My (cursed) Mondeo TDCi has a strange brake problem, that no one seems to be able to identify.

Sometimes (8 times out of 10) a press of the brake pedal results in a normal feel pedal and normal brakes - but sometimes the pedal is very soft and long, and a second pump is required to make the brakes work. There's no consistency to it, and the long pedal can occur at random.

Then, sometimes, especially when going slowly (but not always) the pedal 'activates' right at the very top of its travel and feels really 'gritty', almost ABS like.

Any one got any ideas?

 

Sounds like the master cylinder seal to me but I am no expert in this field !

 

my guess would be the mc starting to fail

have you done a fluid change to rule that out?

steve

 

I've got a master cylinder waiting to go on, but when I've had them fail before they just 'go' and don't give the same symptoms I'm getting.

I know the car's got EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) which is something to do with the master cylinder, so at a guess I'm wondering if it's something to do with that.

 

Dan i think your car is just jinxed, get an st tdci there great, well mine is lol!!

steve

 

Too right it's jinxed! It's also got a boost problem with no apparent cause.

If I had the cash I'd buy an ST TDCI, but I'm NEVER buying a 2.0 TDCi ever again.

 

My old mk3 2.0 petrol used to do that, once every couple of days of so the pedal travel would be really long, press them again and it would be fine. It always did it, it never got any worse so i put up with it!