MOT fail, help please :)

[CoV]

So the car failed its MOT the other day.

Offside brake binding

offside front brakes release unevenly

N/S and O/S parking brake recording little or no effect

N/S and O/S rear torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint

Parking brake efficiency below requirements

Front brake imbalanced


Looking for a bit of advice on these faults please, are they common faults etc etc

Im assuming the 3 brake faults of imbalancing, uneven releasing and binding are due to the binding caliper. Is this an easy fix such as cleaning slide pins and greasing etc or is it usually terminal for the calipers if they bind?

Also the handbrake not being very strong is that linked to the low braking force reading or are they unrelated systems between road brakes on teh rear and the handbrake?

Also what is a torque reaction arm? another name for a wishbone?

Also has anyone else found the handbrake is really poor and the low brake fluid message flashes up every now and then even though the fluid levels are fine?

By the way the car is a 406 HDi executive estate.

Huge thanks for advice on these faults as with the credit crunch im a bit relluctant to hand over 250 quid to let the garage do these repairs if they are simple and wont cost a bomb in parts.

Many thanks.

Paul

[mjb]

I'd take the £250 option

Offside brake binding
offside front brakes release unevenly
Front brake imbalanced

1. Take the cotter pins out of the calliper pins.
2. Get a hammer and punch, and hammer out the slide pins. They may need a LOT of hammering with a heavy hammer
3. Clean up the callipers, pads and discs (the latter with brake cleaner only!) if you're going to reuse them
4. Replace the pads and discs if you want (I would!)
5. Lube up the backs of the brake pads, the brake pad ears, the edge of the calliper hole with copper slip (careful not to get any on the friction surface or the discs!)
6. Lube up the pins with copper slip and replace. Don't forget the cotter pins
7. Get 2 litres of DOT4 brake fluid, a bleed kit, an empty bottle and bleed the brakes

N/S and O/S parking brake recording little or no effect
Parking brake efficiency below requirements

Same thing. You can try adjusting them but it may need new shoes (uh oh!) and new rear discs. There's 2 adjusters. One is located between the 2 rear wheels. Can't miss it - it's a plastic triangle with 3 brake cables coming out of it. The other adjusters are on each wheel. Take the wheels off in GOOD lighting conditions (trust me, it's a lot easier than messing with a torch). You'll see the 4 wheel nut holes on the brake discs, a couple of screws, and one hole at the edge. Line that hole up opposite the calliper and if you turn it a bit you'll see the adjuster ring. Shove a flat screwdriver in and turn the adjuster one notch at a time

N/S and O/S rear torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint

No idea sorry. Sounds like you need new parts.


Get your parts from a factor, either a local independent or somewhere like www.gsfcarparts.com or www.eurocarparts.com. The latter you can usually get a good discount from.

[teamster1975]

N/S and O/S rear torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint

These are the antirollbar drop links; common fault, bit of a swine to fit but a DIY job. You may want to check the condition of the antirollbar bushes too.

and one hole at the edge

This should have a rubber bung in it, so be on the lookout! The triangular adjuster on the cables is usually rusted solid, I've just replaced the whole set.

[mjb]

and one hole at the edge

This should have a rubber bung in it, so be on the lookout! The triangular adjuster on the cables is usually rusted solid, I've just replaced the whole set.

Oh yeah. I lost the one bung that was on mine

Replacing the whole handbrake cable set is ok IF YOU LIKE PAIN!!! Handbrake shoes are pain! I'd try fiddling with the adjuster first

[teamster1975]

Replacing the whole handbrake cable set is ok IF YOU LIKE PAIN!!! Handbrake shoes are pain! I'd try fiddling with the adjuster first

I'll second that, it's real bad back territory!

[mjb]

Bad leg territory. I'm not used to sitting down on hard surfaces for so long. Found I had to get up and try to walk every half hour else my legs would just die... and "try to walk" is very accurate here, it ended up more like hobbling

[jasper5]

N/S and O/S rear torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint

These are the antirollbar drop links; common fault, bit of a swine to fit but a DIY job. You may want to check the condition of the antirollbar bushes too.

I would ask them which part they mean, there is a torque bar fitted across from the back of the wheel (transverse) as well as the anti roll bar drop links, two very different items.Mine had one advised upon today on the test.The transverse link has a ball joint at one end and a bush at the other, mine is worn at the bush end.

[teamster1975]

N/S and O/S rear torque/reaction arm has excessive play in a ball joint

These are the antirollbar drop links; common fault, bit of a swine to fit but a DIY job. You may want to check the condition of the antirollbar bushes too.

I would ask them which part they mean, there is a torque bar fitted across from the back of the wheel (transverse) as well as the anti roll bar drop links, two very different items.Mine had one advised upon today on the test.The transverse link has a ball joint at one end and a bush at the other, mine is worn at the bush end.

Yes you're right, Euro's call it the top link; the one with the cam to adjust the camber of the wheel.
I've replaced those too, the shoulders of the original tyres were like telly savalas and when I jacked the car up you could literally shake the wheel around

[djp30djp]

[/quote]

Yes you're right, Euro's call it the top link; the one with the cam to adjust the camber of the wheel.
I've replaced those too, the shoulders of the original tyres were like telly savalas and when I jacked the car up you could literally shake the wheel around [/quote]
Yes and it will need to be realligned so if the £250 is a firm quote & not a guesstimate then it sounds like a bargain.

[pavlf]

mine just cost £900 to get through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[steve_earwig]

Blimey! Did it need a whole new car to pass??

[pavlf]

Where do I start? There were an awful lot of little things, two big things and much labour. It was one of those decisions - scrap the car or spend the money. Scrapping it seemed like a stupid thing to do. But then spending £900 seemed stupid too. It's become an all too familiar old car nightmare

[CoV]

cheers for the replys

Thought i should update.

First off i looked at the front brakes, brakes were changed 2 years ago and the os front which had the fault appeared to have done 40 miles ha how it didnt pull to one side i have no idea. Piston was seized in. so i took the caliper off to allow the piston the room to push out, took quite a lot of pedal pumping to ease the piston out, once it was out a decent amount i pulled the rubber dust seal back to see some light surface rust which must have been holding the piston inside the caliper, anyway, rubbed this off, applyed a little grease and pushed the piston back in. Operated the pedal again and piston glided out easily and retracted ever sop slightly which would be what releases the pads from the disc. one problem down.

Got a friend round to identify the links i need to changed, they were quite worn but i think the garage said the rear wheels thehn needed to be tracked after teh new links were fitted.

As for the handbrake, i went under the car and got someone to operate the handbrake on and off repeatedly to see the operation and i have got to say what a crap crap design!!!!! whats wrong with the classic central pull cable?

Anyway the n/s seemed to pull and release teh cable fine but the o/s seemed to barely operate. Took the caliper and disc/drum assembly off the o/s to see if i could spot anything. What i found was where the handbrake would operate the shoes (just pushing the tops out for a little grip) these were flat!! nice curve to the fristion surface and then a large flat on each shoe, no wonder the handbrake was crap. I came to the conclusion that the cable had seized in the handbrake on position, car driven with this on and hence wore the shoes out so changed the cable and the shoes.

Handbrake far far better but garage still charged 60 quid for the MOT as they obviously didnt like the fact i did the work myself, they said the handbrake still wasnt supplying enough force which i think is bull because after they "adjusted" the handbrake for to obtain the mot certificat the handbrake was no stronger but the handle pull/clicks was shorter.

Annoyingly the brake fluid level low message still haunts me grrrr