Front left wheel break not working (no hydrolic fluid pumped to this wheel)

[wanla1]

A happy New year in advance to forum members. I must start with a thank you for previous suggestions which have always been very handy.
summary. I think my front left wheel breaking system is not functional all the other 3 are perfect.
I finally moved my VW golf TDI of 1996 (one of the last before golf 4 arrival) to Cameroon where Toyota has a strong monopoly and knowledge on my lovely golf is limiting. The mechanics here are easy to find, but the VW is only beginning to resurface in this market.

Here my problem. I discovered my front right tyre was wearing out at an alarming rate, all the other 3 are still new or so to speak. I finally realized that when on high speed if I break it carries the car to the front right.
On investigation it turned out that the front left wheel does not break, no hydrolic fluid is pumped to this wheel, all the exits and supplies to the central unit (ABS?) are fine, except for the exit to this wheel that does not supply.
My mechanics are very willing to keep trying funny things sometimes with no sound rationale.
I badly need any advice that could help for the last guy I meet explained how good his knowledge is on VW, but I still have my doubts and hesitate letting him dismantle this unit, for he might ruin it? and a replacement will be hard to find in this market, plus it might be dubious and expensive!!!

Please give me a word of advice and I will gladly guide the mechanic on what to do. He has no access to internet.

Otherwise they suggest things that will by pass the ABS and stay only on the break alone, this sound scary to me knowing how fast I love to go with my golf.
The golf is a lovely car, it is getting popular here.

Love you forum members who have read this message and will suggest something now.

[Leon R]

Hi there, my understanding of ABS is that there is a self test that occurs when the ignition is switched on and the valves are actuated in the hydro pump. During this time the ABS light comes and stays on for a few seconds, do you get this?

I've changed many BMW and MINI hydro control units and you can seperate the electrical part from the hydro part however that is as far as we go, however, if they are roughly the same as VW, you may find the fault when seperating the two.

Are they using a brake bleeder machine or bleeding the brakes by pedal? Also is it possible to check whether the brake caliper is siezed?

[wanla1]

Hi there, my understanding of ABS is that there is a self test that occurs when the ignition is switched on and the valves are actuated in the hydro pump. During this time the ABS light comes and stays on for a few seconds, do you get this?

I've changed many BMW and MINI hydro control units and you can seperate the electrical part from the hydro part however that is as far as we go, however, if they are roughly the same as VW, you may find the fault when seperating the two.

Are they using a brake bleeder machine or bleeding the brakes by pedal? Also is it possible to check whether the brake caliper is siezed?

Dear Leon
Thanks a great deal for your response. Internet is not often a great experience here thus my delayed response.
We had been bleeding just with the Pedal. In fact in that period when the problem lasted the test used to indicate that the ABS was fine.
However I have good news for you a well wisher, that I meet a guy who claimed that he could put the ABS into pieces and locate the fault and when we took out the whole unit and before we could start toying with it we realize a fine mud flowing with difiiculties. A couple of Bangs on the Unit deslodged the finely packed mud and we pumped air through the unit and opened the exit. Hence it function just fine. However I have a feeling that there is a little air in the system, but traditional bleeding doesnt seem to take care of it.

Thanks a gain Leon

Wanyu

[NickPicks]

I think you'd be better off using a pressure bleeder rather than the traditional method of pumping the pedal. I've used the Gunsons Eezibleed before and had good results.

In case they don't sell them in Cameroon, it's basically a bottle which you fill with brake fluid, and it's then pressurised with the spare wheel (reduce pressure to 1bar). A tube at the bottom of the bottle feeds fluid into the brake fluid reservoir under pressure, and this is then fed out through the bleed nipples as they're opened.

I've heard in the past that some ABS systems have problems if you get air into the pump unit, but I don't know if this is so on the Golf.

Also, if there's no brake effort, I'd suspect a siezed caliper first, rather than the ABS pump so you might want to chack for that aswell.

[Leon R]

Wanyu, glad you got it sorted and as NickPicks said, bleed the brakes with a pressure bleeder.
Strange how the dirt in the system only got to affect one wheel, strange how it got in there actually!
I'd advise to recheck the system after a while to make sure its clean, there may be particles of dirt in the main brake fluid reservoir. Glad you didn't have to dismantle the ABS unit!

regards
Leon