Hi. I have a 1999 Ford Escort Flight Estate 1.6 Zetec engine

Three problems with front brakes. I have replaced pads, disks and calipers

1) On a frosty morning, when I brake, the front brakes lock on and take an age to unlock. Turning off engine, depressing brake pedal hard and starting engine often helps. Or just waiting 5-10 minutes

From the boards it looks like this is:

i) water in the brake fluid freezing

ii) faulty front brake hoses

So I will replace the fluid and the hoses

2) Driving along, not touching the brakes, the front brakes progressively come on and bring me to a grinding halt. This was very alarming on the Mi the other day! Solution as above, but what is the cause?

Master cylinder? But how?

3) Other times I can be driving along and I notice that the brake pedal rides high - only needs a touch to bring the brakes on. That is a warning sign that the front brakes are going to seize. Solution as above, but what is the cause?

Any suggestions gratefully appreciated

Some very strange ones.

The siezing on is very common though, and the reason is the brake hoses collapse inside.

Best bet is to replace the hoses with braided ones to stop this problem re-occuring. I would also drain the fluid when you replace these hoses and add new fluid too.

Hope this helps

Some very strange ones.

The siezing on is very common though, and the reason is the brake hoses collapse inside.

Best bet is to replace the hoses with braided ones to stop this problem re-occuring. I would also drain the fluid when you replace these hoses and add new fluid too.

Hope this helps

Thanks, but I had already found this out on your board - as indicated in my post item 1. Item 3 may be related, but item 2 is really bugging me. Anyone else got any ideas?

Before changing the hoses and the fluid, try taking the fuse out of the ABS. It could be a sticky valve activating.

It sounds most likely to be a collapsed hose which may be acting like a check valve inside, and only allowing a oneway flow.

Also if the brake fluid hasn't been changed for a while, being hydroscopic, it will attract moisture and will have some strange characteristics caused by the fluid expanding and contracting at different temperatures to what it is supposed to.