swift brake fluid loss

bainbridge · 1 Jan 2011 at 19:38

1.8 Focus 75k, brake fluid was approx 3mm under MAX when I did a bit of a winter service in the first week of November. Brake warning light came on this week, brake fluid was right down. Suspected a leak somewhere as 2 mths to empty the reservoir seemed very dodgy, however since I've topped the level back up everything is fine, no leaks at all.

I can only put it down to the crappy weather we've had & all the grit on the road wearing down the pads quicker, plus I must admit the handbrake saw a fair bit of action during the freeze.

Anybody else had significant loss?

tigerstyle · 2 Jan 2011 at 04:11

Handbrake has nothing to do with your hydraulic braking system, is the clutch linked in possibly?

To be safe get it checked at a friendly garage, these things are what stop your car remember?

BigglesPiP · 2 Jan 2011 at 04:17

Probably a corroded pipe, get it to a garage. If you brake hard now you may bust open one of the circuits, or for an outside chance; both.

Fuzz · 2 Jan 2011 at 09:54

thepedster said:
Handbrake has nothing to do with your hydraulic braking system, is the clutch linked in possibly?

To be safe get it checked at a friendly garage, these things are what stop your car remember?

It is if it acts on the same caliper as the rear hydraulic brakes.

It's almost impossible to visually inspect for leaks in this orrible wet weather but a simple stab of hard constant pressure on the pedal will tell you if you have a leak or not.
Lean on the pedal like you are about to run over your granny and hold it.
The pedal should stay where it is, if it starts sinking to the floor you have a leak. Stop driving it and find out where it's coming from.

Dogbreath · 2 Jan 2011 at 10:04

Scubascorpion said:
It is if it acts on the same caliper as the rear hydraulic brakes.

Not really, the handbrake is a purely mechanical system, even if it's built into the rear calliper.

Should be enough fluid in the reservoir to cope with pad wear without raising a low fluid warning, so I would suspect a leak.

Fuzz · 2 Jan 2011 at 10:17

You're missing the point that if he's had the Handbrake on a lot and worn out the pads the hydraulic pistons in the rear brakes will have to move out to compensate for the wear and result in a lower fluid level.
If it was a leak and was full 3 weeks ago it would more likely be empty by now not just low. You don't know the OP's driving style either, he might be driving it on the brake pedal in which case the fluid level change would be even more prominent.
Maybe even some of the pad material has delaminated itself from the metal backing in this freezing weather, who knows.
What I do know is that a pedal test as described above will tell the OP if he has a leak or not.

Dave L · 2 Jan 2011 at 11:13

Worn rear pads wouldn't allow the fluid level to drop that much.

I'd look under the gearbox bellhousing, bet it's all wet with fluid - concentric slave cylinder failure?

bainbridge · 2 Jan 2011 at 11:45

Thanks for the replies folks, there's no loss of pressure underfoot & they are operating normally, level hasn't moved since being topped up. All four wheels appear to have an adequate bit of pad thickness left (the outer pads which I can see do). Maybe one or more seized caliper sliders might have caused rapid inner pad wear.....

It's been garaged every night from new & there's not a drop of fluid on the garage floor, if there is a leak then it's being contained within the car somewhere or only leaking out under pressure when I'm out on the road (I would have thought this would still show up as a few drips on the garage floor.)

I've been waiting for these brakes to need replacing, renewed disks & pads on both front & rear in Easter 2006 (brake wear was an advisory note on it's 3 yr service) & since then all I've done is change brake fluid before every 2nd MOT & check pad thickness every 6 mths when rotating the tyres. The braking performance itself is pretty mediocre so I guess wear is very slow.

Dale L I'll check the gearbox bellhousing later.

Fuzz · 2 Jan 2011 at 12:24

Just my luck

Popped out in the 106 just now to go and view an offroad toy I was thinking of buying and spotted my brake warning light on as I left the driveway.
I thought I'd not taken the handbrake off properly to start with.. then I pressed the brake pedal. :eek:

Feels like I had one Diagonal circuit working, pedal goes 3/4 of the way down before trying very slightly to slow the car up with the car trying to go sideways as I press it.
Quick look under the rear of the car and my right hand wheel is soaking in fluid.

That was an interesting drive home just now|!
I definitely have a leak

GT3 · 2 Jan 2011 at 13:05

Scubascorpion said:
Just my luck
Popped out in the 106 just now to go and view an offroad toy I was thinking of buying and spotted my brake warning light on as I left the driveway.
I thought I'd not taken the handbrake off properly to start with.. then I pressed the brake pedal.
Feels like I had one Diagonal circuit working, pedal goes 3/4 of the way down before trying very slightly to slow the car up with the car trying to go sideways as I press it.
Quick look under the rear of the car and my right hand wheel is soaking in fluid.
That was an interesting drive home just now|!
I definitely have a leak

My old 106 did that after it had been sat for a while with the handbrake on. The material on the brake shoes managed to become detached and when i braked the shoe could move so much one of the pistons fell out the brake cylinder. I managed to do 250 miles on quiet roads that week with it like that

MuvverRussia · 2 Jan 2011 at 13:09

To the OP - look at your clutch pedal. My 2002 Focus (when I had it) had a fluid leak from the clutch master cylinder.

Dave L · 8 Jan 2011 at 14:59

Any update from the OP on his problem?