Brakes not holding pressure...

**n_hudson** · 10th April 2010, 20:57

Following on from this thread - http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107610

The garage the guy took the brakes too apparently say the brakes don't hold pressure.

This is the message from the guy who bought them...

hi mate thanks for getting back to me, its a independant garage near me, he does all my work, he bleeded the system many times, he has told me that the calipers arent holding the pressure, when you apply the brake there is nothing then press it a a 2nd time there is a bit, then the 3rd time there is a bit more, but if you hold it down on the 3rd time all the pressure goes and you cant stop the car, only the rear pads work.
I then went to penfolds vauxhall garage and they told me that my car CAN take the bigger brakes, and they said my only choice was to get the brakes stripped down to see whats wrong. Im also sure the mechanic i took them to knows what he is doing cause he put my old brakes on and they work fine, anything else you can think of?

Anything guys??

**paulvectrac** · 10th April 2010, 20:59

sounds like tryin to pull the wool over to me maybe a hole/split in a pipe somewhere

**Big Sig** · 10th April 2010, 21:04

If they are not holding and not leaking then it must be his brake servo. Maybe his fitter pushed the pistons back without opening the bleed nipple and has forced the seals over in the servo.

**n_hudson** · 10th April 2010, 21:05

Originally Posted by Big Sig

If they are not holding and not leaking then it must be his brake servo. Maybe his fitter pushed the pistons back without opening the bleed nipple and has forced the seals over in the servo.

But wouldn't that affect his normal brakes?

**Penfold101** · 10th April 2010, 21:07

My garage...? WTF...?

Anyway - sounds like something in the master cylinder or servo mate, as if there was anything wrong with the calipers they'd simply be leaking - there's nowhere else for the fluid to actually go after it leaves the ABS unit...

**Big Sig** · 10th April 2010, 21:19

all the calipers do is capture the fluid and hold pressure within them. Only place for the pressure to go is back into the system via a dodgy master cylinder or servo or through the seals of the caliper and onto the floor.

**rushy** · 12th April 2010, 13:57

I've just fitted new disks and pads and it did it on my car, does it every time I change pads. Multiple pumping of the pedal and handbrake, turning the ignition on and off always sorts it (I presume the ignition bit does something to the Vac). Is the guy aware of Diesel creep?What the guy has described is exactly what happens to mine. I know we can get round it but VX advise reverse bleeding of the brakes, so you put the fluid through the caliper and push it out the reservoir, he may just have a temperamental system that need this?