Brakes!

Altogether now...

Si

You dipped the clutch by mistake ?

WFCIT ! ;o) it should be mandantory before posting to list the vehicle details if you dont you will be made to change a pair of driveshaft gaiters without wearing gloves !

Air ?

What car is it ?

failed master cylinder due to lack of proper servicing over a few years.

What car is it? Does it have ABS?

What do you mean by "no response"? Pedal all the way to the floor with no resistance? Or firm pedal, but no or limited braking effort?

Chris

I've had the latter after really coating the brakes in salt spray.

OK. I should have mentioned what car it is....wrists appropriately slapped and fingers cut from changing gaiters.

It's a three year-old Peugeot 307s 1.6HDi properly serviced so hope it's not the master cylinder since it's just out of warranty.

The brak> On Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:14:02 -0000, Chris Whelan =A0

Servo?

If you had a firm pedal, but little braking effort, it's less likely to be a hydraulic issue. First thoughts would usually be the vacuum pipe to the servo, or the servo itself.

If it has ABS (fairly likely on a car of that age), failure of the ABS pump can cause the problem you have on some vehicles. Perhaps the pump failed to run initially at start up due to an electrical problem?

(BTW, it is most helpful if you put your reply to the previous post

Chris

It's almost certainly salt contamination. The first reports I heard were related to VW's and Audi's about a decade ago, it was blamed at the time on asbestos free pad compounds but tweaks to them didn't fix it. It happens on many other makes and ages of vehicles too.

The only workable solution is to drive off and cover your brake pedal for a few yards and do the same now and again during your journey.

I second that. Had the same problem with my Zafira at the end of the last cold spell. Hard pedal but little or no deceleration. Only lasted a few yards then normal service was resumed. I assume it was a mixture of salt and the moisture it would hold.

Biggles

Interesting. I had a similar experience in my Touran when the brakes seemed particuarly ineffective on first use after the the recent snow (and belated salting).

Tim

Do most cars have rear disks now ? Perhaps drums were less effected ?

While it's only discs that get contamination like this it is not the rears that are a particular problem as the majority of braking effort on most cars is, and always has been on the front axle.

If we still had asbestos based brake linings like we all had 25 years ago it almost certainly wouldn't be an issue.