Brakes feel rubbish

[2bmws]

Hi guys me again, just done the rear brakes to put the pipes inside the new brake rear plate and bleed them all round and now they feel crap dont know what ive done wrong but they dont feel the best. I took it for a carwash just incase i got some brake fluid on the pads.

I used dot 4 brake fluid. Any ideas please.

 

[mrscalex]

How does the pedal feel compared with before?

 

[Althulas]

What do you mean they feel rubbish? Worse than before you started? Does the pedal have any pressure?

Must be air still in the system. Did you bleed as per guide starting furthest from the master cylinder and doing all four corners? Did you do it by your self using a pressure bleeder? Did you see air stop coming out from the bleed nipples? Did the master cylinder ever run below minimum at all prior or during bleeding? If you replaced any pipes just double check every joint. Just covering the basics?

 

[2bmws]

Pedals firm just got to press them hard to get it to stop. Servos working did run the reservoir out of fluid when doing the front drivers side so that's the only thing i can think maybe bleed them all again

 

[2bmws]

Did the wife in drivers seat pump brakes method

 

[Althulas]

If the pedals firm should be ok are they new pads and discs? If pads are new will take some miles to bed in but shouldn’t be that bad, what brand are they. If you got brake fluid on the disc should have been cleaned off with brake cleaner prior to letting new pads be used as will be contaminated.

 

[mrscalex]

Did the wife in drivers seat pump brakes method

You probably ought to keep that sort of thing to yourself

 

[Steve Medlock]

You need one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-B...854618?hash=item3da527cf1a:g:nWMAAOSwB7le5lyK

 

[mrscalex]

You need one of these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-B...854618?hash=item3da527cf1a:g:nWMAAOSwB7le5lyK

I agree. I'm not even sure pumping the pedal is a valid way of bleeding the brakes on a Z3 - might be wrong. But the pressure bleeder makes it very easy for sure. I know some people are happy with gravity bleeding but I can't get on with that myself.

 

[Mario]

My 2cts when I did my brake pipes it didn't feel right until I did the ABS bleed pump procedure with the computer, but mine felt a bit spongy not sure that's your situation, after I did the ABS pump bleeding all back to normal

 

[Dino D]

Just been through the same, my solution:

Just to update on brake bleeding.

I bled through a litre of fluid and cleared all the boiled fluid. Although there were no bubbles the pedal was still spongy..
A quick google and from e36 forums it appears quite common.
Methods that were successful involved activating the ABS (Using INPA or going for a drive). after the initial bleed then re-bleed.

I did this and a few bubbles came out on 3 corners (using pressure bleeder)

I then did the ‘pump the pedal’ for good measure and was surprised to get a single large bubble out the corner furthest from MC.

That did the trick and normal firm pedal service resumed.

Did another track evening but this time I was easier on the brakes and did two cool down laps increased of one before coming in (Brands is only 1.2miles).
Pedal did a get a bit longer after parking up but not drastically so and pedal feel returned after two gentle laps when rejoining track.

I’ll be be moving to Carbon Lorraine fluid which has a boiling point of 325 (vs 280 for ATE 200) and thankfully doesn’t cost much more (some fluids with 300+ boiling point are eye wateringly expensive).

RC6 front pads have done 160 miles at Brands and have 50% left so very good value. As learn to lean less on the brakes I expect I’ll improve the longevity.

They have also quietened down after the first track day which is nice.

very impressed with Carbon Lorraine so far.

 

[2bmws]

Quite a few years ago i bought an e46 with the brake servo not working, quite sketchy driving it from bournemouth to south wales with no assistance from the servo, I bought another one off ebay and replaced it, i had to remove the abs module to get at the servo so all the pipes were removed I put it all back bleed the brakes using the pump method and never had a problem with that afterwards.
So Ive used the z3 a couple of times this week and they do feel a little better, i think i must have got brake fluid on the discs or maybe wd40 from where i sprayed the bleed nipples before i opened them, although i was really careful.