Brake woe's.....any hints or tips please

[V70 Graham]

I seem to be getting a spongy brake pedal at the moment, this first happened after TRAX last Sept and I thought it could be because I boiled the brake fluid (don't laugh, I was going well fast lol) anyway had a local guy bleed the brakes using the gravity method ie opening all the nipples and letting the fluid drain through, not sure this is the best way to bleed them though.
Since yesterday the problem has returned, first press of the pedal and it seems to go down more than normal, though press it again quickly and it firms up.....if this makes sense.
Disks and pads all good, replaced last summer by M-R-P and no loss of fluid, gonna try another bleed from my trusted indie Monday week, anything else I should/could get them to look at/for ?
Thanks in advance.

[stribo]

Definitely sounds like they need bleeding.

[merc85]

any loss of fluid graham?

[V70 Graham]

No Gav, none at all.

[oblark]

My brakes are the same but I've got racing pads, the brakes get better when they warm up.

[V70 Graham]

My brakes are the same but I've got racing pads, the brakes get better when they warm up.

Mine are not like it all the time, just started happening for the second time yesterday, pads in my car are normal road ones.

[Volvostorm]

Have a look, or even better change your flexi's, they could be balloning, perfect reason to upgrade to braided hoses

[stribo]

Is it happening when you've been driving for quite a while without using the brakes? If so it could just be the pads rattling away from the discs whilst driving, so the first time you press the pedal the pads have further to travel before they come in contact with the discs, the second time, they're already up against the disc.

[JamesT5]

It could be the master cylinder seals are perished which will result in a drop in brake pressure.

[V70 Graham]

It could be the master cylinder seals are perished which will result in a drop in brake pressure.

Even with no loss of fluid ?
Seems to happen when driving normally, not just after a spell with no braking.

[M-R-P]

I'm liking Paul's idea, it'll be worth a look.

I've been avoiding mentioning the master cylinder, hoping its something simpler.

Give it a bleed mate and check the hoses at the same time. Go from there.

[stribo]

Get them bled and go from there then. I'm sure the system has to be pressurized when they're bled, because of the ABS pump, so gravity bleeding them may not have worked. Or I could be talking out of my §§§§.

[merc85]

Are the caliper slider's greased up well, All this crap weather may be causing them to stick

[JamesT5]

Even with no loss of fluid ?
Seems to happen when driving normally, not just after a spell with no braking.

The system may contain fluid but the innter pistons are worn, hence no loss of fluid.

[M-R-P]

Get them bled and go from there then. I'm sure the system has to be pressurized when they're bled, because of the ABS pump, so gravity bleeding them may not have worked. Or I could be talking out of my §§§§.

I used a venturi vacuum to bleed mine and graham's brakes with no trouble (clutch was a different story tho)

[V70 Graham]

Ok chaps, thanks for your thoughts, bleed and braided hoses, think I can get these for around £60 iirc, master cylinder gonna be a bit more !

[oblark]

Didn't someone at one of the southern meets comment on the paint peeling off of the servo under the master ?

[V70 Graham]

Didn't someone at one of the southern meets comment on the paint peeling off of the servo under the master ?

Yeah but that was there when I bought the car, never got wet since then, think maybe the cylinder was replaced before I bought it.

[oblark]

It was just a thought

[LiamT4]

Have a look, or even better change your flexi's, they could be balloning, perfect reason to upgrade to braided hoses

Sounds like that could be the issue.