Hi
The brake pedal on my 2007 2.8 TD is very firm until I start the engine. If I start the engine with my foor on the brake pedal then I can feel the pedal travelling down slowly. Apart from that the brakes work perfectly well.

I asked the local garage if they thought the fluid needed replacing and they said old fluid is unlikely to cause that problem.

Has anybody any ideas what may be causing it.

Cheers
Alan

 

The brake pedal sinks on many cars after the engine starts. This is partic. obvious with automatics as most won't start unless your foot is on the footbrake during cranking.
Perfectly normal.
A spongy brake pedal is always caused by "flexible" air in the system, but you can't see any bubbles. The fluid just looks unclear, like bad beer. Do a full fluid change if this is the case. The fluid also absorbs water from the air after a long time.

Leedsman.

 

Thanks Leedsman, I thought it may be the fluid but the garage didn't agree. I'll have it changed anyway on its next service, together with autobox oil and filter.

 

But the important thing is, does it stop the car quickly and car you feel it biting the discs. Or is it a slushy eventual stop which is dangerous.
I'm saying this because, I don't do much driving now, but the last few times I have been out I have had to brake quickly for women old and young who just brake all of a sudden then indicate to turn.
Of course I continually watch for the ones that sort of move off into the roundabout and almost stop and if your watching for other cars coming round your into them.
I have in occasions thought they where wanting that to happen.

 

The brakes work perfectly well, it nwas just the initial spongyness when first starting the engine that concerned me.

 

Goggs -- "I have in occasions thought they where wanting that to happen".
Watch out for this one, we get it in Leeds. Especially Harehills Rd. They are deliberately trying to cause an accident so they can claim whiplash injury as a scam on the insurance company. Whiplash is difficult to disprove medically.

Points to look for:--
1) The offending car is full of people.
2) They are travelling unusually slowly for the conditions.
3) The road is well known for this.
4) The area is full of "accident-claims" companies located in the shopping areas.

What to do:--

Drive at a safe distance behind them with headlights on full beam and emergency flashers going.

If they stop in the middle of the road, you stop well behind them.

Likelihood is they will turn off immediately they realize they've been rumbled.

Call the police after memorizing the reg. number.

Leedsman.

 

Or get an In-Car video camera...

 

This Dash Cam videoing is becoming almost a necessity in todays roads, not so much me I thought, as I live in outskirts of Dumfries and most of my journeys are outwith bypass of the town where big Supermarkets are.
But I do often pity you guys in the big towns, with busy motorways here, there, bypasses, many traffic lights, roundabouts, etc..and Foreigners.
I've been down you ways, seen your problems, and by golly I'm glad I'm not staying your way.

 

You just have to adapt to it Goggs, just have to adapt.
On the other hand, can you buy carrots at 25p per pound like we can in Leeds?

Leedsman.

n.b. Foreigners? Walk around Leeds city centre and you can hear six or more different languages being spoken, none of them european, which I can recognize.

 

The camera cost me £25 plus the price of an SD card. Great value. And they are handy for filming other eventualities on the road, apart from near misses.