12 - 155, what?! How? Why?

[Sonia406]

What's up with the brakes and handbrake?

Around town it's not likely to be hugely better than the petrol, but on long journeys the HDis really shine

On a separate note, my mpg has definitely dropped a bit since the cold weather kicked in

Occasionally when setting off it's like the handbrake is on but not on: It's a poo handbrake anyway, barely holds but it feels like it's stuck on at the back left, a rattling around, when I pull up the handbrake and take it off about 5 times it frees up..
Same wheel had a noisy whining (like wheel bearing) on the way up to Erics, went away and hasn't come back..

Pads and disk need doing, but still brakes seem temperamental. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they seem to bind when the pedal is coming to the end of travel and you feel it through the pedal.. At high speeds a dab of the brake pedal they seem fine, but they are definitely binding at the front when you come to a stop, possible metal on metal action......

I am 99% sure it's a new clutch job too, needs new tyres before MOT, steering needs looking at, the rack gaitors are shot (literally hanging off) and sometimes suddenly it pulls to the left (sometimes right) and it takes major effort to keep the car on the road when it suddenly pulls (not under braking circumstances)

I honestly see Miss Pug making a come back to the road soon........ £143 to get her back on the road.. then get Christmas out the way and then maybe I can afford the repairs this piece of crap needs... I'm sure I will like it when I have done the work required - it's just a guts ache trying to bond with something causing me so much problems!

[jonsowman]

Occasionally when setting off it's like the handbrake is on but not on: It's a poo handbrake anyway, barely holds but it feels like it's stuck on at the back left, a rattling around, when I pull up the handbrake and take it off about 5 times it frees up..

The notorious 406 handbrake again! Sounds like a sticking cable to me, from the adjuster back to the drum. Worth having a look at the cable, occasionally they rub on things deteriorate.

Same wheel had a noisy whining (like wheel bearing) on the way up to Erics, went away and hasn't come back..

Sounds like a backplate to me, was probably just a bit of rust that has now vanished.

Pads and disk need doing, but still brakes seem temperamental. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they seem to bind when the pedal is coming to the end of travel and you feel it through the pedal.. At high speeds a dab of the brake pedal they seem fine, but they are definitely binding at the front when you come to a stop, possible metal on metal action......

Stupid question - this definitely isn't the ABS kicking in is it? [/quote]

[puggy]

Well from the way you describe it sonia it sounds a right bag of shite , what
did you pay £700/800 did you then have it dumped on your drive without
looking at it ? did anyone look over it with you . Sounds like you best tidy it up
a bit and flog it and sort the petrol out

[lozz]

id expect to have to replace pads and disc's on any car.
if it were a couple a grand motor then thatd be different.
stuff like rack gaitors is pennys to buy..

Fix it up abit at a time and keep it,.

[STALLED]

Remember diesel goes "frothy" in the tank when you fill up - usually made worse by the high flow nozzles. Often gives an odd reading if you jump in the car straight after.
Reminds me of when I put $175 AUD worth of diesel in a work Land Cruiser. Thought it was really efficient on the highway, until I realised it had two fuel tanks....

[jasper5]

Sonia, get that thing up here and i'll donate some time on it.

[jonsowman]

Now there's an unrefusable offer!

[dirtydirtydiesel]

Sonia,
You did pay less than £800 for it & you knew it was littered with faults , keep on with it & you'll get there in the end.
+1 you've got at least 40+ bhp & a shead load more torque than with miss pug.
All the fuel gauges do that as others have said, when I fill mine up ( 75 ltrs B.T.W ) it'll drop down as normall but then when it get's down to between 1/2 & 1/4 it'll jump up to over 1/2 & the range will increase by about 200miles . I get between 700 & 750 mixed driving mostly A & B road's & I do rag it abit .
Finaly sounds to me like you've got the dreaded brake shoe lining prob, have a look a my post on my rear brakes .
I wound deffo change all disc's / pads & the rear shoes + make sure you throughly clean all your sliders I'll have money on you rears being well siezed up.
You might be better off exchanging them for re-con ones unless you are quite handy & have the tools / knowlege & space.
ps make sure you shoe locking pins haven't pulled through / corroeded your backplates, don't worry to much if they have , there is a fix .
Any info just ask, keep your chin up & get through christmas.
All the best DDD.

[Sonia406]

Thanks for all your advice everyone!

Usually under breaking the front brakes are binding and cause judder under the pedal etc.
This morning? NONE of that, braked a couple of times and no brake pedal judder and no binding noise or anything - fully functioning brakes!

This car is puzzling me.
Fuel gauge still says half full this morning by the way......

When I bought the car I knew about the exhaust... I had the warning light for the dpf on - all of which - I HAVE sorted.
Too true I got the car extremely cheap so I should expect to spend some money on it.....

[Sonia406]

Sonia, get that thing up here and i'll donate some time on it.

I don't know if I can do it before Christmas / MOT - that's the problem Jasper
I do plan on you doing the work though! You're perhaps the only one I really trust...

I have it booked in at Hi Q for tomorrow for just a check - for free... I hope they will tell me to the full extent what's going on, but then - now the brakes seem to have self healed, what's the point?

[jonsowman]

Brake judder really sounds like ABS to me, especially the fact that it happens when coming to a stop and not at speed. It's a very distinctive noise and feel. Could be failed reluctor rings? Cheap and easy fix if so!

[puggy]

would go with that jons i had exact same prob , spinning abs ring ..

[Sonia406]

Yes but surely if it was that it would happen all the time?
Had the dreaded handbrake squeal back on earlier, changed down from 3rd to 2nd and it came on just like that, horrendous squeal too!
Well the heap of junk is off to the garage all day tomorrow so one way or another they should at least tell me what the hell is wrong with this piece of........... BEEPING BLEEP

[jonsowman]

No it's very spurious and will only happen at low speeds. It makes a very specific noise if it's the ABS kicking in, but very hard to describe!

Kind of like "ting ting ting" getting slower as you come to a stop. And you can feel the pedal moving each time it does it. You won't get any warning lights or fault codes though.

This is an extremely common problem on these cars, but you can get replacement rings for about £3 each. Coupe had this fault when I got it, had to drive it 200 miles home with the ABS kicking in all the time - not a fun experience.

[benczuk]

+1 on the fuel gauge

It jumps up 1/4 to a 1/2 every now and then which I like to think of as it giving me a gift

I still run it down to the light regularly, it has never run out prematurely so you should be fine.