Delayed rear braking

AdeU · Unread post by **AdeU** » 28 Mar 2006, 13:37

My Citroen 2.1 TD XM VSX (N reg)has failed the MOT because the rear brakes have a delay. After working the brakes for a while they will start working. Has anybody experienced this?

Homer · Unread post by **Homer** » 28 Mar 2006, 13:55

Take the pads out, push the pistons back, make sure they aren't siezing then when you go for the retest put something heavy in the boot, a couple of sacks of sand should do it.

The rear brakes take their pressure from the rear suspension, most of the weight is over the front end so the rear brakes don't get a lot of use, this causes the pistons to stick a bit. Putting a bit of extra weight in the boot increases the ammount of brake pressure available.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 28 Mar 2006, 16:01

if there is a delay it is more than likly you just need to bleed the brakes,under hard braking dose the pedel patter under your foot as this is another sign of air in the brake system
regards malcolm

Unread post by **Peter.N.** » 28 Mar 2006, 16:07

I Agree with the above. Unless you carry a lot of weight in the back, the rear brakes do very little work and so tend to stick, they probably just need 'unsticking'.

Unread post by **RichardW** » 28 Mar 2006, 16:45

I'm with Citronut - this is probably caused by gas in the rear brake circuit. Give them a really good bleed. You will probably find it will come back in a few weeks, as the probable cause is failure of one of the rear spheres. Bit difficult to know which one of the four is doing it though

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 28 Mar 2006, 17:03

Xantias..
all, my 1999 1.8i dives excessively on braking, my ABS 1.9 td 1994 doesnt.. it stays fairly flat..

why is this?

Both have fairly soft front ends, with new spheres in the 1.9 (although the ride in this car is still harsh compared to 1.8)
John

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 28 Mar 2006, 19:00

so we all ignoring that AdeU has come onto a Citroen froum & spelt Citroen wrong then??
Ok I'll get back in my box.

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 28 Mar 2006, 19:46

I think it'll remain a Citroen until the air in his rear brakes has been bled out. At which point it can be called a Citroen again!

Ahem.

Best way to bleed the rear brakes is to put the car in "High", and connect a long length* of clear hose to the bleed nipples. Put the other end back into the LHM tank. Now jam the footbrake on, and open the rear bleed nippes one at a time, and bleed lots (like several litres) of fluid through. You'll find after a fair while of normal fluid, there will be some air.

*a good source of a long length of clear hose is from a scrapped car that has a washer pipe going from a front mounted screenwash tank to the back window. Try an early 306.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 28 Mar 2006, 21:13

wow does that work? you can actually bleed from the brake niples back to the lhm resevoir? cos there is no brake fluid as such in these cars is there, just the lhm 'blood' running the whole caboodle? Is that where haynes got it wrong?

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 28 Mar 2006, 21:38

rossnunn wrote:so we all ignoring that AdeU has come onto a Citroen froum & spelt Citroen wrong then??
Ok I'll get back in my box.

yes but every one has got a dislecsic side
regards malcolm

awg2 · Unread post by **awg2** » 29 Mar 2006, 09:04

Rossnum take comfort from the words of the master -

".....all the correct notes - but not necessarily in the right order" - Eric Morcambe

AdeU · Unread post by **AdeU** » 29 Mar 2006, 12:56

Thanks for all your help, I will try this over the weekend and will let you know of the outcome.

Regards,
AdeU

rossnunn · Unread post by **rossnunn** » 29 Mar 2006, 18:32

oooooh yesh! lol

Going slightly off topic, Our blue Xant had a advisery on the handbrake last MOT saying 'barely working' now at 10mph tug the handbrake it will pull the car up & quite fast too, car holds fine on steep gradients - ever get the feeling they tested the wrong end?

BonceChops · Unread post by **BonceChops** » 29 Mar 2006, 18:53

rossnunn wrote:ever get the feeling they tested the wrong end?

If they did you rear brakes are binding mate

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 29 Mar 2006, 20:31

deian wrote:wow does that work? you can actually bleed from the brake niples back to the lhm resevoir?

Yep. No reason why not. The longer you leave it "bleeding" the better, as you circulate fresh fluid through the whole system.

I'll make one little addition to the process. Check what colour the first little bit of LHM is when it comes out, as if it's dirty, then you'll want to discard it. Once the LHM looks nice and clean, then put the line to the tank, and bleed away for as long as you can.

Is that where haynes got it wrong?

One of many, many places!

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