Brake problems

[haroldp]

I have a 2000 1.8T beetle that has a very low brake pedal when i first start it up. If i put it in gear right after starting, the brakes don't what to hold. After a while they seem to be ok. I have only had it 2wks and know nothing about vw beetles.
Sounds like a pump or something is making a noise when i push the brake pedal at first, then goes away. Also i have a good pedal with the engine off, but when i start it the pedal does down a bunch. Does this car have a vacuum pump or engine vacuum?

Any help

Thanks Harold

[haroldp]

49 views and counting

[CapnDenny1]

I have the same issue. I replaced the brakes on the rear which were just about completely gone. The front pads were almost like new. So it's not the brake pads, at least not on mine.

The reason it goes down more with the engine on is because it has a vacuum assist. The running noise is the vacuum pump which gives the car its vacuum. Most cars just use engine vacuum, but perhaps because you have a turbo and it is boosting the input it needs a separate vacuum pump. That's what you hear running right after you start it when you press on the brake pedal.

I just had my engine replaced, and I don't remember it doing this before that. I suspect they broke a vacuum line when they replaced the engine. They charged me an extra $400 for hoses so it should all be new.

Min eonly does it right after start, and only when in reverse. If I go forward the brakes work fine. Once I have been driving it for a while like to leave work at lunch time it works fine.

I don't have a solution, but on my list of things to try is
1. Bleed the brakes.
2. replace master cylinder
3. Hunt for vacuum leak.
4. Take it to the garage and let them fix it.

I'm busy chasing a check engine light with code P0411 right now, so I back burnered the brakes.

Good luck,

Dennis

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Originally Posted by CapnDenny1

I have the same issue.

I'm busy chasing a check engine light with code P0411 right now, so I back burnered the brakes.

Seems to me, in your case, the two could be related. Why are you chasing it, and not he who did the engine replacement?

16795/P0411/001041

From Ross-Tech Wiki


Jump to: navigation, search
Contents

[hide]

• <LI class=toclevel-1>1 16795/P0411/001041 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected
  • <LI class=toclevel-2>1.1 Possible Symptoms
  • 1.2 Possible Causes
  • 1.3 Possible Solutions

16795/P0411/001041 - Secondary Air Injection System: Incorrect Flow Detected

Possible Symptoms

• Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) ON

Possible Causes

• Fuel Pump Relay (J17) faulty
• Hoses/Pipes to/between Components faulty/clogged
• Secondary Air Injection Pump (V101) faulty
• Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay (J299) faulty
• Secondary Air Injection Solenoid Valve (N112) faulty

Possible Solutions

• Check Fuel Pump Relay (J17)
• Check Hoses/Pipes to/between Components
  • Check Secondary Air Injection Hoses/Pipes for Carbonization
• Check Secondary Air Injection Pump (V101)
• Check Secondary Air Injection Pump Relay (J299)
• Check Secondary Air Injection Solenoid Valve (N112)

Retrieved from "16795/P0411/001041 - Ross-Tech Wiki"

MORAV

[vdub00]

Originally Posted by haroldp

Sounds like a pump or something is making a noise when i push the brake pedal at first, then goes away. Also i have a good pedal with the engine off, but when i start it the pedal does down a bunch. Does this car have a vacuum pump or engine vacuum?

I had a similar problem with my car after changing the rear pads just this sunday. i ended up having the system flushed and bled at a local shop we trust. same noise thing, no pedal while driving but when off it would go still after two pumps.

Them flushing and bleeding it fixed it fine. it cost about $87 for both services at Firestone, just fyi.

[haroldp]

My brake pads look like new, and the brakes are not spoggy. The pedal is kinda low to when driving, but will stop it fine.. I have no engine lights on, and everything else works great except the cruise control.
Took me a week to get all the sticky mess off the interior plastic.

[vdub00]

is it low on brake fluid?

The reservoir is behind the air box, has a yellow 2-part cap that you can reach without removing the air box lid, but it would be easier to fill it up by removing it and the MAF sensor, but not the whole hose just remove the clip in sensor to give you room.

otherwise im not sure what else it could be. i would still say to flush and bleed the brakes, not too expensive and can eliminate that from the guessing game.

[haroldp]

Reservoir is full.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by haroldp

Reservoir is full.

Doesn't matter if the reservoir is full you can still have air in your brake system. I changed my brakes front and rear including my rotors. BTW, the rear brakes require a special tool to turn the caliper while pushing it in. If you don't turn it while pushing open the caliper could be damaged and air bubbles can form. Anyway, after I did my brakes the pedal still felt a little sloppy so I took it to a local Euroshop that specializes in VW/Audi and Porsche. They flushed my system and the of course bled it at the same time. It is a good idea to change that brake fluid once in a while.
Anyway, after they were done the brakes felt 100 percent better. The entire job cost $75 bucks which was well worth it in my opinion. Also whoever had the engine replaced and let a shop charge them 400 dollars for hoses should be shot.
I replaced all my hoses with high performance silicone hoses which are a lot more durable than that oem rubber crap that comes on the car for about 45 bucks. I understand some markup but 400 bucks for 40 bucks worth of hoses is a total rip off.

[CapnDenny1]

I finally got the refund on the air pump that was no good, and the air pump that was out of stock. I had over $500 tied up in nothing for a few weeks. I am supposed to get the new one tomorrow and will put it in, and cross my fingers. I also got an emissions inspection that shows it failed for the secondary air. Then I may be able to get a waiver if I exceed $450 in parts. They wouldn't allow the $700 I spent on the catalytic converter, since I didn't have a failed emissions test to prove that I needed one. Like who spends $700 on a catalytic converter unless they have to? I talked to the guy at the Missouri Clean Air Program office and he was a real jerk. Since I didn't have an official failure none of the money I spent mattered. Hopefully this will fix it, but if not I'm just $100 short of the $450 for the waiver.

The reason I didn't have the shop fix it was that the CEL was on before the engine blew. I actually heard the air pump die one morning about a year ago, but I didn't know what it was. It was also making the whining noise for a year or so before that.

The $400 wasn't just for hoses, but some of that was for those little plastic fittings that VW is so fond of. I agree that it should have been part of the original estimate. That's why I haven't been back to the shop, and probably won't be.

I have another shop who is pretty honest, but he refuses to work on my beetle. He honestly thinks he is in over his head with them, so he declines to work on it.

I will try to flush the brakes.

[silverliquid1013]

I had this similar problem in my '94 Accord. It was the brake master cylinder, but I never got around to replacing it. For instance, at a red light the brake would slowly depress until it finally reached the bottom and I would have to let go of it and depress it again to get some brake feel. Luckily it was a MT so it didnt bother me much.

A few more ideas it could be
-old brake fluid
-a vaccum leak
-broken o-rings


-P

[haroldp]

Update.

Flushed whole system installed new front rotors. I have great brakes now. Looks like the owner before me just put new pads and didn't replaced the rotors which were bad.