Just uprated my front brakes to the 312mm setup from its original 288mm setup (leon mk1 fr tdi)

Went with grooved and drilled discs and standard brembo pads, just took delivery of pagid discs and pads for the rear (232mm solid)

After fitting the fronts i expected a nice improvement, but so far i havent really noticed much or any of a difference. The brakes feel poor and more progressive than sharp.

So i've bitten the bullet and purchased a gunson ezibleed brake bleeder kit and some ate racing blue dot 4 (will be easier to bleed with it being blue)

Im just wondering will the brake fluid make an improvement to the sharpness of the brakes? (Last change was 3 years ago and 40k miles) or am i just dreaming and have to face facts 312's aint all they are cracked up to be?

If your brake fluid is old full of water it will compress and feel poor.

I found the same when I swapped to them on the fabia. Took a while before they started to shine.

It does compress theres very little initial bit and no feeling of sharpness! So hopefully a brake fluid change will sort my issues

I thought this was going to be about rubbish holidays.....

Well new rear pagids on and ate racing blue fluid!

Wow what a difference! Fluid must have been shot to pieces!!

Clutch even feels different! Or is that placebo?

Clutch shares the fluid so hardly surprising

I bled it at the gearbox too

Don't know if im right in saying this but clutch pedal feels lighter and quicker to bite

Maybe just me talking nonesense mind

Just about to have the brake fluid in the Fiat swapped out for

ATE super blue racing. Car is a 58 and has never had a fluid change.

I used it for my 312 upgrade and was very happy with it.

As you say it's easier to see when you've got it right through the system.

Don't know if you know but ATE also do the exact same spec fluid in

clear so that you can keep the bleeds easy to see ongoing.

The previous owner of our 500 literally trusted the Main dealer with all her

mechanical requirements, she just drove the thing. Top work on the servicing Fiat.

Needs a new exhaust (cat back) and bloody cambelt as well.

Should be like a new car once I've spent some TLC and a few quid on it.

We had a maintenance free first year with it, but Mrs G uses it every day now

(for half of last year she didn't but now pays £90 pcm for a parking space near her

office) I thought I'd make sure everything is tip top.

Booked in next month for a S/S custom exhaust which fitted works out £70

less than OEM non fitted.

Cambelt kit for these is cheap (35quid) and I've got someone lined up to do the job

supply and fit for £150.