Brakes let go

HI All
Hope someone can give me some pointers on this.

I was this morning involved in a small accident. Car in front stopped. When I came to stop I stood hard on the brakes. Which they did go to stop my P38 DSE, but still with my foot hard down. The brakes released allowing me to carry on into the back of the stopped car. When I left home this morning the ABS did not indicate any problems.

Thanks in advance

Paul

Do the brakes now work again or are they still not working??

Have you had ANY warning lights on at all in regards to the braking system??

When you were standing on the brake pedal trying to stop the vehicle did it feel rock hard??

-Wills

let me get this right, you braked, they didn't work, you hit the car in front and you drove it again this morning

ah reckon yer might be looking at a master cylinder here

slob said:

ah reckon yer might be looking at a master cylinder here

Click to expand...

No wonder he fookin crashed then, shoulda bin lookin at the road ahead

Ok let me reiterate.

Brakes worked slowed car right down. Then with my Foot still hard on the pedal no Brakes 2 yards car freewheels. Brakes are working fine now. Tested in works car park no other vehicles around 20mph stand on the brakes car stops.

Have had no warning lights before, after and now. Of course this was my fault I'm not looking to blame any one I just need some Idea as to what may have caused it to happen or if any one else has has a similar experience.

I would expect the master cylinder only would have thought this would still be causing a problem. I had a situation a few years ago in my old classic RR where the brakes stoed working after going down a green lane (side of mountain). Changed the master cylinder but still did not have any brakes. In the end it was down to air in the system. Bought a one man bleed kit and problem solved.

This incident does not show the same symptoms. I also believe the system works by compressed air so could this be a fault valve

Could be plain and simple brake fade. depending on how fast you were travelling and how hot your brakes got.

I tend to agree with redhand, if you had no faults at all and the brakes are all working fine again then maybe brake fade or maybe you skidded a little?? Was the road wet, could there have been spilt diesel on the road?? Whats the condition of your tyres??

There is a **possible** problem with vehicles before 1999 - see RangeRovers.net • View topic - Please read all P38 owners up to mid 1999(brake modulators) - it's alot of reading but worth it if you really want to understand the problem.

From what you describe though I DONT think your problem is what is talked about in the above link.

-Wills

From reading the article as mentioned this could be the cause. The only thing I dont get is any warning lights. But I have had a numerous funny feeling on the pedal first thing but they all seem to clear before any distance.

Tyres on the front one has 6-7mm tread the other is brand new only put on last week. the 6-7mm is a pirelli and the new one is bridgestone. But the car did not skid it slowed and then no breaks.

Sorry to hear your bad news Handy I hope you get it sorted.


Hi Wills, Heavy document to read for the non technical.

I felt a click when I first pushed the brake pedal as I backed out of the drive on Sunday and the brake appeared not to function until half way depressed.
The rest of the day it seemed fine, On Monday same again first thing, the brakes work well but are not good as I would expect compared with my wifes Zafira.
Have I got this problem developing?
I have not had the car long so it's hard to tell if its right or wrong.

Fred

me thinks me knows!
i had a 1990 classic and sometimes the brakes would act up, ABS to be exact, you would apply brakes to slow from normal speed and at the last minute or nearly stopped the abs would kick in and stop the brakes from braking, like the wheels locking but they not! after i came to a standstill and thought " fcuk that" it was fine again and wouldnt play up for weeks! i rolled it end over end before i discovered the cause but it was defo the ABS kicking in at last minute, when almost stopped!
im guessing it thought a wheel somewhere had stopped turning but did the abs thing to them all?

you can have a gubbed master cylinder that will give the symptoms you describe. get someone to pump the pedal while you look in the brake reservoir, if you see any bubbles appear its had it and get a new one before you drive it again.

if no bubbles take it for a short drive to heat it up a bit then check it again.

i've seen a cars have complete brake failure then seem to sort itself fer a day or so . then failure again follwed by another day of brakes.

while bleeding the system we noticed the tell tail bubbles appear. new master and every thing wur fine.

slob said:

ah reckon yer might be looking at a master cylinder here

Click to expand...

I agree with ya here slob, i had the same thing happen to me whn i was driving a sooty van went hit my mate up the back end of his car. pressed it again it was fine.