Hi, as ive said above i have brake problems with my laser, it is a 1981 model with drums on the back if its relevant.

I can drive the car and its all good, but when i take it on the highway and try and brake i have a fair bit of brake travel before the brakes really bite! Also after that when you push the brakes in so far the "brake light out" light on the dash comes on.

It seems like the brakes are getting hot as after going on the highway i have the same issues for a while even if im only doing 60. I think the front left brake caliper is hanging up so maybe thats getting hot and thats affecting the brake fluid and i need to fix the caliper and flush the brake fluid.

Im not worry that the car wont stop, as i know from experience it will, its just annoying.

Oh and another problem with it, well not a problem, more of a quirk, when you are at idle and push down the brake, if you release it quickly the engine rpm will rise by around 200 rpm and then settle back down. This issue has me COMPLETELY stumped.

Does anyone have any idea what it could be?

thanks
-Meph

Im not expert on brakes but what I do know is if your getting a spongy feel or you have to depress the pedal for a more than reasonable distance before the pads really bite you may have air in the system. Air in the brake lines compress where brake fluid doesn't. By bleeding or flushing the brake system completely this might solve the problem.

Otherwise as you mention your brakes might be getting hot, if your caliper or pad is miss alligned and is dragging accross the rotor it will cause the brakes to get SERIOUSLY hot and can heat up the brake fluid to boiling point in the worst case. If this occurs brake failure follows immediatly.

i inheritted a laser a few months ago (which i promptly sold on ebay :D ) and it had stuffed brakes... it seemed to take an eternity of pedal travel before they came on.... i ripped into them and found that the pads were extinct and it was pretty much metal on metal :redface: (surprisingly little sound for no rubber!!)...

other than checking you pads... blake's checking of the lines would be a good idea as well!!

the brake pads on the front are good, will check out rear shoes tomorrow if it stops raining.

Im thinking air as well considering the faster you go, the hotter the brakes get and the air will expand. Brakes arent spongy if you are only going around town, just has issues when having had travelled at 80 or 100.

Ill check out the rear drums self adjusting mechanims also.

I swear this car wasnt driven for ages before i bout it. The tacho and temp guages didnt work and now they are coming around :P

thanks for your help guys

Oh and another problem with it, well not a problem, more of a quirk, when you are at idle and push down the brake, if you release it quickly the engine rpm will rise by around 200 rpm and then settle back down. This issue has me COMPLETELY stumped.

-Meph

I used to have a cortina with the same quirk. I fixed it by replacing the brake booster. It happens cos there's a leak in the diaphragm.