Hi,

Had intermittent handbrake warning light. seemed to go off when moving. did a search on the forums - said check brake fluid level. aha. right on minimum. so probably sloshing a bit when moving and light goes off. whatever.

But I certainly need to check for leaks. I see something about a vaccuum pipe? I dont see how this would affect leask - maybe it affects the spongy pedal that other threads with leaks have, but i dont have noticabley spongey pedal.

What order to check for leaks? Fill resevoir, sit on clean concrete and pump pedal to buggery, check concrete first?

Chase lines from resevoir to cyclinder to brakes?

Check pads for excessive wear? (I find that hard to beleive?)

Take rear wheels off and check for leaks inside drums?

Pull master cyclinder apart and check for leaks? This sounds like the biggest bugger? How do leaking seals in the master cycling leak? Internally or in a big mess somewhere in the engine bay?

Thanks for any hints in the order and ease of checking!

Pete
NB, only ever ever had one brake leak before - perished line on a motor bike immediately below the master cyclinder. Everytime i braked, i got a wet face. Couldnt work it out. It wasnt raining. then noticed this tiny hole which was spraying brake fluid right in my face straight at me. the gods were with me that day, i dont use brakes gently.

OK, its raining but i have tried a few things.
The master cylinder, and all the pipes around it are clean and dry. all the brake lines i can trace in the engine bay are clean and dry. the rubber hose from the top looks in good nick.
topped up the brake fluid.
Brake warning light now functioning perfectly normally.
Pedal feels good. Stopped, heavy pressure, pedal sinks slowly to the floor - about 5 or ten seconds. very slow.
engine off, pump pedal - firms up. moderate pressure - start engine - pedal sinks very slowly = power assist all good?
engine off, pump pedal - goes hard on second press - push really hard - solid - no sinking can hold seemingly indefinitely.

so maybe level wasnt right at last service and i have just worn the breaks and transferred the fluid from the resevoir into the brake caliper?
too wet and horrible to check under car etc at the moment.
Pete

Could well be a perished seal on the brake cylinder in the rear drums

I dont have an answer to your brake issue but can tell you that @mikeinatruck may be able to help with parts

As you state good chance pads are right down hence the low level. The normal area for a leak will be the drum cylinders, you will see it leaking out the rear of the drum plate if it is and if its been a while the inside of the tyre will show it. The other area is the load sense valve on the chassis, the seal can fail in that and cause a leak. I would check those and if all is ok then probably time for new pads and shoes. Dont forget to remove fluid from the reservoir before pushing pistons back in though

Quote: mikeinatruck wrote in post #5

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As you state good chance pads are right down hence the low level. The normal area for a leak will be the drum cylinders, you will see it leaking out the rear of the drum plate if it is and if its been a while the inside of the tyre will show it. The other area is the load sense valve on the chassis, the seal can fail in that and cause a leak. I would check those and if all is ok then probably time for new pads and shoes. Dont forget to remove fluid from the reservoir before pushing pistons back in though

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Thanks all,
Still wet and awful outside. Had a look under rear axle, all the visible parts of the inside of both wheels totally dry and clean.
I didnt know i had an LSV, in fact i dont seem to.

there is a small rigid line to top of inside of wheel - assume brake hydraulics, and a big thick line into the lower bit of the wheel - presume handbrake wire. All lines basically disappear forward.

Pictures on tinternet seem to show the LSV on the left hand side above the rear diff and to the left, with four lines going to it. Looks very hard to miss.

Its a 2011 Barbarian with ABS and the horrible stability asc or wotever lark. Do i have to have an LSV?

P

Still raining. Took the front wheel off - outer pad almost to the metal, inner pad fine. Stupid sine the inner pad has the squeal indicator and is the only pad visible thorugh the 'window'. Dont know why the wear is so uneven - the floating thing seems proper floaty.
Mind you, the outer thing cant seriously be held in place by those two tiny bolts? there must be some sort of interference fit providing the force against braking?
Can i get new brake pads in Winchester on a Sunday? can i eck ;(
Peteturbo

I'd check your slider pins or piston aren't stuck, that's the only things I can think are causing uneven wear like that....bet the bottom slider pin is stuck....

all done. took the slider pins out and overgreased them resulting in hydraulic lock, so dismantled and reduced grease amount. all floating nicely now. pressing the pistons in was about the easiest i have seen.
fitted milner's pads - dirt cheap and next day delivery before lunchtime.
sorry to have been thick about the brakes - its the pads take the force, not the piston assembly - hence the flimsy attachment.
rears next i suppose. i hate drums. anything to watch out for?
Peteturbo

The later models where not always fitted with the LSV, so dont panic if yours is not there, something less to go wrong.

Cheers Mike. all sorted now. Just the pads.