Hello All,

 

there is something weird going on with the brakes of my Yeti.

Let me tell you the story.........

 

Last Friday I was driving from Holland to the south of France (region Frejus) on the peage (900km / 130 kmh) and we stopped at Lyon for the night.

Coming of the peage I noticed that the brake pedal was not as hard as I was used to.

I have to push it in a long way .

Saturday we continued our trip and unfortunately the problem was still there.

I understand maintenance of my car as I do a lot myself so I investigated the usual suspects.

Brakepads all around look fine such as the brake discs.

there is enough brake fluid in the resevoir and there are no leaks  noticeable.

What am I missing here? 

In the end I probably will have to go to a local Skoda dealer to get things sorted but I would like to know

one forehand what could be the problem.

P.s. I had new tyres fitted a week ago because the old ones were worn out. I don’t see a connection with

the brake problem but who knows.

 

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

Regards,

 

Lico

My first action would be to change the brake fluid, that will also bleed them.

I would suspect water (moisture) or air has got into the brake lines

 

Start by a complete brake fluid change (not just sucking out the reservoir and refilling that, whilst leaving lines full of old fluid) along with bleeding the brakes.

 

Water is not going to be absorbed into the brake lines during a motorway run, in any case water is incompressible and would only manifest as a spongy pedal when the fluid boils under heavy braking.

 

If air has entered the system then the cause of the leak should be found as a priority, bleeding the brakes without fixing the fault is negligent.

 

My suggestion would be that the handbrake was dragging during the journey and the self adjust mechanism is not working, same fault effectively.

 

I would suggest that the OP pulls the handbrake up really hard whilst simultaneously pressing hard on the brake pedal, release the footbrake leaving the handbrake on, if the footbrake is now firm you have found your problem.

 

If that does not work try clamping off each brake hose in turn and check the pedal, that should tell you if air is in any of the calipers.

 

If no joy with any of the above I would suspect the master cylinder, it may be close to the DPF on your model and have suffered from the heat.

Edited 6 September, 20214 yr by J.R.

I had a problem in Wales, a long curving downward curve and another vehicle pulled out I put my foot on the brake

and tried to slow, the pedal went to the floor. I started pumping the brake and it came back up.

I had no further trouble and took the car back to the dealer (it was only a few months old) they changed the fluid and found

one of the cylinders was leaking (porous casting  they said). The fluid levels were fine as this was my first check! anyway no

further trouble in the three years I owned it.

I don’t think that the handbrake was on all the time during the

ride on the peage. I didn’t feel any drag and there was no warning light

on the dashboard?!

Or could it?

 

I’ve tried the trick with the handbrake and brake pedal.

the pedal became really firm after I released the handbrake.

However the car wouldn’t start anymore. It asked me to step on the brake pedal

before starting the engine (dsg). After 3 attempts it started.

Then the pedal wasn’t firm anymore.

So what does this mean?

Should the self adjust system be repaired, can it be repaired?

 

Hi Lico

 

It is normal for the pedal to become higher and firmer with the engine stopped, especially if you pump it a few times.  This is due to the action of the vacuum servo, which only works when the engine is running.  Pumping releases the reserve vacuum.  If you keep your foot on the pedal after starting, you may feel it drop down a little as the vacuum is restored.

 

I suspect that with limited pedal travel, the microswitch that tells the gearbox that the footbrake is applied for starting (safety feature) is not quite being activated.  I don't think either of these effects are anything to do with your problem.

 

It would be worth checking the vacuum hoses, non return valves etc which go to the servo anyway.

 

The handbrake self adjust mechanisms are within the rear calipers, and normally reliable.  They gradually unscrew to take up rear pad wear, and are reset when you change rear pads. Not really something that would change from one day to the next.

 

If careful replacement of the fluid and bleeding doesn't solve the problem, I would suspect a problem with the master cylinder. 

 

The only other possibility I can think of is that a worn wheel bearing or disc irregularity/runout (usually at the front) is slightly "knocking back" the caliper pistons, so that the first time you use the brakes after a long drive the pedal travel is longer.  If you use them again soon after, they are normally OK.  However, this doesn't quite fit with your description.

Thank you all for the suggestions.

I am going to the Skoda dealer in Frejus this

afternoon to get the brakes checked.

I will point out all the suggestions you made and see

what the outcome of the problem is.

 

lets hope for the best!

 

Keep you posted!

Lico is correct regarding the servo and what you observed, my apologies, had I thought it through I would have said that you should have the engine running.

 

Good luck with the Skoda dealer, please let us know the outcome.

At the Skoda dealer right now.

the verdict of the mechanic is that the brake fluid  has to be changed! He tested it.

it takes about one hour for the change and bleeding and a test ride.

Let’s hope he is right.

 

 

One coffee and a pain de chocolat later ,provided by the dealer,  the job is done.

On my way back to our holiday home I noticed the huge difference.

The Yeti is her old self again.

 

Total cost for this job €70,- including VAT

Dealer reception was very nice and helped imidiately.

https://concessionnaires.skoda.fr/var-83/sa-smva-132

 

Thank you all for the suggestions.

I really appreciate it!

 

Regards,

 

Lico

 

Keep a close eye on it,  brake fluid does degrade over time but that is a very gradual absorption of moisture and would only manifest under severe sustained heavy braking, whichever seal allowed air to enter during one 900km journey can do so again.

 

I'm glad that you had such a good experience during the busy holiday season.

Edited 7 September, 20214 yr by J.R.

Thanks for the advice! I will keep this in mind.