My Octavia mark 11 1.9 diesel saloon has a problem with brake fade

 

Brake work fine when sudden braking at speed but when repetitive dabbing of the brakes say when approaching a junction or in traffic down an incline the pedal stiffens and braking efficiency drastically reduces. Take foot offbrake pedal for a few seconds and brakes work again fine.

 

Have pressure bled the system and carried out sevo checks and vac seems fine - also discs and pads are in very good condition

 

Has anyone experienced the same problem (skoda agent - says never heard of it before)

 

Sounds like you are filling the vacuum tank faster than it can be emptied. Brake fade is when the effort required increases under continual braking , usually with a burning smell, hot brakes and perhaps boiling brake fluid. i.e. the bad old BMC days. Do you really need to do 'repetitive dabbing of the brakes' ? I know I don't - unless the road conditions are very dodgy or someone is filling my rear view mirror. But you may have your own reasons for this unusual behaviour - I rarely see other drivers doing this though.

I can simulate your pedal firmness conditions at idle but it never happens on the move and I also slow the car in the appropriate gear until I need to brake to a halt.

So a comment from me rather than real help.

Edited 16 April, 201511 yr by gregoir

Thanks

 

I understand the conclusion that it could be a driver behaviour issue but in this case there is a real loss of braking just pressing the brake a few times coming up to junctions

 

The same does not occur in a Mark 1 Octavia I have driven recently nor in five other cars of different makes I have attempted to replicate the fault in

It really does sound like a vacuum booster issue rather than brake fade.  You are losing the servo assistance - hard pedal & lack of "bite" all point to this.

 

I'd double check the vacuum hose for either leaks or internal collapse, the one way valve including the rubber grommet it plugs into & the fitting where it pulls vacuum from the engine first as these are easy / cheap (relatively).  A decent brake specialist should be able to check the servo for leak down.  I don't know why the dealer hasn't heard of it as the symptoms are classic.

 

I'd put my money on the vacuum hose collapsing internally - I've seen it many times before.

Thanks Brad

 

Very much appreciated - sound like a logical explanation - I shall explore