Brake pedal stuck

[rallymaneddie]

Hi lads new member here, 130tdi sport Passat (02) brake pedal stuck down, pulled it up but rod that goes into servo through bulkhead is stuck, brakes stuck on, car wont move. Is servo buggered or is it something else?:confused:

[Mart]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your brakes, just had the same problem with mine on a 01 PD130 SE, 118,000 miles. Local garage changed the master cylinder thinking this was the problem, it stuck again, sent off to main ******* they changed the servo, this did the trick, they also wanted to change the master cylinder as they say there policy is to change both items when this problem happens. The supply and fit of the servo was £470! Fortunately the local garage did not charge me for the new master cylinder. Hope this helps.

Regards Mart

[rallymaneddie]

Hi

Sorry to hear about your brakes, just had the same problem with mine on a 01 PD130 SE, 118,000 miles. Local garage changed the master cylinder thinking this was the problem, it stuck again, sent off to main ******* they changed the servo, this did the trick, they also wanted to change the master cylinder as they say there policy is to change both items when this problem happens. The supply and fit of the servo was £470! Fortunately the local garage did not charge me for the new master cylinder. Hope this helps.

Regards Mart
hi Mart,thanks for the info, I havent been near the computer for a while because I was busy at the Passat. As you said, it was the master cylinder, when I crawled in under the dash and pulled the rubber boot back from where the servo actuator rod goes into the bulkhead I thought I could see rust! Servo actuator rod would not budge so I spent most of a day getting the servo out. Had to remove the master cylinder, move big wiring loom out of the way (Sticker on rubber cover of wiring loom says 'do not bend'). Space is very tight, easier when I took off wipers and plastic cover from bottom of screen. It is fixed on with 3 clips and a couple of screws and lifts up from the screen out of a channel along the bottom.
Local breaker has 3 Passats but all servos already gone, sounds fishy, I reckon water that garhered under the bulkhead a few months ago got into the servo. I only noticed this when carpets got wet, there is a big drain hole under the servo, you cannot see it with the servo installed, I had poked the crud out from underneath and a lot of water came out but it looks like the damage was done to the servo.
I got a new servo for £250 from local VW dealer, spent another day putting it all back and bleeding the brakes.
The whole show is a DIY job, just about, anyone with same problem could get quote from garage before deciding if its worth the hassle of DIY.
Another couple of points-mark the wiper positions on the scren with tape or something before you remove them and remember which is right/left. Fault code came up when I started the car up again heater plug light flashing and 'engine workshop' on display, scared the living c--p out of me, but garage reset the brake switch and put the light out.
Car is now fine.