Major Brake Issue

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

right, as many of you are probably aware, i'm restoring my ph 1 ren 19 16v, now this car has the bendix brake system that uses a pressurized air system. now i had probs a couple of years back and replace it as it wouldnt hold air. at the minute its ok, but today the ABS light is staying on, but the air pressure is fine. now this maybe just an electrical glitch, buy i wouldnt mind now if the pressurized air pump system can be converted to electric or not? i think its a major job, alternatively, can the air pump unit be reconditioned? if so, where and how much for?

cheers for looking guys!

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Uh-oh

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

bin it and convert to a normal servo set up.

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

yeah i know, air brakes = problems, but i havent really had a lot of probs with it, is it a major job to convert?????? also, was it only the early ren's that had this system????

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

fairly easy, look in pics and vids and a thread called btodays blue hatch adventures

and yes only the early ones had it, the brakes stop workign randomly and kill people etc.

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

probably a good ideato change them then......

so what eactly needs changing then? being a it thick here, the air compressor unit, then.... ???

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

that why you call it the widow maker then... lol

Retroholic Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 5685

You need the pedal box, servo, master cylinder, remote resevoir with pipework, servo vacuum pipework and either the 4 brake lines from a non ABS 19 or the facilities to make new ones

more pics in the project donate thread

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

oh right, what about if i bought a pranged ren 19, later model, could the braking system be taken of that and put onto mine? cheers

Retroholic Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 5685

Yes, you would take all of the above bits off that 19 Confused

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

so a Â£50 pranged 16valver could save me a lot of aggro ............. have to see one maybe tomorrow or at the weekend, should i make an offer......

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

If the pranged one has Bosch ABS, then it can donate the pedal box, servo, master cylinder, reservoir etc. but you'll need to make up some brake lines to make a non ABS setup.

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

aaaahhhh, thanks for that info Neal, will look for that when i see it

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Ok then so what part of the bendix system is air pressure? Also surely you legally have to build in a seperate system for the brakes just in case they do fail. As far as I was aware all cars have two in case the first goes.

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Also if the 19 has this problem surely Renault did a recall to sort the problem, therefore your car should either be fixed or you could sue Renault alot for selling a car that's brakes fail (if they fail)

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

thats an intresting point Jon....... did you flog the tappets in the end?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Yeah I did, A Renault dealer bought them!!!!!!

I just thought that all cars legally have to have a backup for the brakes in some way shape or form. I assume as well that it's just the ABS controller thats air pressure but I gotta admit I'm not well up on the braking system just find it hard to believe that Renault produced a car with a brake system that routinely fails and didn't recall it or get sued for not recalling it.

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

did you manage to salvage the LCD screen?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Omg completely forgot about that.

Retroholic Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1000

d'oh! has he got rid of it now?

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 731

Will get my boss to have a look asap, comletely slipped my mind. I gotta get the top rad hose off him too so will have a look then.