I am getting a BrakeWarning light when going down a hill with a right hand bend and the footbrake applied. I suspect that the pads a a little worn and the brake fluid therefore slightly low, just enough to trigger the warning. Is this likely and a common problem?
TIA
Jim
In the time it took you to post this, you could've checked the brake fluid!
Very sarcastic and hardly helpful. I have checked the brake fluid and it IS just above the minimum.
The point of the post is to establish if this diagnosis is reasonable and if it happens to other cars.
If you can't help then mind your own business.
Just top it up and don't worry about it. It *is* a part of normal everyday maintenance you know.
-Fred W
No. The brake fluid does not vanish just by itself. If the fluid level is low then either * the brake system has a leak and a "top up" is not going to fix the leak. * the brake pads are in need of replacement and a "top up" now will result in overflow of brake fluid when the pads are replaced.
Answers your own question then, doesn't it. Yes, you should buy new pads. No, you shouldn't just fill up fluid to max.
Funny that you should have picked possibly _the_ most helpful person in the group to give that advice to.
The pads have audible wear indicators, no noise so although they may be close but don't need replacing yet. I can't afford to replace pads that are not at the proper replacement point, can you?
Forgive me, but how did _the_ most helpful person actually help me?
Following other comments, I plan to top up the fluid a very small amount to see if that helps. I will warn the garage that the fluid might overflow when the pads are next replaced.
Thanks to all who tried to help.
Exactly, just what I would have thought. Brake fluid just isn't consumed.
Oh BTW there was that story about some small animals that had got a taste for brake fluid.
Oddly enough, I tend to check pads twice a year when I switch tires from summer to winter, and will do the pads at that time if they're close-ish. Even if I throw away 20% of the useful life of the pad, that's a value of, what, 15 bucks for OEM pads? If you're paying someone else to do the work, the 15 dollar difference is an even smaller percentage of the cost. My time pulling the wheels is worth more than that, so yeah. If they're that close, they'll be squeaking soon anyway.
It depends. Who are you proposing that is?
Don't overdo it, and it'll be fine. Top it up too far, and it'll spill all over & likely ruin paint.
Nah, you're just not used to me yet - give it time, it will come.
Well why didn't you say so? As others have pointed out, either a. you're losing fluid, or b. your pads are very worn. Next thing to do is check the pads. Anything less than a couple of mm on them then definitely time to replace. If they aren't worn, start looking for a leak. Check the brake master, then all the calipers and hoses.
I think you've pretty much reasoned that one out, no? Pad wears > piston sticks out more > more volume behind piston > level of fluid in reservoir drops.
New to Usenet, are we?
Here in the land of snow and salt, extended pistons = exposed pistons = pitting of pistons = big expense. I change pads when they get low...before squealers or electronic gizmos tell me to.
BL
It's more of a case can you not afford to?
I had a car where the pads were not replaced soon enough and as a result scored the discs so instead of just replacing a set of pads, it was discs and pads and at a most inconvenient time when it was the last things I wanted to be doing.
My understanding is that the fluid level at Max when set for new pads, results in the fluid level being on Min when the pads are worn out so that new pads mean that the level comes back to max.
Change the pads!
David.
And how would our owner guess that he has a leak? Just bring it in for an expensive diagnosis? If he tops up the fluid and the level again drops he will have confirmed a leak and can then bring it in for repair.
Possibly the pads need changing, but maybe not. Perhaps they are only half worn. Perhaps the fluid was half way between full mark and low mark when the pads were last renewed. Obviously they need to be inspectyed which will take all of 10 minutes.
The fluid overflow thing is a non-issue IMO. Any half wit knows to suck some fluid out of the resevoir before compressing the calipers. Common practice...
-Fred W
Agreed on that.
People look at me daft when I check my oil weekly, and tyres fortnghtly.
They don't get that you might actually lose oil between services. If it doesn't bing, blink or talk them, then it is all well.
What happened to getting a feel of a car and some mechanical synergy, and routine checks and maintenance?
if you get a feel of a car, you get to know new noises and vibrations, and get a sense of whether it will be expensive or urgent to get sorted, or whether it will wait until next service/other repair/dry day. unless there is a warning light/tone people just don't get it.
Reminds me of an idea I read about, maybe twenty years ago. As you may appreciate, spotting an impending failure in a helicopter can be tricky. So, when you know the helicopter is working well (when new, for example), you attach microphones to its frame and record the vibrations when it's working under various conditions. Thereafter when it comes in for a routine service you repeat this process and compare the recordings. Differences are supposed to help diagnose problems. I never heard any more about this. Did it prove a useless idea -- or has it joined the list of V.Secret Techniques We (*.gov.uk) Do Not Discuss In Public?
-- Andrew Stephenson
Well, I could tell you, but I would have to kill you.
Or service my car? ;-)
-- Andrew Stephenson
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