andysan]

Update; garage have found that engine oil is leaking onto the clutch causing the "knocking" noise. The brakes are fine but still making a noise like gas escaping so I've asked that the car be held on to. A specialist is apparently coming to look at the knocking and hopefully the brakes will be sorted too.

 

[Andysan]

Got the car back tonight - have been told that the brakes are fine and the hissing noise could have been attributed to the tire wear (?) - this makes no sense to me as tyres wear gradually over months/years, yet my hissing brakes have only come to fruition immediately after a heavy stop on the way to work last week, not gradually. One of my fronts is 2mm now so will look at getting these replaced this weekend. Suggested a whole lot of things to check and change such as brake fluid, whether the master cylinder is leaking into the diaphragm, loose bleeder valves, brake booster seal and was systematically given a reason as to why each one wouldnt make any difference and was eventually told that some brake servos are just like this (which is completely unacceptable to my mind as safety aside its an annoyance).

Furthermore, the oil seal has been replaced yet the knocking noise is still apparent. I dont quite understand why when a fault cant be traced it seems to mean that it ceases to exist. I've not been charged and (hopefully) my car will stop leaking oil but from an owners perspective I've lost use of the car for four days whilst the two problems I sent it in for havent been fixed. I'm taking the car elsewhere and at this rate wont be keeping it past April when the warranty expires.

 

[Tad-bravo]

get used to this kind of incompetence coming from dealer mechanics, if you can't diagnose the fault yourself or have a close idea idea of what it is and tell them to fix it, they won't do their job.