Hi everyone

 

can you please educate me on what does the last two points mean?

Headlamp - yes I know, bye bye HIDs

Parking break efficiency - my handbreak works fine and i don't notice anything different. I don't have to lift it that much when parked.

Drum breaks - neither of them are sticking. What sort of test do they do? They have been replaced 50k miles ago.

 

thanks

 

 

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by Bertie90

2 minutes ago, Bertie90 said:

Drum breaks - neither of them are sticking. What sort of test do they do? They have been replaced 50k miles ago.

Which exact parts were replaced? 

50k miles in how many years?

This is indicative of a rear wheel cylinder leak which has contaminated the shoes on one side as well as reducing braking pressure.

 

Replace it and the shoes and it should pass once you've swapped out the headlights.

Found the order. I bought everything in one go. Shoes, hydraulic pistons etc. 2018

8 minutes ago, Bertie90 said:

Found the order. I bought everything in one go. Shoes, hydraulic pistons etc. 2018

 

That brake shoe kit does not contain wheel cylinders.

I have replaced those too 100%. Everything was out becasue I had to do a brake bleeding kit

Is there a way to clean them then test them myself?

That kit did contain the wheel cylinders: Pagid Brake Shoe Kit | Euro Car Parts

3.5 years is possibly enough time for something to seize up inside.

 

Take the cover off that allows you to see the equaliser bar behind the handbrake lever, and see if it skews sideways when the handbrake is applied. That usually suggest a seized pivot inside one drum.

7 minutes ago, Bertie90 said:

Is there a way to clean them then test them myself?

I was just going to suggest it might only be brake dust, if it's a wheel cylinder fluid leak you'd soon see.

 

As with much (mechanical) servicing and maintenance it could just boil down to clean and lubricate (if/where required on this).

 

ETA: 3.5 years is a long time if you have not checked or cleaned annually.

 

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by nta16

Full kit c/w cylinders and pre-assembled for £50, you can't moan at that.

 

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by nta16

Unless it stops working well after 3.5 years... 

no one is moaning 😄

I was just about to edit my post as I missed the bit about the brakes being imbalanced, that won't be brake dust, but 3.5 years is a long time to not look inside the drums.

 

9 minutes ago, Wino said:

Unless it stops working well after 3.5 years... 

True, but innocent until proven otherwise.

 

I never said I din't look inside for 3.5 years. That's how old the kit is. In April this year I did changed the brake fluid on this car. I took the rear drums off and sprayed them with brake cleaner and made sure they were ok.

 

The thing is, this garage failed my Roomster for both rear coils snapped/fractured and a ball joint with a damaged sleave. None of that stuff was true. They asked £700 to fix it but I declined and found out after there was nothing wrong with the coils and ball joints. Albeit the dog did chew the sealtbealt in the back.

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by Bertie90

Reminds me, I need to check our Fabia over in the next month or two in this area. It's been a while. 

 

I think @Bertie90 you can test the handbrake function yourself fairly easily. Apply handbrake to normal position, chock front wheels and put in gear; Jack up both sides of the rear until the rear wheels are off the ground, then see if you can turn either wheel by hand.

If that shows one side not getting braked as much as the other and the equaliser bar is also pulling to one side it would be fair to think that there is a real problem.

 

A stretched cable on one side could also cause these type of symptoms, I guess.

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by Wino

10 minutes ago, Wino said:

I think @Bertie90 you can test the handbrake function yourself fairly easily. Apply handbrake to normal position, chock front wheels and put in gear; Jack up both sides of the rear until the rear wheels are off the ground, then see if you can turn either wheel by hand.

If that shows one side not getting braked as much as the other and the equaliser bar is also pulling to one side it would be fair to think that there is a real problem.

 

I may check this myself since it's nearly MOT time for my wee Fabia. Cheers Pete, you should post that in the handy tips and guides section in the general automotive section.

22 minutes ago, Bertie90 said:

I never said I din't look inside for 3.5 years.

No one slurred your good name and I did put the word 'if'. 😄

 

 

19 minutes ago, Wino said:

Apply handbrake to normal position,

Surely you'd need to be very strong and/or the handbrake weak to turn the wheel(s) with the handbrake on normally, I do mine to three clicks out of five locked and it seems to work better than the handbrake on the Fabia MK3, which I've never touched but passes MoTs .

 

2 minutes ago, nta16 said:

or the handbrake weak to turn the wheel(s) with the handbrake on normally,

That's rather the point; you're trying to test if the handbrake is indeed weak on one side.

I am very strong too though. 🤣

Edited 14 December, 20214 yr by Wino

Sorry I thought you were testing the handbrake generally, there'd still need to be quite an imbalance to turn one wheel  - unless we're all as strong as you, the front pads catching would have me straining.

 

Quote.. "The thing is, this garage failed my Roomster for both rear coils snapped/fractured and a ball joint with a damaged sleave. None of that stuff was true. They asked £700 to fix it but I declined and found out after there was nothing wrong with the coils and ball joints".

 

And you still went back to them? Not being funny but I would have not shown them a plastic toy car to inspect! My advise is go elsewhere in future, once you have completed any necessary repairs or even just for a second opinion. If it passes elsewhere, complain to your local trading standards office.

10 minutes ago, mrgf said:

Quote.. "The thing is, this garage failed my Roomster for both rear coils snapped/fractured and a ball joint with a damaged sleave. None of that stuff was true. They asked £700 to fix it but I declined and found out after there was nothing wrong with the coils and ball joints".

 

And you still went back to them? Not being funny but I would have not shown them a plastic toy car to inspect! My advise is go elsewhere in future, once you have completed any necessary repairs or even just for a second opinion. If it passes elsewhere, complain to your local trading standards office.

 

Agreed. If the Roomster failed for no apparent reason then you'd be best taking your business elsewhere (to the OP). Perhaps to a garage less likely to take money off you for unnecessary works. 

 

We had such an issue with our Toyota Auris with a local independent garage, failing it for brake discs and pads - which were in reasonable condition. We took it to another independent who passed it first time. Never went back to the first independent, even if it means I have to travel further to one that's outside of my village then I'm happy since I know I'm probably not being robbed blind for work that's unnecessary.

Edited 16 December, 20214 yr by AnnoyingPentium

I am lucky enough to have an MOT station where they do a no pass-no pay deal AND they only charge £40. It does kind of mean they won't just fail you for silly things such as bulbs as they will replace it first but I have not had any issue anyway. 

 

I have seen cheaper places but the no pass system is not worth saving another tenner for a failure. 

Sounds like a good system. My local MOT station (plus a 10 mile round trip since I outlined above why I don't use the one in my village) is also our independent garage that has kept our various cars running since it opened. I've never had an issue with taking the Fabia up there for work to be carried out (wheel bearings, sensors etc.), and it's nearly MOT time for mine since it expires in February so I'll report back with that no doubt in the Mk1 Fabia Section should anything go wrong.

I'd be tempted to swap out the headlights to the correct bulbs and have a look at the rear brakes/handbrake and if you find nothing amis then take it to the local council MOT centre for a second opinion.

 

They don't do repairs so have nothing to gain from failing you.

Edited 16 December, 20214 yr by cheezemonkhai