Fiesta Brakes

Azzigz

I have a problem with my 2002 Fiesta. Last month, i had the discs changed on my car, but because lack of funds i didn't really go anywhere init. Then a part of my exhaust started to go, and the car got louder and louder..Then i noticed the car was losing power, so i thought this was all to do with the exhaust. Well i got the exhaust fixed last week and i went on a usual drive and it felt the same powerwise. So i took it back to the garage and he said he wasn't sure but he thought the 'head' was going. My friend drove it, and i kept saying to him, it happens alot when you smash on the brakes, he took it for a drive, and when we went down a hill, he put it in neutral and the car literally came to a stop without the brake being applied.

Has the garage tightened the brakes too much? or is it another problem? any ideas?

guil

probably a sticky caliper

Plug

Before you needed brake pads did you leave the pads go down to metal on metal? Big screeching sound when you aplied brakes?

Azzigz

i had pads in october, he said i needed discs aswell but i had them 2 months later.
its stopping me yeah, but its just locking, you put your foot down and you can feel the car struggling. Like i said on a hill in neutral it stopped me, the harder you brake, the worse it gets i find.

I heard a big squeak/streech earlier though.

Its going back tomorrow to the garage who did the brakes cause hes opening tomorrow after christmas, just wondered if anyone knew what it was.

Darragh29

Here's a tip. After this happens, get out of the car and CAREFULLY touch the steel part of the road wheel (around where the wheel nuts are), on both front wheels. If you have a seized brake caliper/piston, you will usually be able to feel the excess heat that is generated at the wheel. Look out for a considerable difference in temperature at the wheels.

Plug

Azzigz wrote: »

I heard a big squeak/streech earlier though.

When it squeeks its usually the pad worn down to metal and rubbing off the disk. This causes over heating and maybe resulted in the calliper seizing.
Even though they are new pads fitted which requires the piston to be squeezed back in the calliper could still be seized.

Azzigz

thanks all.

One night, i was just driving it around trying to see if it was still powerless, and i was out half hour to an hour, and the one disc was redhot, you could see it in the dark like, i don't think the other was liek that, but then again i didnt check, but the left hand one was glowing red.

Would all this prevent the car from running proper, i no nothing see.

guil

ur left side caliper is more than likely seized, that garage ya went to arent very good if they didnt notice that when they had the car last

Azzigz

so its likely this has happened before he changed my discs?

guil

no sorry read ur post wrong i thought ya said it was like that before the disca were changed

Azzigz

i've been told though i should of had the discs changed at the same time, cause chances are when i had discs done, i was gonna need new pads

guil

yeah the pads should have bein changed aswell

S.I.R

you got both sides done at the same time right ??

becuase your calipers are set wrong... or you just need new pads.

Azzigz

yeah, i had my brake pads done about septemberish, and the discs were going then, but he said you'll be ok for now. but as i couldn't afford them i just had the pads done. Well after a month or 2, i could smell like a burning, well i checked the wheelnut the 1 day, and realised, it was the brake discs cause it stunk. So had them changed, and now this basically.

Any idea on cost to fix?

Darragh29

Azzigz wrote: »

thanks all.

One night, i was just driving it around trying to see if it was still powerless, and i was out half hour to an hour, and the one disc was redhot, you could see it in the dark like, i don't think the other was liek that, but then again i didnt check, but the left hand one was glowing red.

Would all this prevent the car from running proper, i no nothing see.

There's your problem. My best advice is to change the seized caliper, change both discs (again) and pads. One of the discs you had fitted is probably in sh*te now due to this problem, as this problem can eat through a disc in the space of a week. To be honest, you're best keeping that car well off the road until you have this resolved. If you ended up in an accident, you could possibly end up being criminally liable for a serious injury or death.

To have this resolved properly:

New discs: 80 Euro

new pads: 40 Euro

New caliper: 120 Euro

Brake fluid: 10 Euro

Labour: 1.5 hours @ 50 Euro/Hr: 150 Euro

I'd budget in around 350-450 Euro for this. Labour above might be a small bit high...