TQS Brake fade

[Chriscooke]

I was on a private stretch of road the other day trying to keep up with a mate in a more powerful/lighter car so I was leaning on the car quite heavily. Everything was fine until I was under heavy braking in to a tight right hander when I lost my brakes completely.

Does the qts often suffer from brake fade? I'm not sure when the fluid was last changed so I will need to do this as I guess I boiled it the other day

 

[Broken Byzan]

Heavy car, rubbish brakes. Change the fluid and get some decent pads fitted if you are going to drive like this regularily

 

[Chriscooke]

It's not a regular thing at all tbh. I always thought the brakes were decent but guess not.

I may have been using them as hard as I do with my 200sx equiped with 345mm wilwood fronts and 2 pot 290mm skyline rears and it only weighs 1200 kg.

Will have to change the fluid and check the pads as they haven't been the same since.

 

[Broken Byzan]

Sounds like you have ****** them. Change them and the fluid and it will be worlds apart. The TQS is 1500 odd KG and the brakes are silly small considering it's capabilities

 

[Chriscooke]

Cheers for the advice mate Wasn't sure if it was a common problem or not but judging by your replies it's not unheard of Will have a refresh of parts asap

 

[aragorn]

What actually happened?

If the pedal went hard and your car didnt stop, thats pad fade.
If the pedal went really soft and you didnt stop, thats boiled brake fluid.

Pad fade will usually recover with no adverse effects once its cooled down again. However if you boiled the fluid you'll need to flush it thru and the pedal will probably feel a bit soft and spongey until you do.

 

[jcb]

or just save your time and get rid of the standard ones.

I had a sphincter tightening moment coming up a slip road at speed.
total pad fade left me looking for an escape route!

 

[Chriscooke]

By your explanation I boiled the fluid as I lost the pedal completely.

Seeing as this is my daily I don't really want to mess around upgrading brakes etc. I don't intend to take this car on track etc so hopefully some new fluid etc will do for now

 

[Oranoco]

Yep I boiled my fluid playing keep up with my mates Mk1 Focus RS. Was a tad worrying approaching a tight bend at 120mph with the pedal just going soft.

 

[aragorn]

Get some good fluid in there then. ATE blue seems good value.

 

[Chriscooke]

Heard of ate blue I think. Is that the stuff that is repellant to moisture?

 

[gmx]

that stuff may also cause clutch squeak.

 

[aragorn]

No brake fluid is resistant to moisture.

 

[Foxmeister]

Brake fluid is Hydroscopic, meaning it can take in water.

 

[jcb]

hence why it boils...it is the water boiling off