Independent Renault Forums banner

iv messed up my brakes

Tags
brakes messed
5K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  dave_mezza2006 
#1 ·
tried to change the front brake pads today on my v reg mark 1 laguna sport.....any way got the pads in ok but couldnt get the caliper piston to go back ...so unscrewed the brake fluid cable from it and took it off to get the caliper piston back.....done this on both sides...

anyway my brake pedal does not have resistance to it now....i push it and it goes to the floor... the car does stop ..however its not stopping quickly enough...

any ideas what iv done to my brakes? and how i can sort it out?

forgot to mention i also topped up the brake fluid chamber..
 
#4 ·
cheers dave, is that done by opening t
he niples on them and pumping the pedal to get the fluid out or my totally off the mark....

sorry to sound so stupid but iv never had to bleed brakes before, and i dont want to make it any worse by going in all gung ho again..... and causing more of a mess
 
#3 · (Edited)
Yep,you need to bleed the air from the hydraulic system.

There should be a bleed nipple on each caliper.The easiest way to bleed them is to have someone inside the car to pump the peddle whilst you undo and tighten the nipple(oo-er missus!).

Get the front wheels off and support the car on axle stands.Starting at the caliper furtherest away from the reservoir/master cylinder,make sure the reservoir is topped up,and ask the person in the car to press the brake peddle down as far as it goes and to keep pressure on it.You then slowly undo the nipple half a turn,and you'll see fluid and air escaping.Have a cloth ready to mop up the fluid!.Once the pedal has gone right to the floor,do the nipple up.Ask the other person to release the pressure on the pedal and let it return to it's up position.Repeat this until you can't see or hear any air escaping and when you have constant fluid running out when the pedal is pushed down.You must remember to do the nipple up before the pedal is released,otherwise it will draw in air though the nipple and you'll be back to where you started!.It usually only takes 4 or 5 pumps to bleed a caliper....

Make sure the fluid is always topped as if you run the reservoir dry,you'll have to bleed the complete system.If you have ABS,make sure the ignition is switched off when you bleed the brakes as it can damage the ABS pump if you don't.Once you bleed the brakes,make sure there are no leaks with pressure applied to the pedal.

IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT,GET THE BRAKES LOOKED AT BY SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING.Please,don't take any chances with your brakes.
 
#5 ·
You must have been awash with brake fluid,next time use a G clamp or buy a brake piston spreader. It is not easy to push the pistons back with your fingers or a screw driver,and you could damage the dust seals. Only top up the brakes between min and max. You need to get the system bled ASP or you could have a nasty do.
 
#8 ·
Hi,
Halfords do a single man brake bleeding kit for sixteen pounds. It is easy to use, it srews on to your brake fluid container were you top it up with brake fluid. you screw it on fill it with brake fluid attach the tube to the valve on the spare tyre,making sure you have reduced the pressure to 20 psi. now all you need to do is put a tube onto the bleed nipple,which comes with the kit. Open the bleed nipple just till you have fluid coming out,the tube is clear so you can now watch for the air bubbles as soon as they stop close the bleed nipple, thats one brake done move on to the next.Cheap and cheerful fix and you will always have the kit for the next time if you need it. I hope this helps.
 
#10 ·
bleed brakes

Hi gareth here buy a gunson easy bleed kit from halfords and you can bleed the system single handed its a much safer way to do the job right first time i use mine when required and theirs no chance of getting brake fluid on your nice new brake pads tried and tested over 35 years Gareth.
 
#11 ·
I'll probably get shot for this on the forum,but I am wearing my bullet proof vest....

99% of all pressure bleeders are a complete waste of time....

Why bother with them if you have a friend that understands the commands 'UP' or 'DOWN'?

The only car I wouldn't bleed the brakes on by the method I wrote is any 90's-ish Vauxhall which had master cylinder seals made from dog poo........and then you have to tell your assistant to push the pedal down,but not to the floor.

Why spend money when everyone has a friend/partner......do you?

Thanks,over and out......I'm dodging bullets as we speak.
 
#13 ·
bleeding brakes

Hi what can i say hum hum well i have used the gunson easy bleed system for the last 35 years and it works fine for me i can only say what i know to be true;If you live on my road where every one thinks they are it and know one would pump your pedal for you then the only way to bleed the bleeding brakes is to use the gunson system sorry for the pun but i couldnt help my self lol Gareth .
 
#14 ·
whilst i realise that i am drifting of the original thread some what ( but the answer did come swiftly) i have to admit that i'm with lagdti on this, no need to waste money on 'bleeders'. used to think that i was the only 'smart ¤¤¤¤' who used the second-man-at-the-wheel method. even made a 'bib', from plastic milk bottle, to hang off the nipple to catch the fluid if/when it came out. true, the only draw-back is persuading your better-half to listen closely to your shouts, as she stands on the pedal !
and i have changed fluid in a system with this method! once you get a rhythm going, it's easy. the milk bottle 'bib' came in handy for this one. just remember to keep an eye on the fluid level, though.
by the way, jango, all you needed to do in the first place was get a g-clamp round your caliper and piston - replace the pad with a small piece of wood - and gently and slowly compress the piston back in. again, keep an eye on fluid level - a clean syringe comes in handy for the excess(get 'em in printer re-inking packs).
 
#15 ·
thanks for all the replies and advice guys. i got it sorted now used the second man/ missus technique in the end.
also managed to snap one of the bleeding nipples whilst trying to loosen it so ended up having to go to the scrappy for another calliper. ( easier than trying to drill the snapped one out ).
that was a learning curve for me though....it is nice to have confidence in the brakes again:)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top