After pulling off on only two occassions in the past week (freezing cold!) the brakes have been extremely weak (almost not working) with my foot flat on the floor (again after sitting in snow) but very soon after the brakes are back to normal and stop the car no problem at all. This has happened only twice in about 20 starts. Done a good few emergency stop tests with no problems at all. Is this due to the weather or something more serious?

Also, when I start to pull off, after removing handbrake, there's a small clunk from the rear. Is this just the back brakes unsticking after the car has been sat in snow or something else?

I'm assuming that these are unrelated problems

Thanks

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by iamrcb

The second problem is almost certainly the handbrake pads "sticking" to the discs.

The first is less certain, but it it's accompanied by a grating noise, may well be surface rust on the discs. If you have an "open" faced wheel, keep an eye on the discs, and if they're a sort of orangy colour when you get the weak brakes, that's the problem.

It doesn't have to be freezing weather for the rear pads to stick, mine stick after being parked in a garage for a couple of days.

Re the weak brakes,mine has done the same ,tcice in the past two days,foot to the floor and basically no brakes,then ok.

Let me know if you find an answer,I will do likewise.

Hi, my vrs has done exactly the same on 2 occasions, clonk from rear is a regular occurrence, when the car has not been used for a few day during damp weather, and is the rear pads sticking to the disks.You can hear a grinding noise from the rear when braking until pads have cleaned rust off the disks. As for the brake fade, I think it is due to rust on discs/pads, as the front brakes do most of the braking they will clean up after 1 or 2 applications, but this might be a sign they need replacing. Good luck.

I have 2 Fabias (51 and 04 plates) and both are now suffering from sticking handbrakes after being parked for more than a day (and have done in the past starting anywhere up to 6-9 months after the annual service). Pulling away forwards causes a 'quiet clunk', but trying it in reverse is either very loud, or in some cases not possible. As I park one in the garage I have to remember not to park it too close to the wall just in case I need to go forward to free it.

Is this just pads sticking to the drums, or is it the cabling that is preventing them from moving back. I am asking becuase if there is a know trouble spot that can be easily oiled/greased without major surgery then I would like to be able to do so. One of my cars is already sold, but I am hoping to get many more years from the other.

I'm not trying to teach you bad tricks, but I'd leave the handbrake off when its in the garage, especially during wet salty conditions, I use strips of wood as "stops" and when the cars reach that and sit against it, I put the car into gear with no weight lying on the gearbox. My VX Cav GSI was the worst car I've had for getting the rear pads stuck to the discs when driven in to the garage wet. They really did "BANG" quite loudly when I tried to reverse out even although the handbrake was never left on overnight.

Taking the calipers off and pads out and cleaning up and sticking on some brake grease is never a bad idea, I try to do that every year so to avoid "dry sticking" becoming an issue.

this problem dissappeared when the snow went

My rear discs had tendency to stick-on after a period.

When parked on flat ground I left car in reverse gear and partially applied handbrake.

When in garage, left car in reverse and no handbrake applied.

Each case sticking ceased.

I fitted the Audi springs to the rear calipers of my Vrs and no sticky brakes, tightens up the handbrake lever, cost about £3 to buy the springs

Do a search!

Edited 26 February, 201016 yr by Auric Goldfinger

I fitted the Audi springs to the rear calipers of my Vrs and no sticky brakes, tightens up the handbrake lever, cost about £3 to buy the springs

Do a search!

Tut Tut, why did you not fit the Sharan ones - do same job but much lighter handbrake lever action! I read this problem to be the normal "pad welds to disc due to moisture overnight" - which is a completely different issue to the one that fitting these external additional return springs sorts out.