Brake ceased when driving…Help Please

[ahoult1]

I've got a 406 2.0 HDI 90BHP V-reg done about 90000 miles.

When driving home the other day, I started to smell burning. I tried to stop the car and the pedal felt really hard to press down but got it stopped eventually.
I got out and saw that there was smoke coming from behind the O/S/F wheel. I tried to see where it was coming from but everything was red hot even the alloy wheel was too hot to touch. I’ve put a new brake calliper on the O/S/F, replaced brake pipe and put a re-conditioned Brake servo on. I’ve road tested it and still ceasing on now and then. Last time had to get the AA out but they can't touch the brakes so had to tow me home. When the garage put the new brake pipe on he did report that there was not much brake fluid coming out. Also don’t know if you need to know this but when I apply the handbrake a message on the dash comes on “Brake fluid Low” but the resivoir is full. Don’t know what else to try. Help me please or its time to buy a 407 1.6 HDI
Many Thanks
Alan

[DaiRees]

Dunno what to say about the siezing brakes fella, if you've changed the caliper and you can't see anything that might be binding (pads sticking in the guides?)... Thinking about your mechanic dude saying there wasn't much fluid coming out maybe you've got a crushed brake pipe somewhere, but I'd have thought any mechanic worth his salt would have checked this out thoroughly if he suspected something to be amiss....

The "brake fluid low" message is almost certainly the handbrake switch misbehaving, do a search for it using the box at the top right of this page, there's loads of info on here (a vigorous "work out" on the handbrake seems to work as a temporary cure )

[jasper5]

I've got a 406 2.0 HDI 90BHP V-reg done about 90000 miles.

When driving home the other day, I started to smell burning. I tried to stop the car and the pedal felt really hard to press down but got it stopped eventually.
I got out and saw that there was smoke coming from behind the O/S/F wheel. I tried to see where it was coming from but everything was red hot even the alloy wheel was too hot to touch. I’ve put a new brake calliper on the O/S/F, replaced brake pipe and put a re-conditioned Brake servo on. I’ve road tested it and still ceasing on now and then. Last time had to get the AA out but they can't touch the brakes so had to tow me home. When the garage put the new brake pipe on he did report that there was not much brake fluid coming out. Also don’t know if you need to know this but when I apply the handbrake a message on the dash comes on “Brake fluid Low” but the resivoir is full. Don’t know what else to try. Help me please or its time to buy a 407 1.6 HDI
Many Thanks
Alan

When you say they replaced the brake pipe, did you mean the rubber flexible pipe? If that hasn't been changed I would change that first, as Dai said, a crushed brake pipe is favourite.

The brake vacuum pump could be faulty, that would explain the "hard to press" brake pedal, the vacuum pump gives the servo the ability to power the brakes.

I'm surprised the garage let you take the car away with not much fluid coming out of the pipe.