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Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:05 pm
by juliat
Hello again! You may remember the sorry saga of my newly purchased but ancient 406 exec estate . Well it finally came back from garage yesterday- nearly forgotten what it looked like! You may remember the brakes failed and flooded servo. Its now had a brand new master cylinder and a second hand servo fitted by a garage with 20 yrs experience of pugs. They have stripped all the brakes, freed off pins etc and bled it through several times. Manually and using a pump. (He said he plugged something in? And blanked off pipes to test stuff. Really tried to sort)
Problem is this and he is at a lose to resolve...
The very first use of foot pedal each day is rubbish! Goes nearly to floor but after that it doesn't do it again...till the next day. The pedal after that is not as firm as I would like but it does stop.
It really feels like air in system....any body got any advice?. My brother in law had a classic car that went to numerous garages with 'trapped air' and was finally sorted by raising each wheel individually on blocks...leave over night and bleed one at a time. But that was an altogether simpler car to work on. Help! Oh and abs light and a beep is now on...so thats an MOT failure in March. Thanks Julia

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 11:23 pm
by Doggy
Well hello again, honestly thought you'd given up on it.

Sounds like good progress there. I would be tempted in the short term at least just to gives the brakes a few good firm applications before you move it each day and get a feel for whether it genuinely and consistently is better every time apart form the first.

As I said previously, another way to tell what's goiing on is to pump the brake pedal a dozen times or so with the engine stopped and see if the pedal becomes 'solid' after doing this. If it's still 'springy'/spongey there is still air in there somewhere, if it becomes 'solid' the problem isn't trapped air.

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 8:34 pm
by juliat
Thanks Doggy I will try that tomorrow morning. I've done nearly 200 miles in it now. Quite like the drive, apart from bump bump on pedal with abs issue. Abs light on nearly all the time now. Does anyone know how that might affect my insurance if I was in an accident? (Just asked a passing plod and he didn't know)
I'm trying to get the car on my side now by talking to it...you know ...com'mon, I'm looking after you. Play fair and look after me....I'd just finished saying that , went to open the glove box to retrieve manual to find out why I have a hot bum and no interior lights and the handle dropped off into my hand!! Then I notice display reads 2nd Feb 2000! Lol Back to the Future?? Is there anyway of locking the doors from the inside...little old lady at night on her own you know! ...and can I turn off the executive red in door lights which come on when you open a door. Got caught in massive tailback cos of accident had to pull into layby for a pee. Wanted to be invisible , opened both doors on hedge side and bloody car lights up like a xmas tree!! Xxxxx

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:12 pm
by Doggy
I did wonder if you might have a faulty ABS modulator, but assumed the garage would have tried to prove it was OK or otherwise. I suspect asking if it affects your insurance would be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe morally questionable, but I would be tempted to keep quiet.

What I would recommend though is that you try a for-real emergency stop on a nice straight dry road with no traffic. That way you'll know whether you can stop it in a hurry if you had to. Maybe have a go at 20/25 mph first, then try a bit faster if all went well first time.

You should be able to lock the doors from inside by pushing the door handle away from you instead of pulling it towards you to open it, (if I remember right). The lock button of the key should work too, but try it when parked first to be on the safe side.

If you push the interior light slider to the correct position, (I can't remember which that is but you should have permanently on, permanently off and on when the door opens positions, (maybe not in that order).
That should work for the interior light by the rear view mirror, not sure about the rear passenger compartment interior light(s) - I think they only come on when opening a rear door. Secret is to try before you need some privacy.

Don't know of a way to disable the puddle lights, (ironic title I guess), other than via PP2000. If you wanted to, you could pop the light fittings out and unplug the wiring connector from the lampholder, but you'd have to do it individually on each door.

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:39 pm
by GingerMagic
Sadly I have little experience when it comes to fault finding the ABS system, but a hairline crack in one of the reluctor rings is possible...

As for the door locks, push the little tab just inside the curve of the interior handle will lock all the doors, this will prevent any reprobates from getting into the car while you are inside, however at the expense of you being trapped in the event of a collision - just something to be aware of.

Puddle lights can be switch off using PP2K but it's a permanent thing, I don't think they can be overridden with a switch or anything. You'll just have to arm yourself with a she-wee :supafrisk: and a plentiful supply of baby wipes...

I'll be using my 406 to go to and from work for a while - seeing as diesel is now way cheaper than the older unleaded fuel, so I'll have a play with the lights and see if there is a way of turning them off.

Again, well done for preserving, like Doggy I assumed you and the car had gone separate ways...

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:13 am
by PeterN
Sorry to hear of all your problems, I ran 406 Hdi estates for about 10 years and found them to be the most reliable cars I have had in 65 years of motoring, also the best headlights and things just didn't break on mine. I repaired all of them myself.

I wonder if possibly the vacuum pump mounted on the gearbox end of the head is worn or faulty, it produces the vacuum that drives the servo, although I would have thought the garage would have checked that. The pedal will go down a long way if there is air in the system but it would normally do it every time you brake and only stay hard for a short time if you pump it. I have a scrap one here if you need anything.

Peter

Re: Weird foot pedal issue 406 2001 2 HDI

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:51 am
by GingerMagic
I have found that if the vacuum supply to the servo is leaking or faulty, then the pedal is rock hard and the brakes are ineffective - I found this out the hard way but I've learned from the experience.....