Technical Brakes failure

[Dean062]

Has anyone heard of any models of Multipla having brake problems. My wife bought a Y reg Multipla and on the same day after a medium run-out the brakes completely failed. Before this happened there was a slight burning smell and when I eventually got the car stationary, smoke started coming from the back wheel arch on the driver side. When the RAC arrived (1 hour later) the brakes were working fine again!! The garage we got it from (not a Fiat dealer) said that the possible reasons for this were 1) Handbrake slighty on 2) We got the pedals mixed up They also said they checked the car but because of their dismissive attitude in the first place I'm not 100% sure they have. Basically the car is currently having a neutral check because if we want a full refund we need to prove the car has a problem. At the moment all the 'neutral' garage can say is that the back driver side wheel has a thinner brake pad than the other and there are also signs of burning, and maybe this caused the brake fluid to boil and cause brake failure. This could also explain why the brakes started working again after everything had cooled down. Obviously my first plan of action is to dismantle the car and insert each part in the garage owner's backside, but I suppose we have to follow the legal route which we are doing at the moment, although I don't want my wife & kids driving around in a car where the brakes could fail at any minute. Does anyone have any thoughts on what may have caused this or heard of any known Multipla brake issues with this model. Just to clarify a)Journey was not long although one stretch of motorway used b) Journey taken on mild summer evening c)Smoke coming from back wheel arch on driver's side. Cheers

 

[Emm]

Wow thats not good!
I hate garages they are all a##e h#les, its "never their fault". im currently in the same situation as you, seeking a 'neutral' garages oppinion. to cut a long story short, i had an alarm fitted and they went through the brake servo, so's i took it to a fiat dealer to be fixed,consiqently i have an on going prob with my car which neither garage are prepared to admit it was their fault
Where to go from here? i just dont know
I know this dos'nt help your situation but it lets you know your not alone in the war against the a##e h#les

 

[Dean062]

Our local Trading standards office said to take them to court if they don't pay up as failing brakes is not one of your 'lets see if we can live with it' car problems. The downside to this is that we'll be without a car for a while but the TSO think that going by the details I gave them we have a cast iron case for a full refund and also we can ask for compensation (and also the TSO have asked to be given the garage's name if we win the court case and they'll drop a ton of trading standard bricks on them). Usually the threat of this means the garage's cheque book will be out on the shop counter before you can blink, but lets see what happens. I'll keep anyone thats interested updated and post pictures of garage manager's with brake pads sticking out of their ....... pictures on here if it comes to that. Wish me luck

 

[Emm]

Good luck matey!!! You seem alot more in control than me!

 

[Ned]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, firstly it may be possible that the pads had siezed in the calipar caused by being parked up for some time(this does happen on forecourt cars) and it could be caused by the handbrake Cable, this corrodes inside and if again parked up for a while may not release 100% when you released the handbrake, so all of these could even happen to you a years time but importantly get the fluid renewed and get the cables checked there are little rubber bellows on each end of the outer cable if they are split or missing then water can get in and corrode them.

 

[Dean062]

Finally got it sorted. It was the handbrake being slightly on that caused the problem but because the light wasn't functioning properly, it didn't come on to warn you if the brake wasn't 100% down. With the Multipla you more or less have to bend over sideways to make sure the handbrake is totally off so if you are driving one for the first time then beware. Nice car though although its like driving a step ladder as you are so high up. The kids love it all the same. Over & out.....

 

[joemc]

I have just had identical problem. 20 miles into journey, complete brake failure approaching roundabout. Brought car to rest with gears and the aid of a grass verge. Rear off side wheel arch emitting black smoke. Garage unable to find anything wrong. Brakes working normally now, except that the pedal now seems noisier than before the incident. I presume it was the handbrake and boiling brake fluid, although my knowledge of physics would argue that you cannot boil fluid in a closed container without that container bursting, or expanding.

 

[the frog]

Multiplas do have dodgy handbrakes to start with - mine froze on in winter and in the end had to be replaced by the dealer, now when it's cold I park in gear!

If you think about the position of the handbrake, the front wheel will be throwing all sorts of crap at it especially in the bad weather, if this gets inside the cable sheath corrosion on the cable or something in the sheath could cause the cable to stick. It's the price you pay for three seats in the front!

 

[disgusted]

My Multi is Y-reg, I've had it from new & have had no particular brake probs as yet. I have had the fluid & the rear shoes replaced.

Having had an accident in the past (& been injured) due to brake problems from to contaminated fluid, I've a bee-in-my-bonnet about this subject.

I reckon that 2 years is long enough for the fluid, I'm about to have mine changed for the 2nd time (67K miles).

Ignore what manufacturers suggest about recommended change intervals, your family's safety comes first. A fluid change is cheap.

Fresh fluid does not boil, because it has no water contamination - it's that simple.

It may be that if your Multi is a relatively low mileage example, that the rear brakes have never been checked prior to your ownership.

Please remember - Fresh fluid does not boil. Have it changed.

 

[hmallett]

Fresh fluid CAN boil, but it has a fairly high boiling point. The boiling point depends upon the fluid. I believe for Castrol SRF (a race-spec fluid) it's about 600 deg C. The problem is that brake fluid is hygroscopic - it absorbs water. The water it absorbs has a boiling point of 100 deg C. So over time, as more and more water is absorbed, the boiling point lowers, and the easier it is to boil it by heavy braking, or leaving the handbrake on. Once it's been boiled, you need to change it. Also, as disgusted says, change it every 2 years anyway.
The other thing you can get is that the rear calipers are usually sliding calipers, and they can get corroded, or dirty, so they don't slide cleanly. Then you'll find that they don't release cleanly, binding and causing brake wear.
H

 

[Troy McClure]

Bump for information:

Happened to my wife a few weeks ago. 20 Minutes of back roads, next stop for traffic got a burning smell and pedal to the floor. Lucky she had enough room to stop using handbrake.

Garage could find nothing wrong apart from some potential fluid boil-over on top of reservoir. A quick search on this mighty forum and what do you know.

Got them to check out handbrake cable which was corroded and "notchy". Changed it out and no problems since.

Check those cables people. :chin: