Anyone else had this problem ?

I have got / had two Octy vRS's and had the same problem on both - on the motorway at speed in the rain , need to brake , foot on pedal and - for a second there is NOTHING , then the brakes bite and all is well . This only happens after a period of driving without using brakes, if I have to touch brakes frequently , the problem is not there at all ....... :eek: :eek:

It is almost as if there is a build up of water between disc and pad, and it takes a second to clear water away ... but i ride a bike also , and nothing is more exposed than bike brakes - never ever had a problem with those in the wet

I suppose it could be water build up pushing pads back a bit ? :confused:

Any one know what this is and how to cure it ? That initial second with no braking can be very scary - certainly makes me keep a safe distance to the car in front !!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

Ogs

warped discs by any chance - 'knocking the pads off'?

grooved discs? can't say i have ever experienced it tbh .

sounds odd. How worn are the pads/discs and how old is the fluid?

I'm impressed with my Octavia's brakes. No problems.

I have slightly warped disks in my Octy, but never experience anything like that. I doubt any water spray would cause the problem, nor push the pads back. Sounds more like a lack of pressure in the braking system...

The only time I've ever had anything like that is if the car's been outside in the rain for a day or two, in which case the brakes don't bite until the rust's been rubbed off the discs, which takes a few revolutions of the wheels. I know the feeling therefore, but can't imagine it'd be the cause of what you're describing? :confused:

This is a known problem and is not unique to the Octavia. Try Search and you will see that it has been commented on before. I believe that the problem is worse when there is salt present in the moisture which gets on the discs. A quick dab on the brakes before commencing steady braking normally cures the problem. Some Mercedes cars are fitted with Automatic Brake Drying which applies the brakes lightly and briefly based on windshield wiper use and driver braking intervals to reduce moisture on the brake surfaces in wet weather.

As Denis says, this is due to a film of water on the discs. Keeping them warm will solve the problem, but this isn't always easy on motorway trips. I found that fitting grooved discs cured the problem, but some people might find this to be overkill

If they're kept warm do you not then have Brake Fade, where the hot surface of the brake disc glazes the brake pads, reducing the friction/resistance?

If they're kept warm do you not then have Brake Fade, where the hot surface of the brake disc glazes the brake pads, reducing the friction/resistance?

I don't mean hot, just warm. Dabbing them every couple of miles did the trick, although you have to be careful not to misinform following drivers.

There are several causes of brake fade, which our site experts have written about in the past

I have also had two Octavia RS's and both have suffered from this. The discs on the RS are considerably bigger in diameter than those on my previous cars. I posted a thread about this a while ago, and a few people noticed the same problem. I have gotten used to leaving a bigger gap between me and the car in front during wet weather, but I think the only permanent solution would be grooved discs as TKW said.

Yeah ic. That's what I do, dab them every now and again, usually when it appears I might be needing them soon, like if traffic thickens or whatever. Habit from when I had a car with crap brakes tho really

I have slightly warped disks in my Octy, but never experience anything like that. I doubt any water spray would cause the problem, nor push the pads back. Sounds more like a lack of pressure in the braking system...

Its not warped discs, as in dry or slightly damp conditions the brakes are brilliant - and I know what warped discs feel like . Discs on current car are only 28 000 miles, pads same , fluid - depends when system filled, but car only 10 months old . The problem only occurs in the wet on motorways . Dabbing the brakes clears them , and thinking about my bike discs, they are drilled, so it sounds like grooved or drilled discs might be the answer ..

DGW - thanks, I will try a search .

Cheers guys

PS - Not sure how easy these vented discs are to warp - they are very chunky and would need to get VERY hot to warp .. any comments about warped discs might actually be the crud build up on the pads as commented on before

Looks like I'm going to need grooved discs then as this has happened to me for the first time last night. Wet motorway trip and the brakes were naff for the first second or 2 then came back ok.

Is grooves the way to go then??

Cheers

Looks like I'm going to need grooved discs then as this has happened to me for the first time last night. Wet motorway trip and the brakes were naff for the first second or 2 then came back ok.

Is grooves the way to go then??

Cheers

It certainly solves the problem, as I said above, but might be overkill for something you can "drive around" - after all you will already be leaving larger gaps in rainy weather.

I ain't never suffered with this but read about it when looking at the rs to buy iirc it was on the channel4 car website

Always stuck in my mind though but i don't think i've ever dabbed the brakes to combat it, maybe i've never driven long enough on the motorway without braking for it to occur

IIRC in the owners manual, which you all read before you go to sleep at night obviously theres a statement telling you about wet use of the brakes

Fitted Tarox G88's to all four wheels on my Octy vRS, they are grooved and really do stop you, with no delay or lag, what ever the weather.

tbh The brakes want renewing soonish anyway so rather than go standard I'd rather upgrade a little bit.

Cheers