New pads on front & back now soft pedal until 3 pumps

[Deadrock]

Hi all, i'm hoping someone can help please, i changed my pads both front and back and now i have to pump my brakes about 3 times before i have any joy in stopping? If i pump my brakes they get stiff and hold, i've blead them all, they just won't work as normal, any ideas? I have my MOT on Friday and i can't help but think no brakes will be a fail

[Big Dave]

When you retracted the pistons, did you slacken the bleed nipples on the calipers to allow brake fluid to escape?

It's not a good practice to force dirty brake fluid back into the master cylinder.

1. It can damage the ABS system.
2. It can sometimes flip the rubber seals in the master cylinder.

[Deadrock]

Cheers Big Dave, I slackened off on the back calipers, but not the front as they pushed in fairly easy (although it did make my cap leek, which prompted me to slacken off the back), whats my best course of action to find the problem? i've re bled them all, pressure still builds after 3 pumps with engine running or not! In regards to the ABS i have no warning light on? I don't know if it helps but my car is 55 plate 1.9cdti.
Many thanks for your help

P.S one of the springs on the rear as you first look at the caliper was stuck and i couldn't get it out one of the holes so i worked around it, it may of got slightly bent, but when put back together everything appears to be solid (just thought i'd add in case it effects)

[Deadrock]

Anyone any ideas please? starting to think it's going to be expensive

[WilliamLX]

Brakes are a major saftey issue. Get it towed to a garage. I know many people do DIY work on barkes (I have doen in the past), but to be honest it is the last part of the car I would touch myself. Your live depends on them.

[plasma]

vectras do have a habit of having a soft pedal once the pads have been changed. even had a certain mechanic on here phone me because he was worried he did something wrong.

The pedal will firm up once you get a few miles on them. As long as your sure you didnt introduce air in the system then it should be ok. Also you wouldnt have flipped the master cylinder as they are doubled sealed.

[Deadrock]

Well thats a hope Plasma cheers, if air did get in, me bleeding the calipers should clear that am i right? When i pump the breaks the pressure builds and then slowly lowers my foot to the floor (when the engine is running), does this sound like what you said about needing to put a few miles on them, when i brake i hardly stop (slowly),
Cheers for the help

[Big Dave]

When i pump the breaks the pressure builds and then slowly lowers my foot to the floor (when the engine is running),

Ah, the penny drops. This is perfectly normal for a diesel.

Have a search on here for "pedal creep"

eg - http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74759

[Deadrock]

Cheers for the info, but i have next to no brakes at all whilst driving (until i pump a few times) surely this can't be pedal creep, can it? just seems too dangerous. . . argh cars

[SignumPhil]

Ours was the same for a few days after all the pads were changed. I argued with the guy who changed them, but looking around this site suggests that it's another "feature" Not fun with 2 tonnes of Siggy to stop.
A few hard braking manoeuvres over the first few days seemed to help them bed in.

Phil