Braking system failure!

[BLASTER]

On my way to work yesterday approaching a roundabout as I applied the brake all I got was a solid pedal, no movement at all!, the car didn't slow so pumping the brake had no affect either! had to use the hand brake to stop the car (scared the cr** out of me!):aargh4: managed to get to my local garage! driving very carefully! they say the vacuum pump has gone, recon on about £450.00 to replace it....

Does this sound like a fair deal?? they say it's a dealer part only? I've not called them to check. Any input people??:(

As the car is in bits I feel I've little choice!

[TUG]

I hope not! the same thing happend to me this morning!! luckly i had just finished my 20 mile trip to work and was just rolling in the the car park!!!
Anyone with any suggestions!!????

[KeithS]

Sounds like the vacuum pump has gone as they say.

[BLASTER]

Hi, back again, I've just called the dealer and the vacuum pump only costs £141.40 for my 1.9TDI,SE but I'm still waiting on a quote to fit it by the dealer,as I think the guy who has my car now maybe trying to have my eyes out:zx11:

[TUG]

I had the aa come round to have a look and as soon as i drive the brakes work but if i apply the brakes 2 or 3 times they stop???
the vacuum still works??

[KeithS]

could be the servo unit or the vacuum hose?

[TUG]

Right i have taken the car to a friend who owns a garage, and as he went to remove a pipe from the servo it broke but he also found some water in there as well !!!!! he has orderd a new pipe tomorrow and while he was on the phone vw said that the valve in the pipe can get glogged which can be quite common so hopfully this should sought it out!! (or maybe i am just hoping???)
i will ley you know what happends tommorow!!

[BLASTER]

Still waiting for the dealer to get back in touch about the price to fit the thing! although when I arrived home from work tonight there was a message from them giving me a price to fit a hose??:banghead:

Now the guy who has my car has just called to say the part is now in front of him, I can pick it up tomorrow/today,late afternoon, even, the car that is! and the price has come down to £366.00:confused:

Or because the service count down is at 1000,mls he could do it all for £560.00:confused:
:dunno:should I snap his hand off?

[KeithS]

Still waiting for the dealer to get back in touch about the price to fit the thing! although when I arrived home from work tonight there was a message from them giving me a price to fit a hose??:banghead:

Now the guy who has my car has just called to say the part is now in front of him, I can pick it up tomorrow/today,late afternoon, even, the car that is! and the price has come down to £366.00:confused:

Or because the service count down is at 1000,mls he could do it all for £560.00:confused:
:dunno:should I snap his hand off?

Sounds like you have the same problem - the vacuum servo hose (which includes the check valve) needs replacing. I would have thought £366 is rather a lot for replacing a hose...

[BLASTER]

As my car is already in bits with the garage, I'm really at their mercy, I really need the car back! so have opted to just pay them what they are asking, as soon as I can I'll be taking the car to the dealer to ask them to check that the work has been carried out to the extent to justify the price:confused: to fit that vacuum pump? as quoted by the garage not the dealer £360. I've asked the garage to print me off a detailed job sheet so I know what they are charging me for:confused:I'll take this along to the dealer also for reference...

I guess the service cost would have been around the £200. mark anyway!

I'll be back!;)

[TUG]

Just replaced the hose going into the servo unit and that has soughted the problem for now but they did manage to get a mug full of water out of the servo so i will have to wait and see!! gonna try and find out how the water is getting into the servo???:o

[snapdragon]

I have had this too. There is a recall in USA for it.

Water gets in the brake booster servo, due to the seam rusting and rainwater being drawn in until it's builds up and locks solid (hydrolocks) It's disgusting and affects many VAG models with the same design.

[doug.howsie]

Just replaced the hose going into the servo unit and that has soughted the problem for now but they did manage to get a mug full of water out of the servo so i will have to wait and see!! gonna try and find out how the water is getting into the servo???:o

Hi, Which hose was replaced, I noticed a wear on the vacuum hose that goes from the servo to the engine ( passing in front of the battery , which is where a small hole was made I assume by the battery rubbing against it. I tape up the pipe and it as is was only leaking air when the pipe was moved.) Now I have read this thread I'm worried that I may loose my breaks.

[BLASTER]

Ok then! got the car back late on Friday, seems to be behaving itself, The new tandem pump was fitted, a revised price on the pump due to miss infomation on the garages part meant that the price for the pump that was actually required became not £141.40 as mentioned earlier, but now £297.67,+ VAT.:buttkick:
Shocked but not suprised! however!, strange as it may seem the overall price to supply and fit the pump never changed from the original quote of £366. and a few pence....:confused: I managed to contact the dealer and pass on my engine code and reg and they confirmed the price of the pump and that it was infact a dual pump that was required and it was a dealer supplied part only, so thats my problem solved :approve:
I just hope it stays solved! :drive:

[BLASTER]

Ok then! got the car back late on Friday, seems to be behaving itself, The new tandem pump was fitted, a revised price on the pump due to miss infomation on the garages part meant that the price for the pump that was actually required became not £141.40 as mentioned earlier, but now £297.67,+ VAT.:buttkick:
Shocked but not suprised! however!, strange as it may seem the overall price to supply and fit the pump never changed from the original quote of £366. and a few pence....:confused: I managed to contact the dealer and pass on my engine code and reg and they confirmed the price of the pump and that it was infact a dual pump that was required and it was a dealer supplied part only, so thats my problem solved :approve:
I just hope it stays solved! :drive:

I may have spoken too soon! it happened again this morning! solid pedal no brake :aargh4: what is going on? Ive had the car back for less than three days!! coming home from work I went back to the garage to ask them to check it out :confused: they say they'll need the car all day to do a thorough check:confused:I'm really confused now!! what did they do in the first place? a less than thorough check:mad: I'll be back!

[Crasher]

Water gets into the servo as it ends up sitting in a deep bath of water when the plenum chamber drains get blocked, this is the recall. The water is drawn in through tiny imperfections in the join between the two halves of the servo and seems to affect diesel versions more and I think this is due to the consistently higher constant vacuum delivered by the tandem pump, rather than the lower and varying vacuum generated by a petrol engine. The servo will now start to rust inside and eventually the left front brake will start to lock on and burn out.

[BLASTER]

Water gets into the servo as it ends up sitting in a deep bath of water when the plenum chamber drains get blocked, this is the recall. The water is drawn in through tiny imperfections in the join between the two halves of the servo and seems to affect diesel versions more and I think this is due to the consistently higher constant vacuum delivered by the tandem pump, rather than the lower and varying vacuum generated by a petrol engine. The servo will now start to rust inside and eventually the left front brake will start to lock on and burn out.

:beerchug:
Yeah thanks! I read the earlier threads and I've mentioned the servo problem to the guy at the garage, thats when he said he'd need the car for a full day to check out the brake system! i'd have thought he'd have checked the servo as a matter of course:confused: although I saw the pump he'd taken out of my car, I'd have no way of knowing if this was the main problem or not, as i'm no mechanic:o

[Crasher]

The ratios of tandem pump to servo failure I see is about 10 servos to1 pump, the tandem pumps biggest problem is the pipe fitting coming loose and leaking.

[BLASTER]

The ratios of tandem pump to servo failure I see is about 10 servos to1 pump, the tandem pumps biggest problem is the pipe fitting coming loose and leaking.

Come to think of it!! The guy did say that the hose connection had worked loose! you're right there, this was my fault or rather the fault with the pump:( I've now got my car back again and all seems to be ok, everything has now been checked out, the master cylinder was stripped and cleaned with new seals put in or on? the vacuum hose was ok! no signs of water ingress on the servo, so I'm told, it all seems fine, now I know what I'm looking for I'll be able to check it out myself in future, water ingress seems to be one of the biggest issues with this model, why this should be is beyond beleif for a car maker in this day and age!! just goes to show you eh!:(

[Eddie]

I totally agree with u on the water issue i believe there is more than one leaking point on these cars besides the pollen filter ive done all the usual to mine but no joy just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit then the whole interior is coming out carpets and all then its down to the car wash with my lad torch in hand on the floor to spot where it comes in if i find it or them i will post the ingress points on the forum.
Ed

[Crasher]

Eddie, another common leak is any one of the door metal inner panels. The gasket strip along the bottom rots away and allows water to get in which has evaded the door window seals.

[Eddie]

Cheers Crasher is this the seal between door card and door or the plastic sheet which covers the door under the door cards. Ed

[Crasher]

On a 3B Passat, behind the door card is a metal panel, it is the seal around the metal panel that fails at the base.

[Eddie]

Mines the 5b crasher do you mean the 5b Regards Ed

[Crasher]

I don't use that designation; to me it is a 3B. If you look at the chassis number is will be wvwzzz3Bz then a letter for the year, say X for 1999, then E or for the build plant (Emden and Mosel respectively) and then the six digits of the individual serial number.