You guys are so helpful I thought I'd ask. It's a four year old Peugeot 406 V6 with all round discs. The handbrake has always been weak since we got it, but the supplying dealer insisted it was OK. It is fairly easy to get it up to 6 clicks, and the travel is reasonable. It's just that it doesn't stop the car - even on a 1 in 15 gradient unless you put about 8 clicks on and that is very difficult for the wife (even though she goes to the gym a lot). It sometimes rolls fwd/bwd alarmingly at junctions that seem fairly flat! The brakes work OK but need quite a good prod - they make Subaru brakes seem supernatural. Also I can push the pedal all the way to the carpet much easier than in the Subaru. The discs and pads are all OK.

Question is - could it be air in the system and I just need to bleed the brakes - any recommended kits? I don't think it will have had the fluid boiled as it was driven fairly sympathetically by the previous owner and subsequently mainly my wife.

 

John
I had a mate who was a Peugeot mechanic, althought he said he didn't, I know that some of his workmates used to suck the old brake fluid out of the reservoir and fill with new when a car went in for it's fluid change, hence your car being four years old 'might' never have had a fluid change.
I would do that first with a better than 'cheap' fluid, something like a dot 5.1 or similar, even just by changing the fluid I would almost gaurentee a big improvement in pedal feel.
You don't really need a kit to do it, an old jamjar and a bit of pipe to fit the bleed nipple is all you need! Oh and a willing assistant to press the pedal for you, if you've got a son, it'll make him feel very important, believe me, I was that for years when my dad nedde a helping hand. I'm all growd up now though!
Ron

 

Thanks - will get a litre of 5.1 from Falkland. I've looked on the web, but still can't work out exactly how to bleed the brakes. Any chance of a 2 minute rundown for me?


Thanks v much.

 

I would say that if you are not too sure how to do it then dont... besides you want a very good quality spanner to remove the bleed nipples becuase if you shear them then you are shagged.. so to speak..

Get a quote from somewhere like kwik fit or ats... as if they bust it then its there problem.

The way I would do it is get a bit of pipe and shove it over the bleed nipple.. (once loosened) drop the other end into a jam jar and open up the nipple with your fingers.. and let it run out on its own... takes longer but no need to press the pedal and there is less chance of drawing air back into the system.. once you are happy that there are no bubbles or that you have let suffcient fluid come through close the nipple and then tighten.. (with pipe still attached if you can) then do the next one.. t

Think you are supposed to go to the opposite corner next??

I await being corrected.

David

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by David_Wallis:
<B>

The way I would do it is get a bit of pipe and shove it over the bleed nipple.. (once loosened) drop the other end into a jam jar and open up the nipple with your fingers.. and let it run out on its own... takes longer but no need to press the pedal and there is less chance of drawing air back into the system.. once you are happy that there are no bubbles or that you have let suffcient fluid come through close the nipple and then tighten.. (with pipe still attached if you can) then do the next one.. t

Think you are supposed to go to the opposite corner next??

I await being corrected.

David[/quote]

If you do it this way, it is possible for the fluid to flow around pockets of air in the system.
I know having done it that way and found the pedal still spongy, whereas an "active" bleeding session then yeilded healthy bubbles....
It really is easier to do with 2 people. One loosening off the nipple, while the other pushes the pedal to the floor. Then 1 tightens the nipple so that no air or old fluid goes back up when 2 releases the pedal, and new fluid is drawn in from the reservoir. If you repeat that for 2 or 3 pedal pushes per corner you ought to get out the vast majority of the old stuff. Obvious too perhaps, but as mentioned before, suck out as much of the fluid in the reservoir and replace with new before starting as that nmeans you are not bleeding through the old stuff.

 

Work of warning........

<B>Do not let the fluid run out in the reservoir. It will pull air into the system!</B>

 

Thanks all. Have a litre of DOT 5.1 and an Eazi Bleed kit and a neighbor who is an engineer who is a bit good at these things.