Bad brake repair from garage

trucktruck

Hello there all,

I hope you can help me here i have got to a point where im not sure what to do. My car recently failed its MOT on 3 brake pipes the testing garage wanted too much for the repairs and i didnt have enough time to do it myself (far from mechanic but sure i could have done it) and i also just wanted a professional job to get it straight through its MOT. So i went to a brakes/tyres/exhaust garage bit of a chain company over UK to get them fixed.
1st visit i was given the car back, on the way to the MOT i noticed the brake pedal was very soft and spongy and 'pumped up' got to the MOT station to get my MOT this was fine as pipes were replaced. I asked a mechanic friend and he bet that they had not bled the rear compensation valve. So i took car back 2nd time and said brakes were soft and about this valve they might have missed. Went back to collect the vehicle and they said the pedal is still "a bit soft, probably still has a bit of air in it but should come out after a week or so" and to "come back if it doesnt get any better" I again said about the rear comp valve but they shrugged it off.
The next day i had a test 80 miles away on my way to the test i had to slow down from 50mph on the motorway with a lorry infront of me, slowly applied the pedal and it kept sinking to the floor not stoping me in the correct manner. Thankfully i drive with plenty of distance, i had a reaction to try pressing the pedal again steadily but this time it came on hard and right at the top of the pedal making my car nose dive and lose speed very rapidly, thankfully no accident but heart stoping non the less!!
After a very cautious drive home i had a look under the truck found this rear comp valve and the nipple has not been touched. 3rd time back now i made a bit of a fuss on the phone after being scared like this and after them spending 10hours on this already. There were another 2 more senior mechanics there that are not local to this garage and they were looking over the car and trying to work on it. 3 hours later the chap told me this is as good as it will get on an old vehicle, i watched him take one caliper off take inside pad out (very low need replacing) and replace the 1 pad with a brand new one (not both sides of caliper just 1 and not the other side either!) he also took the shim out and threw it saying i should throw the other one out when i replace the other 3 pads as it can give play in the pedal!?!?!? (he gave me the other 3 out of the box ?)
The pedal is still the same goes all the way to the floor then pumps up dangerously to the point i would say it is not safe to drive.


1. They have spent 13 hours to get my truck to this point i do not trust there competancy any more to get this fixed

2. At this moment my car has 1 brand new pad out of 4 on the front, i understand this to be very dangerous as one pad can brake harder than the other causing one side of the car to slow quicker than the other possibly causing loss of control or in emergency stop mayby even roll the vehicle. Also 1 shim less on one side

3. The dangerous brake pedal still feels like air in system to me (not expert) Very soft on first application then if repressed pumps up very hard.

4. Whilst watching them i saw them back the caliper off without clamping the hose and cracking nipple, my system has ABS and i was made to believe backing off without clamping on ABS can damage the ABS system by pushing oil back through it? He said this was a myth? is this true?

5. I also watched them allow the system to run dry whilst they were bleeding it. I have since been told this could affect the ABS unit?

6. Other incompetant mistakes that could have allowed air in the system


I really dont know what my course of action should be now, i dont want to go back and they said they are not willing to do anymore work on it. My pedal/braking felt fine before i took it there for corroded pipes. Ideally i would like to take it to the main dealer get them to fix it at the garages expense under some kind of trading standards law and fast as this is my only vehicle and this has been going on for overa week now.


Thankyou for reading

johnnyroper

First off I am going to make a bit if an assumption,would I be correct in thinking kwik fit?

If so do not refer to them as mechanics because they are not I would describe more as incompetent bodge artists who know how to rip off they would not last 5 minutes in a decent garage.changing a single pad sums it up to me.


As for your problem it does sound like a issue with bleeding to me,my advice would be go to a proper garage get it repaired with a full
Written report including about brake pads.then go back to original garage and request refund contact head office if needs be.
If no joy I would pursue a small claims court claim

skiddlydiddly

Replacing 1 pad is stupid and dangerous.I don't know what they meant about the rest of the air coming out in a week or so, its a sealed system so it will only move somewehere else in it.
It sounds like they are messing you about and either don't have the ability to do it properly or cannot be bothered.You've given them the chance to rectify it, so I would let them know you will be contacting head office and trading standards about it if its not fixed to your satisfaction immediately.

cutandshut

Is it a car or a truck? You don't seem too sure in your post.

skiddlydiddly

A bias valve would normally be on a commercial vehicle so it can sense the rear load and adjust the level of braking accordingly, but I've also seen them on 4x4's presumably to allow for towing.

trucktruck

johnnyroper wrote: »

First off I am going to make a bit if an assumption,would I be correct in thinking kwik fit?

If so do not refer to them as mechanics because they are not I would describe more as incompetent bodge artists who know how to rip off they would not last 5 minutes in a decent garage.changing a single pad sums it up to me.


As for your problem it does sound like a issue with bleeding to me,my advice would be go to a proper garage get it repaired with a full
Written report including about brake pads.then go back to original garage and request refund contact head office if needs be.
If no joy I would pursue a small claims court claim

Hi johnny,

Will i definatly be covered if i do this, as this would be ideal for me. I really do not care for them to put there grubby little fingers on my truck again as you can probably imagine

Many thanks.




SkiddlyDiddly,

I have given them 3-4 chances now and after the last time they told me to leave the state they have left my truck in is i would say without exadgerating is potentially deadly the manner and the work they have carried out could be a danger to life. I wiould rather not go back apart from to collect payment for another garage.





Cutandshut,

Lol it was late last night when i tried to type this, it is a truck 4x4 2.2 tonnes of it making good brakes even more essential i would say! Also as Skiddly said the rear bias/compensation valve is inbetween the front and rear calipers to allow the back not to lock up under heavy breaking so as to avoid back sliding out

trucktruck

Oh and Johnnie it wasnt kwik fit. I will post here when i am closer to having the problem resolved, i know it is very unlikly for them to read this but i wouldnt want to fore arm them in anyway if possible

Hammyman

My bet is the master cylinder seals have failed. You'd not necessarily have a leak but it wouldn't be able to apply much pressure and because fluid can get past them, the pedal would be able to be slowly pressed to the floor. Usually if a seal is going to fail, it'll do it when you bleed the brakes (if doing manually) because the piston in the cylinder is travelling beyond its normal range of movement in daily use.

trucktruck

Yes i have thought this too, i reaserched a little and i dont know if this is fact? pls tel me But if you get some one to pump pedal up with engine off, open brake reservoir and get them to turn the engine on with pedal pressed the fluid should rise if the master cylinder is faulty?

Thanks again

Flying-High_2

What kind of 4x4?

trucktruck

Flying-High wrote: »

What kind of 4x4?

M reg Shogun LWB