PROBLEMS AFTER BRAKE SERVICE....

[speedy_glz]

Hello

I have a 05 Megane with 2.0L petrol engine, 16 in wheels, mods: k&n air filter, xenon lights.

My problems started after changing tha brake pads, like my car does not has more waranty, I took it to the first worshop I found they had the correct pads (Im from Chihuahua, Mexico, and still there are no workshops specialized in Renault, just the dealers and it really expensive). Well, after taking back my car, I found that it wasnt braking good, when I hit the brake pedal ita was like if the ABS was turned on, the car started like bumping like the feeling when the ABS is on. So I took it back to this guys and told me that the problem was with the suspension arms...bullsh1t!!

So I took it the dealer, and told me that everything was ok, that the suspensio arms had to have some movement to support the loads when braking, and that the only problem was the steering arms that where damaged (REALLY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE THEM).

After that, I changed my tires (braking problem not solved yet) and in the place I took it they changed just 2 of the 4 steering arms, because those where the ones that where damaged, so, everything ok. But now, after the balance and aligment of the tires and the steering fix, my car started to disalign.

Last saturday I took it to a brake specialist shop, and told me that the discs where bad, that the alloy of the discs have some spots or dots of bad material, a lil bit harder (like carbides on steel) and that was the matter that was causing the brake problem. BUT NO!!! I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, SO NOW IM STARTING TO THINK THAT IS THE STEERING OR THE SUSPENSION.

WHY?? beacuse now my sterring wheel is chaking like if one wheel was disaligned or unbalanced, and when I turn the wheel all to right side and go reverse, something CRACKS on the RH wheel.

So, what do you think, is the problem with the steering or the suspension????

[AlexB]

Hi Speedy,

Sorry to hear about your problems caused by incompetent servicing.

When the brakes are serviced and the discs are not smooth, shiny (look and touch them on both sides) and above the min thickness (electronic manual in my message in our Links) -- the discs must be replaced.

The bushes and joints in the suspension/steering may fail, but they are easy to diagnose. In most cases no special equipment is required. I doubt that they may cause an ABS-like symptom. Knocking, cracking, pulling to the side on braking or acceleration, tyre wear -- possibly; pulsation of the brake pedal plus reduced brake performance -- unlikely.

Bushes in the suspension are known to wear out early in Lagunas, especially if one carries heavy loads and drives like a rocket. In Meganes it is not a popular fault. I know that for certain markets they install stronger suspension, but the bushes, I guess, are still the same.

When components of the steering are replaced, the alignment should be checked/adjusted. It is a standard procedure. In garages they use lasers, at home one can use a couple of wooden blocks and a primitive sight...

The cracking from a front wheel when turning can be due to a failed driveshaft or bearings. Bearings also give a humming sound on the straight road.

Are you sure that the brake vibration is not caused by ABS/ESP? If in doubt, disconnect the wheel sensor, ignore the warning light and try again.

[speedy_glz]

Thanks!!!

Well, Im sending my meg to a steering/suspension specialist tomorrow, he checked it today and said that something weird is happening.
What Im going to do is to check if something is loose on the steering arms and ask to check the bushes because I one of that kind of persons you say that drive like a rocket, and the bad thing here is that the streets here are not so good, to be honest, are really bad

Well, lets see what this guy says tomorrow, I will let you know

[speedy_glz]

Well, I took my meg to a steering/suspension specialist, and the diagnosis was: "Your car is in really good conditions! All the mechanical components are good enough, bushes, bearings, suspension arms, everything its ok! just the steering has a little bit loose, but there is no problem!"

WHAT??!!!

The only advise that this guy told me was to take the meg to the dealer to check the codes on the computer and see if a sensor was failing

So, what is wrong with my meg???!!!

[AlexB]

Speedy,

Could you please summarise the problems that you have now? What was eventually fixed? Are you sure that it is not ABS working when it should not?

It is important to isolate faults. It seems to me that you have a fault with brakes, another fault related to wheel alignment and the third fault of cracking when reversing on full lock. Am I right? Then let's look at them one at a time.

Regarding brakes. You write it feels like ABS. Are you sure that it is not an ABS malfunction? Does your car have ESP? As disc wear was mentioned -- what is the current disc thickness and are they smooth and shiny on both sides? When was the brake fluid changed the last time?

Regarding alignment. Please compare the measured angles to the manual:
https://www.reno.ro/index.php?s=5f2d56c2 ... 1627461169

Regarding the cracking sound. Please describe it and the conditions under which it occurs in more detail. Does it come from the top of the strut? Is it as powerful as the spring catching something and then being released? Are you sure it is not the steering column clicking in the area around your feet, which is a known thing?

[speedy_glz]

Ok, lets summarise:
Well, every fault happens suddenly, and as it comes, it goes, for my i guess that something is loose and with a bump this thing goes out of place and cause the problem, and with another bump, it comes back to place anr everything is ok now

Regarding brakes. Yes, my car has ESP. What it feels in my car is when I hit the brake pedal the car moves or feels like bumping, like if the brakes were braking and then not, again and again. What the dealer told me was that maybe the discs where bended or not smooth, so, I took it two weeks ago to a brake specialist and told me that the discs had a "dots", and thats no good because it says that the material is no good (like carbides on iron). But the could fix the discs and now are smoth and shimy for both sides. But after that my meg feels the same, so i took it the suspension specialist and everything down there is ok, he told me that maybe its a fault on the abs sensor.
Brake fluid???? well, since I had the car, it has not been changed.
Thickness is ok

Regarding alignment. Well, it was aligned on march after I changed two steering arms that looked worn (with the dealer, they wanted me to change the 4 sterring arms too expensive and unnecesary).
Now, the car sometimes trends to the right side, and as I said, suddenly, its ok.

Regarding steering shaking. Well, as the other problems, it suddenly ocurrs, and what happen is that the sterring wheel starts shacking and also the car, as a tire was unbalanced.

Regarding the cracking sound. It sometimes occurs when I have the steering to turn right and go on reverse. As soon as the car starts moving, a loudly CRACK sounds, just once, as it something got stucked and then was realease, and the sound comes from the RH wheel.
IMPORTANT: I was talking with a friend that has a meg to (2007-2008??) and told me he has the same problem, and as me, it occurs sometimes.


So, what is left for me, I need to check the rear discs, check the brake fluid, and the OBDII codes to check of a sensor is damaged.
For the mechanical stuff, as the steering/suspension specialist told me, everything is on good shape.