P38A Horrible vibration from brake pedal and no brakes

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Could you get it to @Henry_b ?

There are a few things worth checking. That the brake switch is working as it should. Slide pibs etc are free to move. That it is bled the way it should be. Then there's the modulator itself. Early units had plastic washers inside that were known to break. Later ones should be stainless steel. Then there's the punp itself to supply the pressure and the pressure valve. I seem to recall so eone saying the same valve was used on other cars such as Saab.

Hi,

I’ve been looking into this and reading the horror stories about the plastic washers.
It seems like the cars with the 4-wheel TC should have the later unit. Is there an easy way to tell whether I have 2 or 4 wheel TC ?

Do modern replacement modulators have the breakable part upgraded ?

The pads and discs have been changed on all 4 wheels, the seized calliper slider pins freed / replaced.

The symptom is a rock hard pedal with a ‘scratchy’-sounding vibration and no braking.

I’m still hoping it’s air…

off to look for part numbers


Thanks again

Bob
 
What year is your p38, up to 98 tc was option after 98 they were all 2w tc then in 2000 i believe they were all 4w tc
Anr 2238 is no tc
Anr 2239 is 2w tc
scx 10000 is 4w tc

Ah ok,

ours has ANR2239 with ETC

is it only the ANR2238 which is plagued by the plastic washers ? Ie. Does the 2239 have steel ones ?

Our vehicle is a bit Transitional, it was built in Nov ‘97 with Gems but is a high-spec model and seems to have some of the newer tech from later cars- I suppose they could have been added later.

interestingly the brake fluid looks to be at or below min and nanocom reports a “Pressure Warning Switch Failure”
- my OH suggests this is because there is likely insufficient or inconsistent pressure in the system (due to air) does that sound plausible ? Or does it point to something else.

on another note, I could only see two nipples of the bleed variety on the modulator one upper one lower. Shouldn’t there be 3 ?

thanks again for all your input and support, it really helps !

Bob
 
If the fluid is low when car is all off then it will be very low when the pump is on, level should be done with pump on, it will rise up after a time when the car is left but that is normal
as to the brake modulator if you have a anr2239 then you are stuck with it, as the later 4w tc scx100000 is not a straight swap it has a different wiring harness and abs ecu (wabco d) which is lots of money and less reliable than the wabco c which you have.
and the garage want reporting for what they did and did not do, i would say they need to pay to get it all sorted by someone who can be trusted
 
Ah ok,

ours has ANR2239 with ETC

is it only the ANR2238 which is plagued by the plastic washers ? Ie. Does the 2239 have steel ones ?

Our vehicle is a bit Transitional, it was built in Nov ‘97 with Gems but is a high-spec model and seems to have some of the newer tech from later cars- I suppose they could have been added later.

interestingly the brake fluid looks to be at or below min and nanocom reports a “Pressure Warning Switch Failure”
- my OH suggests this is because there is likely insufficient or inconsistent pressure in the system (due to air) does that sound plausible ? Or does it point to something else.

on another note, I could only see two nipples of the bleed variety on the modulator one upper one lower. Shouldn’t there be 3 ?

thanks again for all your input and support, it really helps !

Bob
Definitely three,the one near the bulkhead may need a bit of the sound proofing cut away to see it properly.
 
Is the pump running?

And if so how many pumps before it kicks on?

Hi,

with the engine not running (so I can hear the pump) it runs to pressurise the system on startup.

after 3 big pumps of the pedal it kicks in again for about 6-7 seconds. Pedal feels firm and ok.

accumulator has been replaced with brand new Wabco one.

does that help diagnose ?

thanks again

Bob
 
Hi,

with the engine not running (so I can hear the pump) it runs to pressurise the system on startup.

after 3 big pumps of the pedal it kicks in again for about 6-7 seconds. Pedal feels firm and ok.

accumulator has been replaced with brand new Wabco one.

does that help diagnose ?

thanks again

Bob

What year is your p38?

There was an issue with the 1994-1998 P38s in that they had a component failure in the brake modulator it is a plastic locating washers inside the unit that for want of a better word just fall apart and you end up with next to no brakes, systems are initially a notchy feel to the brake pedal.
 
What year is your p38?

There was an issue with the 1994-1998 P38s in that they had a component failure in the brake modulator it is a plastic locating washers inside the unit that for want of a better word just fall apart and you end up with next to no brakes, systems are initially a notchy feel to the brake pedal.

Hi,

it’s an early 98 but high line (autobiography). It has the ANR2239 with ETC fitted -although, apparently, this may also be plagued with the plastic washers. -do these symptoms sound like that ?

-is there a working link to the repair kit ?
Or, if the whole bloody thing needs replaced, does the current ANR2239 still use plastic ?

there’s a really really good chance it hasn’t been bled properly too, if that helps.

thanks again

Bob
 
Plastic washers were replaced with S/S units in 1999 it coincided with the intro of 4wTC

Try flushing and bleeding the system and trying again.

There was a chap that provided rebuild kits I'll PM you the email.
 
Plastic washers were replaced with S/S units in 1999 it coincided with the intro of 4wTC

Try flushing and bleeding the system and trying again.

There was a chap that provided rebuild kits I'll PM you the email.

+1.

Check the simple stuff first. This is last resort. You can probably get another off Ebay for little money because they so rarely fail.
 
H Bob, Glad your safe,did your car pass it's MOT? If it did, when you have a word with the garage mention that you " may" be having a word with VOSA if their not prepared to get it sorted then a word with the testing station will put pressure on them.;)
 
H Bob, Glad your safe,did your car pass it's MOT? If it did, when you have a word with the garage mention that you " may" be having a word with VOSA if their not prepared to get it sorted then a word with the testing station will put pressure on them.;)

yes I have considered that although I got a worried as there are some bona-fide ‘bad’ people about.

I sort of think the mechanic is a ‘nice guy’ and I don’t want to ruin his business but what has happened is beyond the pale and he’s put my family’s lives at risk.

I don’t for one second believe that the car was presented for a re-test as the necessary work wasn’t done so it likely happened ‘at a distance’.

currently waiting on the RAC to come and have a look -but they were due 2 hours ago <sigh> and will take it from there.

thanks again

Bob
 
Ok, so the RAC guy was horrified.

he says I should be threatening DVSA and Vosa.

brake fluid old and never changed, certainly not bled.

I’ve it booked into a specialist now which should apparently be at the expense of the original garage.

strangely when I went to speak to them I found the business all locked up. I wonder if they’re already in trouble…
 
Ok, so the RAC guy was horrified.

he says I should be threatening DVSA and Vosa.

brake fluid old and never changed, certainly not bled.

I’ve it booked into a specialist now which should apparently be at the expense of the original garage.

strangely when I went to speak to them I found the business all locked up. I wonder if they’re already in trouble…
That's shocking.. beyond shocking, in fact!
Definitely contact vosa and dvsa, along with trading standards.. assuming it's a registered, ltd company have you looked them up online?
 
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