Possible fault with brakes?

marl · 27 Dec 2006 at 21:00

Car, Skoda 1.9 TDi had been sitting a few days. Took a short trip to relatives, drove very slow and did not use brakes much. On way home about 6 hours later as i approached junction i put foot on brake pedal and very little happened! Thought for a second it wasn't gonna stop when all of a sudden brakes bit and it pulled up quickly.

Thankfully i was going slowly and had barked in plenty of time, but had i been going faster or braked later i'd have been straight across junction and into path of other traffic.

Brakes have been fine since, could this be a fault or just a side effect of car sitting idle for a few days?

Tesla · 27 Dec 2006 at 22:51

Maybe there was a little bit of surface rust on the discs which effected the performance.

I would go out early tomorrow, when it's light enough but the roads are also quiet.

Drive slowly to a nice straight road and give them a good testing.

marl · 27 Dec 2006 at 23:24

Tesla said:
Maybe there was a little bit of surface rust on the discs which effected the performance.

I would go out early tomorrow, when it's light enough but the roads are also quiet.

Drive slowly to a nice straight road and give them a good testing.

Thanks, i think you've hit the nail on the head!

pinkaardvark · 28 Dec 2006 at 01:42

I don't see how it's possible to have driven to your relatives and somewhat back the way without having made use of your brakes, and only minimal use would have worn any corrosion layer away from having sat for a while. It sounds like you have a serious brake issue and I wouldn't just write it off so easily. Get them tested.

merlin · 28 Dec 2006 at 09:51

It's the cold ambient temperatures.

Easy to prove - do a cold run and hit the brakes. Then do another straight after that and hit the brakes. You'll stop quicker 2nd time around as the pads and discs will be up to temperature.

Tesla · 28 Dec 2006 at 09:53

pinkaardvark said:
I don't see how it's possible to have driven to your relatives and somewhat back the way without having made use of your brakes, and only minimal use would have worn any corrosion layer away from having sat for a while. It sounds like you have a serious brake issue and I wouldn't just write it off so easily. Get them tested.

I did think that but did not know of anything else it could have been.

Merlin's theory sounds more plausible than mine so I am now going to go along with that

Perhaps a combination of both even!