Fluid Related ??

[Tekara 0]

Hi All

 

Just recently started to notice a few things on the C wondering if they are related.

 

1: Brakes, problem im having is they sometimes feel responsive other times they are very vague, almost as if they dont really want to work. Disks, pads and front callipers have been changed recently. This was done about 300 miles ago.

 

2: Clutch, this has started to feel on occasion rather heavy other times its a little lighter

 

3: Steering has started to make a graunching noise at about 1/2 - full lock, normal driving the steering is a little wobbly in the centre and evenly weighted once the wheels start to move.

 

Car is due a service in a month times, after flicking through the service schedule i noticed its not had the brake fluid changed since 2001. Could all of the above have anything to do with this ?

 

Thanks in advance

[dinkus 10]

I'm no expert by any means, but if you've had your brakes changed recently and they aren't working properly then it sounds very much like the fluid needs at least bleeding, if not changing. As you've done 300 miles it should rule out the bedding in period that new pads need (usually 200ish miles til they are working fully).

 

All 3 systems use separate fluid, so if isn't related by the fluid alone. However one of the cylinders (I forget which) works for both the clutch and brakes.

 

Your steering graunch noise could be any number of things, but it sounds like it's probably bearings (either wheel or top mount) or similar. Again, I'm no expert, but it's just a guess.

[Tekara 0]

Ah you might be onto something there, now taking the thread totally off topic. Clearly showing my lack on knowledge under the bonnet with the fluid. Top mounts could be something, had the tracking done about 3 weeks ago after i bought the car, wasnt convinced that all was right after having it done. Its due back in the garage soon for a bit more work, will ask them to take a look at that. Will also ask for them to check the brakes over too.

[Supercharged 2]

All 3 systems use separate fluid, so if isn't related by the fluid alone. However one of the cylinders (I forget which) works for both the clutch and brakes

 

Dom, you have seperate cylinders for the clutch and brakes (thats why there are seperate pedals :wink: ) but the clutch uses the same hydraulic fluid resevoir as the breaks.

[dinkus 10]

All 3 systems use separate fluid, so if isn't related by the fluid alone. However one of the cylinders (I forget which) works for both the clutch and brakes

 

Dom, you have seperate cylinders for the clutch and brakes (thats why there are seperate pedals :wink: ) but the clutch uses the same hydraulic fluid resevoir as the breaks.

 

Well there ya go, I told ya I wasn't an expert.

 

I knew some clutch and brake part was shared.

[dr_mat 0]

Definitely worth replacing your brake fluid - and make sure they bleed through the clutch too. It makes a big difference to the pedal feel.

Steering trouble sound awfully like play in the steering rack.. Make sure it's not anything else first though - top mounts, ball joints, track rods/ends etc etc.

[aks_uk 0]

Tekera, My Corrado had similar problems, bleeding didn't sort mine out. Eventually turned out that my Brake Master Cylinder needed changing. Bought one from GSF for around £35 and now works perfect!! as for the clutch, i have no idea. As for the steering, mine does that too, check to see if u got the original green stuff as opposed to the red fluid, i'll be changing mine soon.

[stevemac 0]

check to see if u got the original green stuff as opposed to the red fluid, i'll be changing mine soon.

Do it with some urgency - the red stuff (ATF) will damage the seals in your steering pump & steering rack. :shock:

[dr_mat 0]

check to see if u got the original green stuff as opposed to the red fluid, i'll be changing mine soon.

Do it with some urgency - the red stuff (ATF) will damage the seals in your steering pump & steering rack. :shock:

 

I hear this a lot, and I wonder why?

 

Can anyone explain why a PAS fluid (designed for the purpose) might damage the seals on perfectly standard TRW or ZF steering racks, which are fitted to huge numbers of cars from lots of different manufacturers?

[Supercharged 2]

Can anyone explain why a PAS fluid (designed for the purpose)

 

Its not designed for that purpose tho... ATF - Automatic Transmition Fluid....

[dr_mat 0]

Right then, that makes sense!! :)

 

And then the next question would be why the hell would someone use ATF instead of PAS fluid?!

You don't catch people using chip fat instead of engine oil...

[Henny 0]

ATF CAN be used in some P/S systems (French stuff use it IIRC) but it will kill a VW steering system's seals after a while as it's much harsher and thicker than the proper VAG PAS green stuff...

 

VAG only has one type of PAS fluid available, so that makes it a whole hell of a lot easier to make sure you get the correct one! :lol:

[Supercharged 2]

You don't catch people using chip fat instead of engine oil...

 

Doh! :lol:

[stevemac 0]

Most vehicles on the road all use ATF in their power steering systems. VAG cars use a special green fluid & not ATF.

 

Many garages either forget this fact or just don't know. They automatically use ATF in all steering systems - not good if you have a VW car !!

[dr_mat 0]

But VW use ZF and TRW and Lucas steering components, just like all the other car companies. Or do VW specify different components specifically for their cars? And why do they do that?

[Skimask 0]

The VW green fluid is apparently synthetic and not mineral based like most other fluids. so one of the steelers mechs told me??

 

I thought brake fluid and power steering are alcohol based - that's why they ignite very easily.

[bighands 0]

fook, now thinking maybe some lovely person could explain how to get it out!!!!!!! No one tells me these things!!! :cry:

[stevemac 0]

But VW use ZF and TRW and Lucas steering components, just like all the other car companies. Or do VW specify different components specifically for their cars? And why do they do that?

Not sure why VW's have specified different seals - progress I suppose :roll:

 

One thing for certain - red ATF will eventually kill them though. :shock:

[stevemac 0]

I thought brake fluid and power steering are alcohol based

Not sure on that one - Govenment usually add an extra tax on importing alcohol based products. That's why Mercedes now source all their screenwash in the UK, insted of importing the German (far superior) stuff. :shock:

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Brake fluid is most certainly not alcohol based. The boiling point of ethyl alcohol is about 80 deg. C, much too low for it to have any place in a braking system - water is useless for the same reason and we change our fluid regularly to get rid of any that may have been absorbed.

 

Brake fuids are either mineral oil or silicone based, with boiling points high enough to prevent vapourisation (and loss of pressure) at the very high temperatures generated by braking.

 

Best wishes

 

RB