# VW Caddy Mk3 Brake Issue - Help please



## B1Lste1N (Mar 16, 2020)

My brother has a 2012 VW Caddy 1.6 petrol. I jumped into it the other day and when braking, it felt like the car was on ice and pulled to the left. 
Got it on a hoist, checked and found that there was no brakes (at all) on front right caliper and brake was beginning to rust - obviously been some time since it worked. Don't understand how he didn't notice!

It is a pretty new car - done about 50,000km and driving well (except for the brakes). 

There are no errors on the VCD scan, no lights illuminated. It is just the front right brake that is not working. 

Found that there was air in the line and carried out the following:

1. Did a bleed conventionally (push brake 10 times, push and hold, open bleed screw, close bleed screw, repeat x 5. Starting from left rear, then right rear, then left front and lastly right front). Once completed, the front right caliper started locking. Took it for a test drive and as soon as I press the brake, front right stopped working. Front left and rears still working fine. 
2. Bled it again, caliper starts working, took it for a test drive, with same result - front right stops working.
3. Decided to try something different. Completely flushed the system with a Motive pressure bleeder and eliminated any chance of air with new brake fluid, tested brakes moving a few metres forward, brake hard, a few metres in reverse, brake hard and it front right continued to work. Took it for another test drive and front right brake stopped working.
4. Went onto VCDs, did a bleed with the ABS pump, brake worked on the hoist, but again, the second the car is taken on a test drive, the brake stopped working. 

Something to note:
When bleeding the brakes, conventional and using Motive pressure bleeder, the front right would not bleed until the ignition was turned to the ON position. 

I have searched a lot of the forums and have not come across anyone with the same issue... I might be wrong, but my understanding is that the right rear brake works with the front left and rear left works with right front. Brake pressure moving to opposite corners needs to be equal in pressure and if there is a difference in pressure, the line with the lower pressure gets closed... but if the lines do not have air in them, then there can only be an equal amount of pressure at all times whether the brake is applied or not. 

All the information above keeps pointing me to the ABS pump - but there are no fault codes or dashboard lights... Anyone have any idea on what the problem could be?


----------



## garryt (Dec 22, 2016)

is the brake hose ok? maybe the caliper is seized. how rusty is the disc?


----------



## B1Lste1N (Mar 16, 2020)

Hi garryt,

It is not the brake hose or the caliper. And there is no rust on this vehicle at all. 

I have found the problem to be in the ABS pump. One of the valves is permanently closed now not allowing any pressure to go to the caliper. I had pulled off the unit and began checking to see if it is an electrical issue causing the valve to stick (which I am suspecting) or a mechanical issue... but now I am in self isolation and it will have to wait...


----------



## garryt (Dec 22, 2016)

B1Lste1N said:


> Hi garryt,
> 
> It is not the brake hose or the caliper. And there is no rust on this vehicle at all.
> 
> I have found the problem to be in the ABS pump. One of the valves is permanently closed now not allowing any pressure to go to the caliper. I had pulled off the unit and began checking to see if it is an electrical issue causing the valve to stick (which I am suspecting) or a mechanical issue... but now I am in self isolation and it will have to wait...


ah right. I was just going on what you said about the disc being rusty. yeah we're all heading for the isolation by the looks of it. testing times


----------

