Brake headscratcher.

Hello and thank you for accepting me as a member.
I have a 2001 LandRover Freelander 1.8 16v which I maintain myself and most things don't stump me until now.
Initially when I start and begin driving the brake pedal feels spongy and like I am putting my foot on a buckled metal wheel, then 2 minutes later the handbrake warning light comes on and stays on and the brakes work fine until I stop and the same thing happens.
I have changed the rear slave cylinders, front discs and pads but it feels the same. The servo is working as the brake pedal gives a little on starting the engine.
Is this ABS related ? I have no other warning lamps lit.

hi and welcome to the forum if you go to the newbie section you can introduce yourself and follow the little guide lines the forum like to follow your brakes , have you tried bleeding them ? could be an ABS related problem have you put it on a fault finder to see any codes given do you have a good peddle at any time ?

As said pop to the community forum and introduce yourself
When was the last time you changed the brake fluid. Also when you changed the rear brake cylinders, did you remove the drums. If so did you follow the hand brake reset routine?
Mike

check level in master cylinder res and look for splashing in res when someone pumps the pedal

Air lock possibly. Mine did the same thing. The dam brake light would come on and off. Strangly. Dont introduce yourself just say Hi

Skinny Mike said:

As said pop to the community forum and introduce yourself
When was the last time you changed the brake fluid. Also when you changed the rear brake cylinders, did you remove the drums. If so did you follow the hand brake reset routine?
Mike

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and how do u change the rear cylinders without removing the drums, sorry couldn't resist, lol

on another point u mention a handbrake reset routine, is that when u have the drums off u gently press the brakes to automatically adjust the shoes so that u can just get ur drum back on please

hioe u didnt mind me pulling ur leg, lol

Reset routine.
Once the brakes and wheels are back on.
Start engine with hand brake OFF.
Press brake pedal firmly 30 times.
You will hear the handbrake auto adjust clicking. It should stop clicking at around 20 presses.
This also builds the pressure back up in the brake system, and stops the spongy feel.
Mike

PS you can change the rear cylinders without removing the drums. You just need to get in touch with the Pygmy brake changing tribe from deep in the Amazon forest

must get a set of those Pygmy workers , lol

i leave my handbrake off as after replacing my rear shoes, lubricated handbrake cables the handbrake still sticks, when it does i useto put the car into reverse and shoes would then come loose

so now leave it in park , suppose the only way would be to replace both handbrake cables , but daren't look at the price as i imagine its silly money

handbrake holds fine but just dont use it

will do that with my handbrake and see if its adjusts at all

thks buddy

If your leaving it in p, its a good idea to put a chock under a wheel. The little bar that's put in place in p has been known to snap. Just a precaution.
Mike

Skinny Mike said:

If your leaving it in p, its a good idea to put a chock under a wheel. The little bar that's put in place in p has been known to snap. Just a precaution.
Mike

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oh blimey, think i better sort out the sticking handbrake then

but just have to pin my son down to get the rear wheels and brakes off for me , easier said than done, lol

will see what a new set of handbrake cables cost as the brake shoes are all new

gstuart said:

oh blimey, think i better sort out the sticking handbrake then

but just have to pin my son down to get the rear wheels and brakes off for me , easier said than done, lol

will see what a new set of handbrake cables cost as the brake shoes are all new

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I'd try the reset before splashing out on cables. Yours is the same year as mine and also an auto. Reset mine in may when I did the rear brakes and all was fine.
Mike

Skinny Mike said:

I'd try the reset before splashing out on cables. Yours is the same year as mine and also an auto. Reset mine in may when I did the rear brakes and all was fine.
Mike

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cheers mate, will give that a whirl and see what happens

Skinny Mike said:

If your leaving it in p, its a good idea to put a chock under a wheel. The little bar that's put in place in p has been known to snap. Just a precaution.
Mike

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Snap on a Jatco box!! Not come across that. They could snap on old rover SD1 boxes, mostly because folks would select P while still moving. This can't be done with the Jatco apparently. I'm not about to trash my auto trying it. I too leave my V6 in P handbrake off. I don't worry about the pawl snapping, why should it.

Nodge68 said:

Snap on a Jatco box!! Not come across that. They could snap on old rover SD1 boxes, mostly because folks would select P while still moving. This can't be done with the Jatco apparently. I'm not about to trash my auto trying it. I too leave my V6 in P handbrake off. I don't worry about the pawl snapping, why should it.

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Brother in law had one through work. Admittedly it was parked on an incline every night with no handbrake, but it still buggered it up. Wouldn't move out of p.
Yes the old SD1 could be slipped into p while moving, fortunately we've moved on from that.
I think for the sake of putting a chock under a wheel to take the pressure rather than the box its worth doing. £3 as opposed to stripping an autobox £?
Mike