Whilst fitting a BMC CDA to my vRS the other day I managed to break the top off the plastic valve which is just behind the brake vacuum pump. I managed to limp home (was at a mate's house) using insulation tape over the top of the valve to keep my brakes working (just lol), and some insulation tape over the end of the pipe that was now hanging free.

So the brakes are now dire and there's no power at all to speak of until Skoda get the replacement parts in stock tomorrow and I can fix it. Doh! Using my van instead as the car ain't too safe right now!

I don't really understand how engines, especially turbo diesels, work - so just wondering if someone can explain to me why the brake vacuum would affect performance so much, I'd find it interesting to know as it's bugging me!

Turbo and EGR ect is operated by vacuum. So if you lose vacuum not only do you lose the the brake assistance anything that is vacuum operated (like the turb actuator) will also stop to function,

Got a picture of the part you have broken?

Ah cool, was just wondering what it was all about, as it's gonna be easy enough to fix when i get the parts tomorrow don't have a pic of the valve, it's a shiny black 3-way thing beneath the maf and intake pipe thing.