Probably not the best place to post this but just need a reply ASAP.

Had the misses rear brakes done today, discs, pads and calipers. Just gone out to the car (some 4 hours after bringing it home) and both sides have leaked, is visible on the wheels, but the drivers side has a patch under the car, difficult to say how much fluid has leaked, maybe half a cup, it's wet but not soaked.

My question, is it normal to expect some leakage?

 

um, id have to say no! Any leakage of fluid could mean loss of pressure under braking.

 

 

Thought I'd ask .. ffs

 

That's a serious error , surprised you couldn't feel it on the way home

 

They are drum brakes aren't they?

No great surprise if they are. You have to be very careful replacing shoes because the handbrake makes it awkward not to fatally disturb slave cylinders barely hanging on anyway. They'll be dirty and rusty and any significant movement of the piston will kill them completely. I normally expect to replace the slaves with every second set of shoes (or first set if it's an old low mileage motor).

 

Scrap that, a bit more attention and I see you put discs, pads and calipers.

What did they do to the calipers?

 

Replaced them, said the pistons had seized

 

not a good service at that garage then...are you sure they replaced calipers and not overhaul the old ones??? if so could have damaged seals whilst doing it. wouldnt be driving it anywhere else mindue.

 

any fluid is a very bad sign mate. I'd be concerned to drive it.

 

Get the garage onto it pronto.

 

it's with them again and some choice words exchanged .. they let my wife and two kids drive out in a car that is potentially not safe.

 

No there should zero leakage. A leak may not occur straight away- as fluid may fill the piston boot before eventually finding its way out, or a bit of heat cycling or pressure cycling which wouldn't always be found from a short road test.

Usual cause of leaks is from caliper piston which happens due to running pads the too low for too long (common for rear calipers on low mileage drivers) the piston then spends its life exposed, especially if the rubber boot is damaged. What happens then is when the piston is wound back, rust and dirt damage the piston seal. Also if the pad has run on the metal or caliper has siezed temporarily, the heat generated can also affect the seallwhich then fails when it's pushed back. A new or exchange recon caliper will be required.

Other places of leakage are the seal for the shaft that operates the handbrake. And the flex hose or any steel hose, as these can be disturbed and if they are degraded from age. Disturbing them can cause them to fail (but they will have failed in their own eventually)

 

Sorry, Scrub the above about the calipers unless you meant the slides and guides where removed and cleaned in which case the caliper body is still the original.

Calipers usually are recon exchanges, not seen any fail myself; that's mostly with Delphi and TMD (Parid) branded recon calipers.

 

Did you notice if the brake fluid reservoir was low before you returned the car?

 

Think ic go somewhere else after they sorted the brakes. Above all , these should be done properly

 

Could be off the brake lines, I had one do this years back, turned out the be a missing copper washer off the brake line to the calliper

 

I didn't die, the brakes felt fine and the levels were good.

The garage tells me there are cups under the suspension, said cups filled up with brake fluid and dripped out over the wheels, making it look like the lines had leaked.

Anyone they apologised and cleaned it up.

 

Yep, but that's only because your brakes weren't in reality leaking at all.

 

God thing the fluid didnt get onto the discs then.

 

Well done, you worked that out from just reading my post?

I mean before I drove the thing.