I just did a brake pad replacement on the front and rear. I followed the exact instructions posted by OctaneGuy and during the test run my brakes feel very spongy with reduced stopping ability. I'm afraid to drive! The parking brake lever is also very lose. Any suggestions, help, advice? Thanks in advance.

 

What i would do it go to the local auto parts store, buy a solo bleeder, should cost about 6-8 dollars, and start with the passenger rear, then driver rear, then passenger front and then driver front and bleed the brakes , sound like a few air pockets i in the line! How much did you have to push the piston back to put the new pads in??

 

Funny, you follow my DIY, and don't ask me for help?

I agree with the last poster. Try bleeding your brakes. Sounds like you have some air in the lines. Could happen when you compressed the piston to insert the new brake pads. All you really need is some clear tubing that fits on the bleed valve--1/4" I.D. Poly Hose, and an empty soda bottle. Have someone hold down the brake pedal, crack open the bleeder valve with a wrench, then tell the person to pump the pedal to build up pressure and the brake fluid should start flowing into the bottle. Make sure there aren't any air bubbles in the tubing. Do the rears before doing the fronts. Once you've bled some fluid, then have the person hold the pedal to the floor, you can tighten the bleeder valve, then they can release the pedal. Then move on to the next brake.

I built my own pressure bleeder, but it still requires some pumping even with 15 to 20 psi added to the system.

http://www.c3club.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=266

The fact the parking brake lever is loose will happen the first time you've replaced the rear brake pads. Once the air is bled, and you've driven in a little bit, the brake will return to normal.

Another thing about the brake pads--have you bed them in yet? They aren't going to provide the stopping power you expect until you've heated up the pads, let them cool, and repeat this cycle a number of times. Do a search on bedding brake pads.

Richard

 

thanks for the advice.. i've done brake bleeds before but i guess i wasn't aware that i had to do it when i replaced the brake pads. i just took a spin outside and attempted to bed the pads and i think i was somewhat succesful.. lots of good advice here at NAM! Thanks again!

 

Sounds like the fluid was due for a change, but I didn't think pads and fluid HAD to be done at the same time (unless of course to opened the resivor for a while on a humid day).

 

I may be wrong about this but I believe the maintenence schedule calls for a brake fluid flush at 100K. This is my first pad change so I'm at 37K and change. Would depressing the caliper pistons all the way create the spongy pedal?

 

I haven't done MINI brakes yet, but I have on other cars that have rear disc brakes. I've pulled the parking brake up a bunch of times to reset the pads & adjust the parking brake. Pulling the parking brake will make the piston screw back into position.

Edit >> If this works I would still bleed all that old brake fluid out of the system.

 

Just like the first oil change is around 15,000 miles.......

Brake Fluid should be changed once a year, or more often if you autox or track the car. The stuff is cheap, depending on size, but a can of Super Blue is only $11. Flushing and bleeding your own brakes won't take longer than an hour. On the MCS it's much faster--on the '02-'04 Coopers, to bleed the clutch, you have to remove the batter box which is a pain.

Anyways, when I first did my brakes, I thought the same thing. Flushing or even just bleeding the brakes isn't a scary thing. Once you've done it, you'll be amazed at how simple it really is.

As for your situation, no need to flush the brakes, just bleed the air from the lines IF that spongy feel is being caused by air in the lines. If it's because of your new brake pads, then you need to bed the brakes as well.

What pads did you install? And did you have OEM pads previously?

 

MINI calls for brakes to be flushed every 2 years

 

Yes, I had OEM pads before and I installed Mintex Redbox pads. I'll be doing the brake fluid flush over this weekend. I opened the brake fluid resevoir and it was pretty murky in there!

 

My money says this has nothing to do with brake fluid. The hand brake lever is the giveaway to me.

If you changed the rear pads and pushed the piston back in the rear caliper (turning it in) and your pedal is solf, handle long. It more than likely that the new pads are a bit thinner than the stock parts. Or that the piston is just back in the caliper body fully and not yet pushing correctly.

Why soft pedal? Because as you push on the rear piston it has to work out not only to clamp but to move the worm screw assembly inside to keep the pads close to the rotor so the hand brake works correctly. Been years since I took one apart but I recall a rotating cam assembly of sorts that ratcheted in place. Now you may find the gap of the rear is too large and you're simply moving more fluid to close it.

I'd also inspect the slider pins for much the same reason; if they stick then you get more pull back on the caliper when it relaxes and thus more travel when you push the pedal.

I'm not against a brake bleed, if you feel it's necessary sure. However you did not induce air into a calipe changing pads. It would have been a soft pedal before you changed the pads as well.

 

I would agree that it has to do with the E brake. Just keep pulling up the E brake firm, release and do again about five or six times. This will move the rear pads right up against the rotor.
Also, new pads do need to do some bedding. The more you use them the more grip they will get.