2015 C4 Brakes

[DHallworth]

Evening all,

My wife has had her 2015 Citroen C4 1.6 HDi for just over a year now. Yesterday she asked me to take the car for a drive as she thought the brakes felt strange.

After moving off, the first time you brake it feels like there's a delay between you pressing the brake pedal and anything happening and when the brakes do start to do something they snatch.

After the first application the pedal behaviour feels normal, when braking heavily the car pulls up in a perfectly straight line, none of the wheels feel hot after covering a few miles, and none of the discs look rusty or appear as if the pads aren't making even contact with them. The discs and were all new 5 months ago.

I checked the brake fluid and the level is spot on in the reservoir as well.

I'm a bit stumped with this one so would appreciate any thoughts

Thanks,
David.

[myglaren]

Servo, vacuum for servo or air filter for it?
Or perhaps the ABS pump misbehaving, although there should be a warning light for that, of course.

[Hell Razor5543]

I wonder if it might be worth bleeding the brakes? Failing that, I wonder if the cylinders might be beginning to bind?

[DHallworth]

Thanks guys. Food for thought.

I’d have hoped at 50k it wouldn’t be anything major.

David.

[DHallworth]

Had another look at this tonight.

If you pump the pedal until it goes hard and start the car it gradually gets soft whereas the C6 with conventional brakes the pedal gets soft as soon as you start the car.

Even in the current weather, no matter how hard you stamp on the pedal it doesn’t lock up or pulse the ABS and it doesn’t slow with the urgency you’d expect it too.

It’s going in to the dealer on Thursday so with a bit of luck we’ll know more.

David.

[Gibbo2286]

If the pedal sinks to the floor under light pressure it usually needs secondary bleeding of the ABS with a diagnostic tool. There's a video on here somewhere about it.
Here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58737&p=553888&hili ... o#p553942

[DHallworth]

Thanks Gibbo,

The weird thing is the car has gone like that over the last week or two with no brake work having taken place.

We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

David.

[xantia_v6]

It sounds like a failing vacuum pump, or an obstruction or leak in a vacuum line.

[DHallworth]

The car is with Arnold Clark this morning.

They have noticed the fault with the brakes and have changed the brake fluid. I've asked them to confirm that this has definitely got rid of the fault and they appear to be very reluctant to answer.

During the brake bleeding process and vehicle health check they have obviously had the front wheels off the car as they've noticed that the front brake disc retaining screws are missing. These screws retail at £1.23 + VAT and seeing as the wheels were off there should be minimal labour to fit them. If they'd just fitted them and added £5 to the bill to cover it I wouldn't have had a problem with it.

However, they have quoted me £130.70 to supply and fit 2 disc retaining screws which is nothing short of theft in my books.

Lets see what they come back with later today.

David.

[myglaren]

That's horrendous David.
A bit of Facebook/Twitter publicity might give them second thoughts.

I think they may have quoted for new discs though.

[DHallworth]

Nope, just 2 disc retaining screws.

Apparently they're not rounded off or sheered, they're just missing.

David.

[Hell Razor5543]

Nope, just 2 disc retaining screws.

Apparently they're not rounded off or sheered, they're just missing.

David.

What are the new screws made of; solid gold plated unobtanium?

[DHallworth]

I'd say they're made of hopes and prayers that customers just approve the work!

[Hell Razor5543]

And the invoice is printed using copious quantities of Male Bovine Excrement!

[KennyW]

David,

Another name for them is Arnold Fraud.

They took over the franchise in Edinburgh and the parts guys I use to deal with all left. The people in place have no idea what they are doing.

Best of luck

Kenny