brake booster?

[adam_vr]

every now and then (3 times in 6 months) im just driving along normally, i go to brake and notice the pedal is a bit harder to push down than normal, as i drive on the pedal gets harder and harder to push down. the car feels like the brakes are slowly being applied by them self.

The 2 other times this had happened, the pedal and brakes had gone back to normal after stopping and doing a u turn to come back home. Today though i didnt really stop and do a u turn, just went in a circle around the block to get home the few hundred metres.
by the time i got home onto my gravel driveway, the brakes had applied themselves so much that the back wheels would just spin like i was holding down the brakes and doing a burnout.
i got out to have a look as good as i could in the rain, noticed that the brake lights were still on but went out a few seconds after i saw it, the car was still on and idleing.
after that it went away and all was fine again.

Anyone know what the problem is or had anything similar happen?

 

[CHANDLC]

Mate that is a strange one and a serious prop but when it comes to your brakes with a proplem like that i think the best thing to do would be to take it to the mechanics and get it looked asap before it causes an accident

 

[kopper69]

Could be the brake booster although I have never had this problem. Will have a look in the manual tomorrow for you about checking the booster. Do you know what the booster looks like? Do you have a manual?

 

[adam_vr]

nah havent gotten around to buying a car manual for it yet, so yeah i dunno about doing any checks. might have to take a trip to super cheap tomorrow and pick one up

 

[genIIIbandit]

firstly , jack all 4 wheels off ground, and clamp brake lines to check if individual wheels are braking, does it idle smooth? if not check the vacuum hose to booster

 

[adam_vr]

yeah pressing and realeasing the brake makes a slight change in idle, that normal or not? i noticed that after the problem had gone away, didnt really check when it was happening.
its just weird seeing as it only does it once about every 2 months.
the brake fluid is a bit dirty and does need a change, is this a factor?

 

[genIIIbandit]

yes it is normal for the idle to change slightly when the brake pedal is depressed, as the booster works on vacuum, and at idle the engine creates max. vacuum. You could have moisture in the reservoir, if it was mine i would firstly suck out old fluid then bleed the system, then jack up all four wheels, clamp flexiable lines individual and insure that all fours wheels are working indepdently, you might find that the sliders are seized, the caliper is seized, there are no pads left, etc....

 

[POVRTY]

take the caliper apart and clean the sliders that go into the caliper then apply a small amount of grease just enough to lube it up. this is if u know wich caliper it is. i had this happen to my vr i cleaned all callipers and while it was in the air 4 the sake of $12 i bled the brakes aswell. this should fix it!!!

 

[elmoticus]

Just wondering if you found the problem with this car. I am experiencing exactly the same symptons at the moment, have checked caliper slides, machined rotors, replaced pads, flushed and bled brake fluid and problem still persists.Even noticed brake lights on after getting out of car so sounds like the exact same thing. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[stylin_vr2]

dont know if my probs similar or not but sometimes my brake pedal wont move at all... its like its just there 2 rest ur foot on or something.. only happens when its in park.. but its kinda uhh.. creepy?