[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

I could really do with some advice on this.


i picked up a 2.0turbo astra H estate the other day. basically when i applied the brakes the pedal goes hard put the car doesnt stop too well. so today i fitted new brembo front discs and pads, bled the system and it is still acting the same.


i have done the brake servo test, by pumping the brake pedal while the engine is off, i then turn it on and the pedal does sink about 2".


now another thing i have noticed, when i pull off my drive and set off down the road, i hear a click as though one of the pedals have banged up. its hard to tell if this is from the footwell or in the engine bay? just wondered if this is a contributing factor to my problem.


what i have read so far is that the brake servo is faulty? is this my case even though the pedal drops on the brake test? i have checked the pipe from the servo to the inlet manifold and it doesnt appear to be leaking.?


any advice would be great.

 

[jjbennett]

The clunk is normal, happens on all the astra's. I think it's the abs or something so that's nothing to worry about maye

 

[Nimraynn]

now another thing i have noticed, when i pull off my drive and set off down the road, i hear a click as though one of the pedals have banged up. its hard to tell if this is from the footwell or in the engine bay? just wondered if this is a contributing factor to my problem.

This is the ABS performing a self test. It will do this at roughly 12mph when you first pull off. This is perfectly normal, and is more noticeable on some than others. I didn't ever notice it on my 1.6, but I notice it on my 1.9

 

[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

thats good news with clunking then......

any ideas on the hard brake pedal? its really doing my nut in, and with my wife and two babies in the car i really need the brakes to be spot on..... its as almost as someone has put something under my brake pedal so i cant push it any further, but the car doesnt stop! think i prefer to have spongy brakes, least thats only a bleed

 

[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

just to add, i have just kept my foot on the brake pedal turned it on, and the pedal went down, kept my foot on the pedal turned it off and on and the pedal went down more, turned the car off with the pedal down and i felt the brake pedal push my foot back up so i am assuming the servo is working as it lifted my foot with hard pressure

 

[John P]

sounds like servo, I had a mondeo that went the same.

 

[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

it looks like thats the next bit i will be changing then, are all the brake servos the same on the astra h? i have seen a astra vxr one which is nearby to me, comes with the master cylinder also...

 

[Diesel Dan]

Sticking Caliper Pistons perhaps?
You may have got a feel of how freely they travel when you changed the brake pads.

 

[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

Sticking Caliper Pistons perhaps?
You may have got a feel of how freely they travel when you changed the brake pads.

the calipers seemed perfect when i changed the pads and wound them back.

i have noticed if i press the pedal lightly then hard the brakes act as normal. if i just press the pedal hard thats when i hit the hard section and it seems no more pressure is applied to the pads.

is this a vacuum problem? i checked the hose from the servo to the manifold and it seems to hold the vacuum. is there any where else i need to check for air leaks for the servo?

feeling around back of the throttle body i can feel slight cold air which i am assuming is some air leak, but its too dark to investigate more.

any advice would be great.

 

[xxxxxxxxmicksid]

anyone else on this, ive bedded the new discs and pads in but i have the same problem still

think im going to have to bite the bullet and take it to a garage, even though i likedoing most repairs myself, but dont wanna be guessing at parts then it not being that. i am 70% sure its the servo... but if anyone else has had any experience like this please comment

cheers