Help - brakes failed on way home

Baggy Trousers

I was driving home and I went through a fair few deep puddles.
As soon as I was nearing the gate I went to hit the brakes and they were gone. There was no movement in the pedal at all and no brake power.
I had to use the handbrake and gears to stop the car.

What do you think is the problem? Will the brakes come back if I let the car dry out?

Car = Octavia diesel.

ardle1

I would be more inclined to check around brake servo for water ingress, back of engine between windscreen and engine drivers side, remove weather/water gutter covering battery area whole length of windscreen,there is a rubber seal running along the whole length engine side,take it off first... Now check below battery and see if water is pooling.
Let us know if you can see water especially at base of servo/booster>>

Baggy Trousers

Sorry but I am useless with cars, I would be too nervous to go pulling at things in the engine.

Baggy Trousers

Went out and pumped the brakes and they seemed to come back ok.
Went for a short spin and they are back.

dgt

I second water in the servo, assuming this is the first time this has happened and the given circumstances

Baggy Trousers

dgt wrote: »

I second water in the servo, assuming this is the first time this has happened and the given circumstances

First time it happened alright, should I get mechanic to look at it?

dgt

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

First time it happened alright, should I get mechanic to look at it?

Do, we can only guide you on what possibly has happened, without seeing it in reality.

Book it in and see what the result is, brakes aren't to be left on the long finger!

visual

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

First time it happened alright, should I get mechanic to look at it?

Yes and don't go driving the car
pumping the brakes to get them to work is masking a serious problem and it's not water related.

Baggy Trousers

visual wrote: »

Yes and don't go driving the car
pumping the brakes to get them to work is masking a serious problem and it's not water related.

Are you sure? I hit some really big puddles on the way home. Many of them - I live on a country road.

George Dalton

If brakes get properly wet, as in when you drive through standing water at low speed so that they are actually partially immersed in water, then this can happen.

slimjimmc

George Dalton wrote: »

If brakes get properly wet, as in when you drive through standing water at low speed so that they are actually partially immersed in water, then this can happen.

I don't see how that explains the lack of any pedal movement though?

Kevin McCloud

ardle1 wrote: »

I would be more inclined to check around brake servo for water ingress, back of engine between windscreen and engine drivers side, remove weather/water gutter covering battery area whole length of windscreen,there is a rubber seal running along the whole length engine side,take it off first... Now check below battery and see if water is pooling.

If water has got to that level it would have got to the air intake level which would make a cake of the engine unless the op has a snorkel fitted.

ardle1

Kevin McCloud wrote: »

If water has got to that level it would have got to the air intake level which would make a cake of the engine unless the op has a snorkel fitted.

Huh!? Servo,battery area is no were near air intake.. This is a separate 'compartment' between engine and firewall, and should be checked for water pooling, bung holes may be clogged with debris. I've seen water well above bottom of brake servo in VAG cars.....