My Brakes are useless

[Eddington]

I have a 96P 2.0L 16V and the brake light on the computer just wont go out. I recently put new brake pads on but the car feels like its not going to stop. The brakes once applied feel like they jump off the disc's. Help anyone!!

[SukySaggi]

New pads will need to bed in for a few miles. The light is probabiy the sensors which connect to the pads. Did you change these when you changed the pads?

[Eddington]

No the mechanic informed me it should go out when he did the work. They have been done a while and they still scare me. I was doing a fair wack down a country road on my way to work as i got to a sharp bend and tried to slow down they just did'nt grip. I ended up going straight on into a hedge!!! took the car back to they mechanic but he said they were fine. are break problems common on calibras?

[Sackie]

No, I dont think Calibras have a brake problem, unless your doin 150mph and some geezer pulls out infront of you [img]/smile.gif[/img] Generally Calibra brakes are ok.

I think that the mechanic has not bled the brakes correclty, does the pedal feel spongy?

[Tim2001]

1. your mechanic is wrong if the pad low light was on before the problem it will stay on until the sensors have been changed or the wires spliced if you dont fancy paying for the sensors.

2. When you have new pads you should take it easy for the first couple of hundred miles to allow them to bed in a bit.

3. Have you looked at the disks to check that they are ok.

4. take it to a different garage to have it checked.

[Eddington]

Thanks for the advice guys, To answer a couple of questions -

1. No the breaks don't feel spongy at all
2. The mechanic has said he bleed them and also said that the breaks on these cars were sh?t.
3. Discs look ok but they look very shiny almost like a mirror??
4 Why do you guys think when I break somtimes it feels like the pads have come off the discs??

[SukySaggi]

You may be breaking too hard and causing the pads to glaze over. Since your disks are standard (i.e. not grooved) you wont be able to break the glaze on the pads. The brakes on these cars aren't 5hit, try taking it to kwik fit for a free check up.

[Fraz]

or he is a dirty one and has some nice oil/grease all over your pads

[ROG]

i tend to drive as fast as possible, then slow for the bend, then accelerate round the bend, doing this after a mile or two the brakes never worked well, i realy had to push hard, the brakes were smoking when i got were i was going
I got a cheapo set of drilled and grooves diskes and its sorted the problem
could be brake fade, try groved disks

[Cheater2k]

i just upreated to 308mm, no more fade, ever, with geniune vaux police pads [img]/smile.gif[/img]

[davefly76]

what are your rear brakes like? i had mine changed recently aswell as a brake fluid change and they are now 10 times better.

[img]/smile.gif[/img]

[Eddington]

Thanks for all the help and advice fellas.
I don't usually drive that fast so I am at a loss. I,m taking it in today to get it sorted as I nearly met my maker last nite. The breaks are fairly new so I,m a little worried. The same guy who fitted them is having a look again he,s a mate and a really good mechanic

[Andy_Turbo4]

bit off the topic, but anyone tryed braking with there left foot, weird nearly went through the windscreen 200% better lol

[davefly76]

<!--QuoteBegin-Andy_Turbo4+--><div class='quotetop'>(Andy_Turbo4)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->bit off the topic, but anyone tryed braking with there left foot, weird nearly went through the windscreen 200% better lol<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

lol

yeah i've done that. you don't seem to have the same control with the left foot.

[img]/smile.gif[/img]

[dj_smurph]

left foot braking takes a lot to get used to but you dont need to stamp on the brakes to stop. the biggest advantage doing it in a front wheel drive car is that it can be used to get the front end into the corner while you are still flooring it round the bend.