brakes suddenly got weird? Need help pls!

[issy]

Just before I got home from work I found that pressing the brake pedal became harder if that makes sense? the usual softish braking motion of last 19 years (!!) became solid... Hard.. the van would still brake but i have to press harder and braking takes longer to work!

The bus is a crossover with 1600 engine in it now. the reservoir still has fluid in it..... I did have new brake cable and stuff done at end if summer and it has been fine.... Until suddenly today...

Can a brake servo just fail and are my symptoms similar to this? Now I have no way to go to work as I am not happy with brakes

Any ideas? THanks

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Sounds like servo or pipe to servo leak to me.

Rich

 

[issy]

i know my splitscreen did not have a servo and it feels a bit like that when i brake now... it still brakes but depends on how strong my foot pressure is.. I take it the bus should not now be driven at all?

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Not in an ideal world.
If it were a modern car with a knackered servo id say definately not.
But i dont know what classics are like when servos go down.

Rich

 

[Anonymous]

The servo pipe sounds like its come off

 

[Moseley]

It's no problem to drive if it is a servo leak / failure, just means you need to push harder on the brake pedal for it to work.

Common mis-conception on modern cars that the brakes have 'completely' failed as they just don't know how hard you actually need to push to make the brakes work. The servo and master cylinder are linked, but are independent.

 

[issy]

Thanks... It was / is reassuring to get second opinion.. Any decent garage around here is too busy to even look at bus for over a week....