ABS Unit replaced by main dealer - now brakes are awful !!!!!!!!

[kaygolf]

My Golf 1.6 FSi SE has just returned from a main dealer having had a replacement ABS Control Unit. I've driven it for the first time tonight and the brakes are almost non-existent. I almost have to touch the floor to make any difference to its speed, and the stopping distance is enormous, even at low speeds. I've had this car from new and am 100% confident that the brakes are far worse than when the car went in (they were fine before it went in).
Obviously I'm going to phone them in the morning, but if anyone could give me any pointers to enable me to talk sensibly with them I'd really appreciate it.
There are no warning lights on the dash, and my husband has had a quick look at the brake fluid and all appears ok. The only thing I've noticed is that when I pump the brake pedal I can hear what sounds like air (as though you're pumping up an airbed!?) - maybe it always did this but I just didn't notice though.

Any ideas anyone please?
Thanks

[Wazza_G]

Don't drive it, get the AA or RAC to come & examine it if you belong to either, say you pressed the brake pedal and nearly hit something, (or if you don't call the dealer & tell them exactly the same) get them to come & check it and preferably them to take it back to the dealership for rectification work.

Contact your local Trading Standards and report the matter and if it's proven that they didn't do the job properly you may want to have a word with a lawyer after all they've put your life in danger!

[kaygolf]

Hi, thanks for the reply and advice.
Just in case in my panic I was exaggerating when I said almost non-existent, what I should have calmly have said is that I have to press the pedal down 2 - 3 inches or so before the brakes kick in at all. At this point they work fine. It's just that you travel a long distance during the 2-3 inches of braking (if you see what I mean). I almost overshot a junction because I was expecting the brakes to be as they were before.
Do you think phoning the AA is a reasonable thing to do? I have got Home Start.
Thanks

[kaygolf]

Have called the AA as I have complimentary home start and they've said they'll have a look and check if it's safe to drive.
Thanks again for the quick response.

[jdjd1234]

Maybe they need wearing in? Or perhaps they fitted some performence breaks that need to heat up before they work:confused:

[kaygolf]

AA came out last night and had a good look at them (back wheels off etc). Agreed that they were very 'soft' but he had no reason to suspect that they would fail. Phoned garage this morning - said to bring it in straight away. Taking it in in the morning.

[kaygolf]

:1zhelp:
The main dealer have now had another look at the brakes.
They say that the new ABS Unit that they fitted yesterday was faulty (???) and so they have today fitted another new unit (very lucky that they had one in stock - the last one had to be ordered - took c 3 weeks . . .) and have bled the brakes and all is now as it should be. Brakes now feel fine to us.

Big question - how can a Unit which costs c £1500 (inc fitting) be so faulty that it has to be replaced when not one warning light is showing on the dashboard. Please can anyone throw any light on this - it doesn't entirely fill me with confidence that the warning lights are very effective, or am I missing something?

Thanks
Kay

[KeithS]

The ABS unit should not have any effect on the brakes - the whole idea is that if it fails, you get no ABS but the brakes work as normal.

Normally if the ABS unit fails you get the ABS warning light come on. On what grounds did they replace the ABS unit the first time round? What was wrong then?

I'd be more inclined to believe that the brakes just needed bleeding to fix the pedal travel.

[kaygolf]

The ABS Unit was replaced first time round because the ESP light was on - see my earlier thread http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=18733. After months of complaining involving the SMMT VW finally offered to pay 80% of the cost of the Unit & the dealership fitted it for free - meaning that we paid c £180. Yesterday the Unit was replaced, but then there was a problem with the brakes. They were perfectly fine before.

[KeithS]

The ABS Unit was replaced first time round because the ESP light was on - see my earlier thread http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=18733. After months of complaining involving the SMMT VW finally offered to pay 80% of the cost of the Unit & the dealership fitted it for free - meaning that we paid c £180. Yesterday the Unit was replaced, but then there was a problem with the brakes. They were perfectly fine before.

When they replaced the ABS unit, they may have let air enter the hydraulic unit and then didn't bleed the brakes properly. Still it sounds like its OK now.