Brakes Feeling Spongy & Noise From Steering Wheel

[shaunlfc1]

Hi,

 

My other half is enjoying her Xantia I brought for her, but swear she makes things up with it half the time.

 

She's says now that the brakes sometimes feel spongy, especially when pulling up to a junction or traffic lights for instance, but the brakes still "stop" her and dont feel like they are under-performing in anyway.

 

Plus just as she pulls up to said stops or junctions the car lurches forward, as if you'd slipped off the clutch pedal a little. Wish I've wound her up by asking her it that is the case, and she's adamant its not her causing the car to lurch froward.

 

Also she claims there is like a werring or pumping noise coming from the steering at certain times when she is driving, any ideas what this could be, or is just the hydraulics pumping around and totally normal?

 

I've taken it a couple of times over the weekend and couldnt get it to play-up for me, or do anything out of the ordinary.

 

My experience of brakes is that if they're spungy they're always spongy, but im new too this hydraulic system, so please anyone put me right on this.

 

Also the front centre sphere is weeping could this have anything to do with it, I intend on changing it this weekend, does the Haynes manual give you a good step by step guide on how to do it?

 

All help would be much appreciated...

 

Cheers,

 

Shaun

[DaveWalling]

Hi Shaun,

The accumulator sphere is relativly easy to change, and the Haynes manual gives you a step by step guide. It`s purpose is to act as a backup for the hydraulic system in case something ie, the hydraulic pump, fails. The probs could all be related as they are all run off the one hydraulic system. Hope this sorts you out. If it is any use, my wife is exactly the same!!! Phantom noises, etc!! :huh:

Oh, where is it actually leaking from? Is it the joint between the sphere and pressure regulator (the bit the sphere screws onto). If so it looks like the seal has gone, if it appears to be behind the regulator then that is the part you should change, I have just had the same problem. Thought it was the sphere, turned out to be the regulator. Good news is they are cheap from a scrapper, reasonably easy to fit. Hardest part is disconnecting all the brackets for the pipework!!!

[shaunlfc1]

I've only had a quick look and I must admit the bottom of the sphere looks alright, and the oil seems to be coming from the block the sphere is attached too, as the bottom of the sphere seems clean.

 

The MOT cert. just say the sphere is weeping, so Im hoping its just that, or the seal, as I want it to be a quick fix and not have to muck about fitting a new regulator block or whatever it is called.

 

Cheers,

 

Shaun

[DaveWalling]

Hi Shaun,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it sounds like the pressure regulator is shot. There are only 3 bolts holding it on, 1 on the gearbox, and 2 on the front. However it is the lower one on the front that is the problem as it doubles as a stud for the pipework brackets! As I said previously th bracketsare the worst part of the job. Full details are in the Haynes manual