A fortnight ago I changed the alternator on my van due to it not charging which meant having to take the servo off the front. After changing the alternator it began throwing 14.4v to the battery and continued to do so over a week period. A few days after this I thought I had not applied enough pressure on the brake pedal and failed to slow at a junction.

This weekend I attended the Ace Jam, some 200 miles away, and about 2 miles from the site a similar thing happened and the brake exclamation mark indication lamp lit up, hand book says low fluid or worn pads. I checked the fluid whic was fine so I put it down to brake pads.

On my way home from the Jam I had trouble starting the van at a child pitstop and had to blag a jump start. I also encountered a few braking problems such as the pedal going solid half way up and slowing very gradually and the pedal going to the floor and doing nothing until I had pumped it a few times. Each time I had the brake exclamation lamp come on.

Could these problems be linked due to the fact they both rely on the same moving parts ie alternator with servo attached and how do I check the servo?

- (#8505) Mark, 18 May 03 10:16

strange one that, Mark. A lack of vacuum should result in the pedal going hard, rather than long...
The warning lamp doesn't know anything about the front pads. It only knows that either the handbrake is on, the fluid is low, or there's a lack of vacuum for the servo.
But if the fluid level is full when the pads are new, the level will be about low when the pads are worn...

Anyway. Odd brakes and a flat battery? sounds like a slipping drive belt. Or a pulley that's not keyed onto it's shaft, perhaps.

Check the vacuum hoses onto the alternator that you disturbed during the swap for splitting or cracking.

- (#8506) david miller, 18 May 03 10:51

Hi Mark, Sounds like you have an air leak of somesort, causing collapse of servo air pressure, though impossible to tell for sure sitting here.
To check your servo is working;
1. With engine off, pump the brake pedal until it goes rock solid.
2. Apply pressure to the brake pedal & hold.
3. Whilst pressing the brake pedal, start your engine. As the engine starts/idles, the brake pedal should move slowly downwards. Pump the pedal again with engine running, brake servo pressure should be restored & the brake pedal should 'feel' normal.
If the above doesn't happen, then you have a servo related problem somewhere.

HTH Tony.

- (#8507) Tony Lloyd-Jones, 18 May 03 10:54

Doh!

Removed the seat plan again to find the tensioning bolt had worked itself loose for the alternator explaining both the loss of charge and brakes. I have now added a coating of stud lock to the bolt and retightened. Voila... the battery is now being charged.

I have also changed my front brake pads which required changing, see this job soon on the tasks page.

Mark

- (#8652) Mark, 21 May 03 10:21

Glad to see it was nothing expensive. Bet you thought that's another mortgage to sort this out.
We should have had that "who can get the floor pan out the quickest" race after all.
- (#8653) Clive, 22 May 03 2:54