Skoda, not a joke

maybelline · 23rd September 2006, 20:42

my little old skoda is sick - I know it is not okay at the moment, also, a warning light on the dashboard with an exclamation mark has come on but gone out now, what does this mean??

does anyone know, I thought it was water, but oil and water checked okay, it could be something more sinister, brake fluid arghhhhh?? who knows

lisamellor · 23rd September 2006, 20:43

its the handbrake sign.

if you drive with it on (even slightly it will appear) so next time you drive your car see if you have letting it go correctly.

lisaxx

my fella is a mechanic by the way other wise i wouldnt know!

maybelline · 23rd September 2006, 20:45

how funny - well, is this in addition to the warning light with a P on it that comes on when you put the hand brake on and goes off when you take it off?

lisamellor · 23rd September 2006, 21:01

right just spoke to my fella he said

the hand brake is connected to your break fluid. if you are going around a corner and the light appears then it is the brake fluid that is low.

and the p is for park.

maybelline · 23rd September 2006, 21:05

thanks, thats great and makes sense as it is on turning tightly that it came on. I will get it checked out.

JulesTools · 26th September 2006, 02:15

maybeline could be low brake fluid , but you need to find out why it is low.
Possible causes:
wear on brake linings , usually front brake pads,
leakage in which case immediate attention is needed

does the brake pedal feel any different( ie. going further down)
are there any unusual noises when u brake

i am a fully qualified fitter so any car advice you need dont hesitate to ask
Jules

maybelline · 26th September 2006, 10:07

thanks, I checked the brake fluid and it appears to be full, so I am now thinking maybe a breaks need replacing, am I right that a lot of brake dust on the wheel is an indication that the lining is going/gone?

JulesTools · 27th September 2006, 12:20

sounds like your brake pads are worn to the wear limit indicator, this puts a little light (!) in red on dash ,have it checked by a garage and see if it needs new brake pads.

maybelline · 27th September 2006, 17:33

will get it checked out, no green light thingy though, and did have full MOT 2 months back, does that check brakes - many thanks for all the advice

JulesTools · 27th September 2006, 17:59

I said RED light on dash(!) and yes brakes are checked at mot but a lot can happen in 2 months.Cost of brake pads fitted should be around £70.

alvinlwh · 30th September 2006, 01:53

JulesTools, my brakes squel like a pig all the time since I got it 1 year ago. I had it checked by National (front and back) 3 months ago, they said it is ok, just dust and hot weather. They cleaned it and the noise went away for a few weeks.

I had my MOT done last month, it passed without any problems, and I checked it personally (front only) when I rotated my tyres last week. There are still loads of pad left. I do a little DIY myself, checked the discs, they are not warp or excessively worn, so what could be the problem? Or it is a non problem?

Thanks!

JulesTools · 30th September 2006, 13:09

Hi,
National were right in their comments , it is usually dust etc.
What car is it ,there may be something I can recommend
Jules

alvinlwh · 30th September 2006, 23:21

Thanks for your reply, its a Suzuki X90.

JulesTools · 1st October 2006, 15:44

if the brake pads are ok then i recommend removing the brake pads clean off any dust fron around assemblies with a proper aerosol brake cleaner.Then before refitting the brake pads smear a thin layer of copper grease or other high temperature grease on the metal surfaces , NOT THE FRICTION MATERIAL!!!!! I know the last comment is obvious but beleive me it has happened.This may not cure it permanently but it will for a lot longer.Another idea is to jet wash inside the wheels/brakes before removing this takes out most of the dust. IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF DOING THIS YOURSELF PLEASE TAKE TO A QUALIFIED MECHANIC AS YOUR / YOUR PASSENGERS LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAVING A FEW QUID
Any questions dont hesitate to ask

alvinlwh · 1st October 2006, 16:58

Thanks for your help. The aerosol cleaner thing you are talking about, what is it called? Can I get it from Halfords? Actually when National cleaned it for me, it cost me £0!

In the sprit of this website, whoever is reading take note!

JulesTools · 3rd October 2006, 02:09

yes halfords will do it just ask at counter

maybelline · 4th October 2006, 11:35

p.s. how expensive are brake pads for a skoda felicia? how much should i expect to be quoted for fitting also??

i_spam · 27th November 2006, 20:08

You could always go to a jet wash and pop 50p in and give the front brakes a good old shot of high pressured water. Would solve most problems !!!!

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