Hey Everyone.

The problem i'm having is with my 2000 Fabia 1.4 comfort. This car has been faultless since I purchased it about 2 years ago. Approx 4 weeks ago I serviced the car myself, as I did last year. IE: Changing oil, oil filter and air filter. However when I jacked the car down and started driving the brakes started playing up. At first I thought I might have overfilled the car with oil or something as it was driving as if it was stuck in mud (on the way to work) so I parked for work and then left the office 8 hours later to drive home.. There was no problem at first with the brakes then after about 10 mins of driving the brake peddle became harder and harder to press and when I did brake, it felt as if the brakes were still part on. Making it hard to drive home.

I eventually made it home and didn't use the car the next day as I was a bit worried about it and thought if I left it it might settle down and be ok.

The next day I drove again to work and the same thing happened, only this time the brakes got so tight that the car stopped and i was unable to drive, it felt as if the handbrake was on full. I had to call my brakedown to get home and they recovered the car etc. That was the last time I used it.

That was 4 weeks ago, it's been in the garage since and they are unable to find out what is wrong with it, they said initially it was the ABS pump. I purchased a replacement part that was working fine and it's doing the same thing, so must be something else?

Any feedback or ideas would be great, the garage are totally out of ideas and i really don't know what to do next.

Thanks in advance

First thing is to find out which brakes are causing the problems!! Jack each corner of the car up individually (chock other wheels very well as you have to leave car out of gear and handbrake off for this test) Then with wheel still on but "in air" try to rotate the wheel, if it doesn't want to rotate then it's that one that's the problem!! I have just had the problem of the front passenger side brake piston stick on only 2 months after I had fitted new EBC discs and pads to the front!! Found out that it was the caliper body to piston seal which had gone hard and jambing the piston on!! I stripped the piston/ cleaned etc and did same to other side, mind you they are the originals!! so 10yrs old!!!

Edited 27 March, 201115 yr by fabdavrav

Master cylinder and or servo.

Agree with Moggytech could also be Master cylinder, if it was faulty ABS unit then you would more likley notice it "pulsing" Sorry to say but that replacement ABS unit may not be needed and usually last place to look at as expensive, not first!! (Garages )!!! Still try my test though to make sure!!

Yep I'd say master cylinder too.