No Brakes

[fruitsalad]

I used my car for the first time today after 18 days I went to brake at the end of the road and there was nothing there, so I pumped them a few times and luckily they started working, but now there is a sort of grinding noise as I'm driving, does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong?

[seadogg]

If you park on a level surface at home its worth considering leaving the handbrake off to prevent binding in the brakes, but leave it in gear of course.

[beso]

The pad could have cracked when you started off after being stuck to the disk with corrosion.

With the pad missing the pedal did not push the pistons far enough to brake. The pumping would have driven the piston to take up the space left by the missing pad so the brakes eventually worked.

Now the pad backing is grinding directly on the disk. This will be damaging the disk every time you apply the brakes.

[TWR]

The cost should be in the Region of £50 that includes The pads + Labour Fruit, do not take the car to the likes of K.F. take it to a family run garage, they do not have the vast overheads the dealers have.

[bhg481]

I think you're being optimistic TWR. Pads alone for mine are that price without fitting and if he's wrecked the rotors they cost even more than the pads. Then there's an hour's labour.

[carrust]

It cost a mate of mine £3,400 to change the discs and pads on his Saab.. Gulp. That was at a main dealer btw.

[TWR]

They seen him / her coming Carrust, Bhg, depending what make the car is & the brand of the Pads.

[bhg481]

Exactly TWR, that's why it's not helpful to say it should be around £50 when we have no details.

[fruitsalad]

By the way guys the car is an Astra, the thing I dont understand is how the pad if it was from my car falls through the wheel

[chas2008]

was it the complete pad you found? or just the lining? extremely unlikely it would just fall out if not impossible..

[fruitsalad]

Chas it was an actual pad broke in half and in the road beside drivers side front wheel of my car, I still cannot make out if its just coincidence, but I have a mechanic taking a look at it tomorrow.

[chas2008]

i would like to think it was a coincidence, if it had of fallen out it would have on been inside...

[fruitsalad]

Update the brake pad in the road next to my car, had come off my car

[tonyav]

Have they said what caused it to fall out, fruitsalad ?.

[fruitsalad]

No not yet tony just looked at it this evening job being done the weekend

[tonyav]

Ah right, do let us know though please, fruitsalad.

[ivor4781]

if your fluid is low you should have a warning light on the dash. in 50 years of driving in extreme conditions at times ive never had what you experienced as a car or professional driver ?

[carrust]

I'd be inquiring to the garage who fitted the brake pads initially. It's nigh on impossible for the pads to separate from caliper.

[fruitsalad]

Update...had new pads and discs fitted today, the nearside pad had started to come away also, the mechanic who done the job said he had only seen it happen once before and that was over 30 years ago not sure of the reason for it ...carrust not sure who fitted the brakes initially as they have been on there since I brought the car

[tonyav]

It is a very rare occurrence, fruitsalad. I have never known that to happen before.

[fruitsalad]

Hope its got nothing to do with my driving lol no may have been because the car had been sitting so long it was a frosty morning the day I did take it out, maybe the pad expanded with the heat and came away as I started to drive away, just a thought.