Possible binding brake(s)

[mjb]

So I get this Coupe... then realise that despite doing an impressively thorough inspection of the sexy beast, I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO TEST DRIVE THE THING!

It's not quite the bed of roses it looked to be, but still a good buy and I deemed it not bad enough to turn around and take the saloon back home. Ho hum.

Anyhow, yeah, it took me a while and a few near stalls to manage to pull away. Given I was still (and am still) wrestling with the different pedal arrangement, I put it down to my incompetence, but now I've worked out that it's not just me, it really does need a truckload of revs to start moving. Once moving there's a grinding/howling sound (varies with speed, seems louder when going slower, gets louder and changes tone slightly when thrown into a corner) and strong vibration through the clutch pedal (D9, so clutch shares brake hydraulics). I'm pretty sure the sound's coming from the n/s front, but it fills the cabin so I can't be altogether sure but strangely I can't tell any difference if I open the windows, even in a terraced street.

When I checked out the brake fluid level last night it was fine, there was a small 'hiss' when I opened the cap.

So what's the steps for resolving this?


I guess I'm going to need to jack it up and see which wheels are binding, but I have no idea how to actually fix the problem. Jasper?

[steve_earwig]

Hiss? There should be a hole in the cap to equalise pressure.

You really need to get it in the air and spin those wheels pronto.

remembers which car it is - worth a trawl on the coupe club forums?

[djp30djp]

Good place to start, but it may not be the brakes. Also check for wheel bearing, CV joint, engine mounting etc.

[mjb]

Good place to start, but it may not be the brakes. Also check for wheel bearing, CV joint, engine mounting etc.

I did think 'wheel bearing', but the shot ones I've heard have been fairly quiet in a straight line, really loud in a corner, and send feedback through the steering wheel.

Also there's the clutch vibrations, which are non-existent at a standstill, but still present when the clutched is pressed while in motion

worth a trawl on the coupe club forums?

So far I've found a post of similar symptoms with someone saying it could be the abs ring, but surely I'd notice the abs system kicking in under braking?

[Welly]

Noises can be down to tyres (if they're not a recognised brand).

[steve_earwig]

So far I've found a post of similar symptoms with someone saying it could be the abs ring, but surely I'd notice the abs system kicking in under braking?

More likely you'd have a light up.

Can you even push the car along by hand?

Define "clutch vibrations" - through the pedal?

[Welly]

Noises can be down to tyres (if they're not a recognised brand).

Just realise what I said has no relevence

You need to jack it up and spin da wheelz

[mjb]

Can you even push the car along by hand?

If the car's been parked on a hill, you can let the handbrake off without it moving and you have to push the engine a bit hard to get it to move
It's hard to move off from a junction, or at lights in the middle of a drive but it will roll then

Define "clutch vibrations" - through the pedal?

Aye, uniformly vibrational(*) throughout the pedal's travel

(*) damn, i thought i'd made up a new word then

[Doggy]

FYI, My clutch pedal vibrates significantly if you put light pressure on it, (i.e. 'ride' the clutch), but you don't feel any vibration when fully depressed / in normal operation.
Dodgy wheel bearings I've had in the past tend to be audible in a straight line, noisy turning one way & quiet(er) turning the other.
Had a noise on my Xsara you could only hear with the windows open, somewhere between clicking & a rumble. Couldn't find it despite having it on the ramp several times, so waited for it to get detectable - it never did.
HTH

[Welly]

If there's that much resistance then one or more of your wheels will be very hot when you get back from a drive!!

[mjb]

If there's that much resistance then one or more of your wheels will be very hot when you get back from a drive!!

Yup, I did actually check for that, but no heat...

I've just been out for a drive in it and now I'm thinking I might just have got it all wrong (the pedals feel and are arranged completely different to the d8s I've been used to).

I'm now suspecting the top engine mount might well cover my dodgy starting and vibrating clutch issues (can hold the car uphill on the clutch smooth and quiet as anything but the second I try to pull away...), with something else (possibly wheel bearing) being responsible for the noise

Maybe i let the handbrake off on a more shallow hill than i thought?

[MartinV6]

Matt,

Really sorry to hear it did not feel perfect on the way home. I really do think it must be a D8/D9 difference, or perhaps an element of new car paranoia. The other option is my wife and I are sensitivity challenged of course

I strongly doubt binding brakes, the performance and economy are just too good - as you say, you checked the wheel temps.

Engine mount maybe I suppose. I fitted a new torque reaction link, but did not change any engine mounts. The cambelt side mount looked fine to me during the service and I did not check any others.

Let me know how I can help, happy to do so.

Martin.

[mjb]

Really sorry to hear it did not feel perfect on the way home. I really do think it must be a D8/D9 difference, or perhaps an element of new car paranoia. The other option is my wife and I are sensitivity challenged of course

The noise.... urgh... sitting at my desk I can still hear it now

I'm going to jack up the n/s/f wheel when I get home and see if I can see what's causing it. I believe if it's silent when turned by hand it's a safe bet it's the wheel bearing, but I'll await the opinion of our resident professional mechanics before splashing that kind of cash... I might try slapping the spare wheel on that corner just in case

Engine mount maybe I suppose. I fitted a new torque reaction link, but did not change any engine mounts. The cambelt side mount looked fine to me during the service and I did not check any others.

After I first had the mount arm off on my tubby, it didn't take long for the pear shaped bit to cause some nasty problems on gear changes. Looking back, very similar to what's going on with the coop now (minus the noise... the noise.....). With the tubby though, I replaced the whole damn mount piece at a time because the rubber looked bad, but the pear-shaped bit was the last thing I tried because it looked fine. Guess what? Replacing it took about 5 minutes and made everything perfect.

For the price of it, and the extra work in getting the V6 mount off, I think I'll just get a new pear-shaped bit speculatively and try to change it this weekend if GSF have them in stock and the weather doesn't give me grief...


BTW, the total closure feature I told you about (closing the windows upon deadlocking) works a treat - I've missed that feature Now to work out the folding mirrors...

[eoin27]

Now to work out the folding mirrors...

Twist the joystick mirrir control 180 degrees so the white dot is facing the rear

[mjb]

That's what I thought... but nothing happens. No sound of motors, nothing.

Is there something you have to do to enable the system?