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Overheated the front disc brakes going down a hill today. A new and quite terrifying experience for me, as I don't often get out of Norfolk. Pulled over as soon as I realised they weren't working as effectively as usual, poured some water over them (much steam) and waited about ten minutes before driving very carefully back to a friend's. Now worried I may have warped or otherwise damaged them. What should I watch out for?
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why would you put cold water on hot steel?
if you cooked the front brakes its more likely you ruined the pads,i would be checking these to make sure they arent going to delaminate
i assume you dont know that going down a very steep hill may be better in 3rd gear rather than keeping your foot on the brake
you are lucky you didnt boil the fluid in the system and have no brakes at all
happened to me 3 months ago due to a sticky rear drum and i can assure you coming off a motorway with no brakes sure makes you clear headed
a 94 car really would benefit from a brake fluid change ,no bull here :-)
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Thanks for the tip about the pads, bell boy.
No, slowdown avenue, it is not an automatic.
I was in fourth rather than fifth and did not keep my foot on the brake all the way down, having some knowledge of the possibility of boiling the brake fluid. Did not expect them to overheat quite so easily, if at all. Knowledge has been gained by experience. Hopefully won't happen again, but if it does I won't use water to cool them either.
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Did not expect them to overheat quite so easily if at all.
Have the discs reached their minimum recommended thickness and require changing?
That aside, if it were me I'd whip out the pads and take a good look at them. I remember a few years ago cooking my Mk1 Astra front brakes and shortly afterwards one of the pads decided to detach itself from its backing plate.
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I would guess that there was a problem with your brakes as it is very rare to suffer from total brake failure these days in normal road driving. Possibly the fluid is well past its best as has already been suggested or it could be that the pads are old and glazed from lots of gentle braking from low speed if you seldom venture out of town. If it was mine i would put it into a good indie for a fluid change, discs and pads and possibly new rear shoes as well a check over for seized calipers and leaks etc.
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is the car automatic by any chance
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Thanks all. Car recently passed MoT with no advisory notices and the brake fluid isn't as old as the car, but is probably over three years. Will get everything suggested checked out though.
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