[Mission360]

I have replaced the front calipers, pads and had the brakes professionally bled due to the offside caliper severely binding. So much so that when it heated up it sounded like a wheel bearing had gone!
Anyway, replaced as described (noise went away) and this week went in for it's MOT. The car passed but had advisories for both front wheels brakes binding.
What can be the issue if all have been replaced? Master cylinder?

 

[Dadar]

Check under the scuttle panel for water ingress where the brake servo is as it is known to hold water because of blocked drainage bungs which in turn can cause the brake servo to rust which in turn could potentially cause you braking issues

 

[SimonRoma]

But Mission mate, I would take the car straight back to the place that did the work and got paid and have them check out the entire braking system!!!!!! They were surely paid to do a job that did not complete if you then have an MOT warning. Dadar made an excellent point but you really need to get down and dirty to find this problem and given that the brakes are involved then I consider this URGENT. Good luck and let us know!!

 

[SimonRoma]

Any progress???

 

[Mission360]

No progress as yet. The brakes were done at Kwik-Fit (I know, I know) and the MOT was done there also. They are saying that because it passed the MOT, the advisory is just that and can only suggest an issue with the calipers. The car at this very moment is in my local independent garage who have just called me to say that all they can think of is an issue with both calipers. (I really don't think they want the work). To have an advisory over a year ago over a faulty caliper, to have them replaced, pads replaces and bled, then to get another advisory over both calipers seem highly unlikely to be the cause. (I know it isn't strictly impossible, but that would be damn unlucky).
The Indy has said he is going to take the calipers off and investigate further, albeit reluctantly by the sound of it.

 

[Mission360]

Would a faulty master cylinder not affect the rear brakes also?

 

[findalex]

Master cylinder affects all brakes, so if only rear brakes are binding, then it's probably not that.

The two main sources of the problems are:

1. your electronic brake motor is bad
2. the caliper pins are stuck (sometime could be regreased), or bent

I had problems with brakes on my VW and it was because the grease dried out over time. Cleanning and regreasing fixed it.

 

[Mission360]

Well I'm still waiting to hear from the garage so will update when I do. Out of curiosity, what are the implications if the calipers weren't wound back completely before they were fitted?

 

[TonyP]

If you replaced the pads, they would have to have been wound back 95% plus as they most likely would not have fitted due to the new pad thickness.

Only other issue is if you change the brake fluid there could have been some old fluid left in the caliper...

 

[Mission360]

Just got the car back and it transpires that they didn't clean the carriers. They were filthy and the bolts slightly corroded. My independent stripped and thoroughly cleaned them and all is working as it should be!

 

[Smokey Joe]

Just skim read this thread.
Glad the car is now sorted.
Lesson learned.... Never ever use Kwikfit!