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MG MGF Technical - Brakes aren't stopping me.

I've noticed recently that my brakes aren't as good as they should be. When I drive the car before it has had time to warm up the brakes are very responsive, as soon as I touch the peddle you feel the brakes grip and stop the car, but when the car is warm and I use the brakes they don't work anywhere near as well as they do when it is cold. The peddle can be as far to the floor as I can get it and sttll nothing much will happen, even on normal road driving with out heavy braking.
I have standard discs with EBC green stuff on the front and standard discs and pads on the rear. I'm getting worried that coming into the better weather when I need to stop I won't be able to.

Any advice or commentas would be appreciated.

Olly.
O Scott

have you got ABS?
Have you tried bleeding the breaks/ replaceing the break fluid? (when was this last done?)
Is it a servo problem? (do you start with good power and then it falls off, the power comming back after a short while without breaks - 10secs)

Will
Will Munns

How old is the brake fluid? it could be that the fluid has absorded too much water which is boiling when hot and reducing the effeciency of the brake fluid.

Mike , Trophy, M2 VJN
Mike

No, I don't have ABS and the brake fluid was changed last week at its 60,000 mile service. After I have used the brake peddle three or four times the power goes from the brakes and does not return until the car has been sitting for about 2-3 hours.
O Scott

How where the brakes before the service ?
Mike

If the brakes were OK before the service take it back to the garage. They probably have screwed up the fluid change and not bled the system properly.
Spyros Papageorghiou

Mike,
They were exaclty the same. When it went in for the service I thought a fluid change would have made a difference, but it hasn't.
O Scott

Still take it back to the dealer. If the car was serviced and then put back on the road still with defective brakes then the dealer has some explaining to do.
Paul Lathwell

Sounds like air in the system,Take it back to the garage who did the fluid change . You could try leaving the brake pedal pressed down overnight(wedge a length of wood between the brake pedal and the steering wheel.Best of luck.
Paul

Agree with Paul above - try wedging the brake pedal down overnight - it evacuates some of the air that may be present - If the dealer hasnt bled the brakes properly for instance

Other than that = SERVO fault ?
tony

On cars without ABS the bleeding could be done by each idiot (including me).
Should be OK then IMO. With ABS it's more sensitive.

Bet on servo failure also.
Dieter Koennecke

Thanks for all your comments, I will try wedging the pedal tonight. Can anyone give me advice on how to bleed the brake system if the wedging does not work.
O Scott

Dead Servo mate

get it fixed before you kill yourself
Neil

Check the cheapest things first! have a look at the brake pads and disc thickness, if the pads are glazed and the discs are not getting full contact then time to renew. Try de-glazing the pads if this has occured. If pedal pressure is a problem, ie it feels spongey then rebleed the system ,if the pedal pressure is excessive then it could be servo failure. This can happen if the vacummn pipe has fractured or become detached, check the inlet plenum and connection at the servo,black plastic pipe. If still a problem then get a good 'hands on'garage to look at it before you kill yourself.
Mike.
mike

I agree with mike.
The MGF standard brakes are pretty sraight forward and effective. If over a period of time they become less effective look for the simple things first.

1. Glazing or contamination on the pads
2. Change brake fluid and bleed

Then
3. Sticking caliper pistons
4. Servo
george

This thread was discussed between 19/03/2002 and 22/03/2002

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